After shattering the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb’s all-time record by more than one minute and a half with the 875hp 208 T16 Pikes Peak driven by Sebastien Loeb, Peugeot has set its sight on another legendary competition, the Dakar rally.
The French carmaker has announced it will return to Dakar in 2015 after a 25-year hiatus with the 2008 DKR, which will be driven by two Dakar legends: Carlos Sainz and Cyril Despres.
Peugeot has won four consecutive editions of the Dakar from 1987 until 1990, first with the 205 T16 Grand Raid, then with the 405 T16 Grand Raid. For the 2015 two-week 10,000km (6,214-mile) marathon, Peugeot Sport will use the 2008 DKR, a car that the automaker hasn’t released any information about, dropping only a teaser image. More information about the car will be released on April 20 at the Beijing Motor Show.
Peugeot aims to win the Dakar from the first year, as CEO Maxime Picat revealed. “Our intention is to have everything in place for next year’s Dakar, even though our strategy is based on a longer term than was the case for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, since we will be involved for several years. We are perfectly aware that the Dakar is a very difficult event but our aim is nonetheless to win at first attempt in 2015,” Picat said.
The Dakar entry will also help Peugeot boost its image in markets like South America, where the rally is held, and China. Peugeot says the 2008 crossover was the obvious choice for the Dakar, especially since the car will launch in 2015 in China and South America.
The driver lineup combines Carlos Sainz’s experience on four wheels (he won the event in 2010), with the enthusiasm of Cyril Despres, a five-time Dakar winner on two wheels. The Frenchman has chosen Peugeot to kick off a new career on four wheels.
By Dan Mihalascu
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