After winning the Dakar Rally earlier this year, Peugeot will be keen to defend its title across the South American countryside next year. What you see here is the new rally-raid machine with which it intends to do so.
The new Peugeot 3008 DKR replaces the previous 2008 DKR that dominated the event last year. Like its predecessor, the new 3008 only drives two of its wheels, which makes it lighter than all-wheel drive challengers and affords it certain advantages in the rule book.
As you can see, Peugeot revised the styling to more closely resemble the new 3008 crossover it will be showcasing at the Paris Motor Show next month, which we dare say makes it look even more impressive. But that’s hardly the sum total of the improvements.
The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 diesel engine has been fitted with a new restrictor and retuned to deliver more torque at lower revs. The long-travel suspension has been reconfigured to soak up even more bumps. The entire vehicle has been reengineered to be more reliable. Even the air conditioning system has been improved to keep the crew alert and focussed on the task at hand.
Carlos Sainz will drive the new 3008 DKR in Morocco next month, where the team will see how it stacks up to the outgoing 2008 DKR that Cyril Despres will handle in the same event. Armed with fresh machinery, they’l be joined by twelve-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel and nine-time WRC champ Sébastien Loeb for the main event that carves a new route through Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay this January.
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