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Dakar Rally 2015: Peugeot 2008 DKR - first test, new detailed technical data.

After grabbing public attention with the stunning new 2008 DKR, Team Peugeot-Total has finally lifted the lid on the inner workings of this muscular beast, which will take on the 4x4 brigade on the 2015 Dakar with just two driven wheels.

Dunes, mountains, dry river beds, canyons, furnace-like temperatures, salt deserts, rough terrain, fesh-fesh sand… These are just some of the joys that await the 2008 DKR on the next Dakar Rally.

To tackle this tremendous challenge, Team Peugeot-Total has followed a very daring technical path: "Much like we did at the Le Mans 24 Hours by electing to run a closed-cockpit car, we decided to adopt an innovative concept," reveals Peugeot Sport Director Bruno Famin.

"When it comes to cross-country rallying, the biggest question is whether to run with four-wheel-drive or just two. After a detailed study of the question, we decided to go for two-wheel drive transmission which presents a number of interesting benefits," Famin added. This bold decision will enable the team to try to become the first to win the Dakar with a diesel-powered two-wheel drive vehicle.

In order to balance out the chances of the different solutions, the rules in effect compensate the inherent advantage of 4x4 vehicles by allowing two-wheel-drive machinery to benefit from certain advantages. Technical project manager Jean-Christophe Pallier summarises them: "In motorsport, weight is counter to performance. However, in the case of cross-country rallying, two-wheel drive cars are allowed to be significantly lighter than 4x4s.

They are also entitled to use bigger wheels which provide them with a certain advantage when it comes to coping with the many pitfalls associated with this type of terrain. On top of that, they allow us to minimise the front overhang. The 2008 DKR can practically climb vertical walls!

And that’s not all! Longer suspension travel – 460mm instead of 250mm – enhances its ability over dunes and when soaking up uneven ground. That’s a key asset on an event like the Dakar!” Another advantage of the larger wheel size is a system that enables the tyre pressures to be adjusted remotely from inside the cockpit upon entering a zone of dunes – a tactic that could yield a gain of precious minutes!

In order to exploit these benefits fully, Peugeot Sport’s engineers put their creativity to the test to come up with an extremely compact car. With its 340bhp, V6 twin-turbo diesel mid-rear engine, the 2008 DKR resembles a muscular feline ready to pounce and soak up obstacles.

"Fitting all of the vital assemblies into such a small space gave us quite a headache" admits Pallier. "Small cars tend to perform more comfortably over twisty WRC-type stages, so this arrangement increases the potential of two-wheel drive cars in situations where the 4x4s tend to have the edge."

Beyond the conviction – expressed by Red Bull for the last two years – that two-wheel-drive vehicles possess attractive qualities that shine through even across the most inhospitable of terrains, this technical approach also makes sense for the French manufacturer.

Bruno Famin explains: "Given that the production 2008 is a two-wheel-drive crossover equipped with Grip Control technology – which enables it to go just about anywhere – it is only right that the 2008 DKR derivative should similarly take on the challenges of the Dakar with just two-wheel-drive."

via http://www.marathonrally.com

Le Mans Classic 2014, ça se précise…

par Claude Foubert (Endurance-Info.com)

A la veille de l’ouverture de Le Mans Classic 2014, l’effervesence  est maximale à l’intérieur du circuit manceau. On met la touche finale aux derniers préparatifs, que ce soit dans le paddock ou dans le Village.

Aujourd’hui jeudi, les concurrents – et ils sont nombreux- doivent se plier au rite des vérifications administratives et le Welcome où se tiennent ces vérifications affiche presque complet.

Les voitures des différents plateaux continuent à rentrer dans l’enceinte du circuit puis dans leurs paddocks respectifs. Ces paddocks ne sont pas encore ouverts, mais à première vue il sont déjà bien remplis.

Dans le Village, les voitures de Le Mans Heritage commencent à être alignées. Parmi celles-ci sont déjà en place entre autres une Aries  de 1924, une Talbot  Lago Grand Sport de 1948, une Talbot Lago T26 de 1951, une Osca 1000 de 1961, une Alpine A210 de 1966, la Morgan « Art Car » vue au Mans en 2013…

Le meeting est accessible au public dès demain vendredi, pour une journée chargée, avec les essais chronométrés de jour et les qualifications de 15h à 21h, et des essais libres de nuit de 22h20 à 2H40 du matin, ça se précise….

Les photos de mercredi et de jeudi sont ici

Vidéo : Les 24 Heures du Mans d’Audi Sport

par Laurent Mercier (Endurance-Info.com)

Certains diront qu’Audi a eu de la chance au Mans, d’autres diront que c’est su savoir-faire. Avec 13 succès aux 24 Heures du Mans, Audi connaît la musique et ne laisse rien au hasard. L’édition 2014 a montré que la marque aux quatre anneaux n’a pas connu une semaine facile avec l’accident de Loïc Duval puis la perte de la R18 e-tron quattro #3 sur accident dès le début de course. Au bout du compte, le constructeur allemand est reparti avec un doublé. Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer et Benoît Tréluyer ont décroché un troisième succès dans la Sarthe. Le Dr Wolfgang Ullrich et ses troupes connaissent la musique…

Revivez les 24 Heures du Mans avec Audi Sport :