Peugeot 2008 DKR unleashed

Peugeot has uncaged its beast, the 2008 DKR, out in the public. The French carmaker has made up its mind to storm the 2015 Dakar rally after 25 years it last contested the event. The 10,000km rally is considered as the world’s longest and toughest car rally. Peugeot is backed by Red Bull racing and its old partner Total. The automaker has recruited Carlos Sainz and Cyril Despres to pilot the car.

The new rally-fighter sits on massive 37-inch tyres provided by Michelin. Peugeot engineers have taken off the rear doors and put 2008 DKR’s suspension on steroids. The French carmaker has outfitted the interior with a cockpit that will update the team with engine telemetry, suspension, transmission and other crucial data points in real time.

What powers the 2008 DKR is a mystery, but Peugeot has revealed the car is a rear-wheel-drive. Peugeot engineers are confident that the vehicle’s robust two-wheel-drive transmission will outperform the competition.

“Given the off-road capability of two-wheel-drive transmission and its ability to run on sand, that's the choice we ultimately went for. It enabled us to fit bigger wheels and also to benefit from more suspension travel,” explains Jean-Christophe Pailler, Project Leader, Peugeot Sports.

The 2008 DKR will make its competition debut in January 2015 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It will face stiff competition from a heavily-modified MINI Countryman that has stood first in every edition of the grueling race since 2012. Peugeot will announce further details of its 2008 DKR at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show.