After celebrating an extraordinary adventure in 2013, which saw them smash the record for the celebrated Pikes Peak Hill Climb in under 8 minutes 14 seconds, Peugeot Sport, Red Bull and Total have again joined forces for another exciting challenge. Twenty five years after the French manufacturer last contested the event, its new Peugeot 2008 DKR will enter the Dakar rally in 2015. The team has recruited Carlos Sainz and Cyril Despres to compete in the world’s longest and toughest cross-country rally.
After last year’s 20-kilometre spring on tarmac in Colorado, resulting in a historic win for Sebastien Loeb in the 208 T16 Pikes Peak, Team Peugeot Total will now take on this even greater challenge in a new car. The new 2008 DKR, which will be unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show on April 20th, has been developed by the same team who created the 208 T16 Pikes Peak. It will be tested to the absolute limit during its 2-week marathon over 10,000km across Latin America when it takes up its challenge in January 2015.
The team’s driver line-up will star the 2010 Dakar victor, Carlos Sainz, who brings his extensive experience to the table. Five-time bike winner at Dakar, Cyril Despres, has been chosen by Peugeot to kick off a new career on four wheels.
Peugeot CEO, Maxime Picat said, “Our Pikes Peak programme was a success because we succeeded in bringing together an outstanding driver, a remarkable team and a car of the very highest quality. We have set our sights high for the Dakar, too. We are perfectly aware that the Dakar is a very difficult event but our aim is nonetheless to win at first attempt in 2015.”
When last competing 25 years ago, Peugeot won the legendary Dakar rally for four years in a row from 1987 to 1990, first with the 205 T16 Grand Raid, then with the equally iconic 405 T16 Grand Raid.
(see the video clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_s26Pc36TY)
