For an Audi that goes away, there is a Dacia that arrives. The Romanian brand, which is part of the Renault Group, today unveiled its new car, the Sandrider, with which, starting from 2025, it will take part in both the Dakar in the Ultimate T1+ class and the World Rally Raid.
Dacia had already presented its team over the last few months, with the announcements of Sébastien Loeb, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Cristina Gutierrez. Today the team presented the new car in Paris with Denis Le Vot, program director, revealing its shapes, colors and sporting project.
The car was born from the collaboration with Prodrive and the support of the Renault Group, who took inspiration from the Manifesto, one of Dacia's SUVs, to use it as the basis of the car that will run from 2025 until at least 2027, in a project that will certainly be three-year , with the possibility of being lengthened. What is certain is that Dacia will chase the Dakar, but also the W2RC, the World Rally Raid.
Dacia Sandrider: 3-litre V6 biturbo engine
Photo by: Dacia
Dacia Sandrider
No experiments, nothing electrical. Dacia will make its debut in rally raids with the Sandrider equipped with a 3-litre V6 twin-turbo engine made by Nissan and used in the Nissan Z sports cars. The fuel is a synthetic petrol made by Aramco, Dacia's official partner in this new project.
The first tests of the car will be carried out in April, when a shakedown will be carried out in England, presumably near the Prodrive headquarters. The racing debut will take place in about 9 months, in October, when it will take part in the Rallye du Maroc, the final act of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship. A good test to try to get ready for the 2025 Dakar.
As for the three official drivers, they are the aforementioned Sébastien Loeb, third in the 2024 Dakar. Nasser Al-Attiyah, multiple winner of the Dakar but recently in complete contrast with the Hunter, a car made by Prodrive with which he raced this year and Cristina Gutierrez, amazing winner of the Challenger category and second woman in history to triumph in a category of the Dakar after Jutta Kleinschmidt.
Dacia Sandrider: the technical sheet
Photo by: Dacia
Dacia Sandrider
Dacia has currently released some information on the technical characteristics of the new Sandrider. Let's discover them together.
- FIA category: Ultimate T1+
- Chassis: tubular
- Car body: carbon fiber
- Motor: V6, 3 liters, twin-turbo, direct injection
- Maximum power: 265 kW/360 hp at 5,000 rpm
- Maximum torque: 539 Nm at 4,250 rpm
- Traction: 4X4
- Transmission: 6-speed sequential gearbox
- Front/rear suspension: double triangle
- Shock travel: 350 mm
- Wheels: aluminum rims, 17 inches
- Length x Width x Height: 4,140 mx 2,290 mx 1,810 m
- Step: 3,000 mm
- Front/rear overhang: 590/550 mm
#Dakar #Dacia #presents #Sandrider #debut
