Peugeot Gives Out Details of its 2008 DKR Rally Car

We told you about Peugeot's comeback to the iconic Dakar Rally, and we also discussed the cars that the company will bring to the party. Discussions apart, Peugeot has now published a full set of details about the 2008 DKR, the car that will probably see them bring home the top prize after a 25-year long hiatus.

Carlos Sainz and Cyril Depres will pilot the 2008 DKR, which will feature a carbon fibre body bolted to a tubular steel frame. In terms of looks, the 2008 DKR has a menacing face with angular headlamps (similar to the ones found on the regular-production 2008), a thin radiator grille and black alloy wheels mounted on off-road competition tires manufactured by Michelin.

Under the hood breathes a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged diesel V6 that punches out 340bhp and a massive 800Nm torques. The twin-turbo is mounted behind the passenger compartment and powers the rear wheels via a 6-speed sequential gearbox.

Now one may be inclined to think that the 2008 DKR might be on crutches here with a two-wheel drive car, considering that its competitors will bring four-wheel drives to the party. Turns out, their engineers believe the 2008 DKR has the potential to perform better than four-wheel drive cars. "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," explained Jean-Christophe Pailler, Peugeot Sport's Project Leader.

The 2008 DKR is set to make its competition debut at Buenos Aires, Argentina in January 2015 and we can't wait to see how it performs.

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