The 2008 DKR shares an unmistakable family resemblance with Peugeot’s road-going 2008 Crossover, albeit with more muscular forms and more imposing overall proportions that have been honed to meet the challenge that lies ahead. Its spectacular lines are the fruit of close cooperation between the experts at Peugeot’s Style Centre and their colleagues at Peugeot Sport’s Design Department, and the newcomer’s likeness with the production version is quite astonishing!
It is behind the wheel of this purpose-designed machine that Carlos Sainz and Cyril Despres will defend the colours of Team Peugeot Total in the 2015 Dakar. Having already contested the Dakar seven times in the colours of Red Bull, in both two-wheel and four-wheel drive cars, Carlos Sainz is perfectly aware of the technical constraints that go hand-in-hand with the exacting South American stages, and he was immediately won over by the new car’s design.
"The philosophy behind the 2008 DKR marks a radical break and packs a high number of new ideas," remarks the Spaniard. "The end result is like no other two-wheel drive car. It is very compact and that’s good. Having done the last two Dakars in a two-wheel drive car, I am convinced it is a solution that can win the event. Okay, it calls for a carefully-designed car which is at ease on all the different types of terrain visited by the event, but I know that Peugeot Sport has the necessary expertise, technology and means to pull off what is a unique and stimulating challenge for everyone in the team."
Visit Richard Hardie Sunderland, Durham, Ashington to take a look at the latest production Peugeot 2008.
