Team Peugeot Total has revealed the colours of the 2008DKR race cars with which the "all-star dream team" of Sébastien Loeb, Stéphane Peterhansel, Cyril Despres and Carlos Sainz will star in the next Dakar rally. As has been the case in recent years, the epic race will last around two weeks and the crews will traverse asphalted landscapes of Argentina and Bolivia.
For 2016, the Peugeot 2008 DKR has evolved into a wider, faster, lower and more powerful racer. Plus, the finishing touches have been added, bearing the colours of all the partners involved in this year's project for the Dakar, with the key feature being the nickel paintwork that occupies part of the roof, an option used for the first time and which will symbolically reflect the rays of the Argentine sun in a summer season where the temperature there even exceeds 50 degrees Celsius.
In addition, the new livery marks the many changes that have been made since last year's debut in Dakar and the upgrade behind the bodywork. The new dimensions have ideally altered the weight distribution, indicatively the spare wheels have been placed on the sides of the car, allowing for a lower centre of gravity for better handling characteristics.
The dynamic colour combination comes in a unique juxtaposition with the nickel spots, giving it the hallmark of a champion for this year's Dakar!
Peugeot Sport Director Bruno Famin comments "If our racing cars do as well as they look, we are sure to have a strong start to the new year! With these colours, the new Peugeot 2008 DKR16 looks like it's going really fast, even when stationary! We know that our cars will have a very strong presence in the Dakar."
The 38th Dakar Rally will start from Buenos Aires, Argentina (Saturday 2 January). The race will finish in Rosario (Saturday, 16 January) with the crews having driven around 10,000 km in the most demanding rally in the world!
