MADRID, 30 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Dacia has presented this Tuesday 'Sandrider', the prototype with which the Romanian brand of the Renault group will participate in the Dakar Rally in 2025 and in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) and which will be driven by the Spanish Cristina Gutiérrez, the Frenchman Sébastien Loeb and the Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah.
The woman from Burgos, who won the last Dakar in the 'Challenger' category, and Loeb, nine-time World Rally Champion, presented in Paris the car with which they will run the toughest 'raid' in the world in 2025 in an event with the absence of Al-Attiyah, two-time World Rally-Raid champion and five-time Dakar champion who has changed Toyota for Dacia.
Inspired by the Concept Manifesto, Dacia's ideas laboratory that was presented in 2022, 'Sandrader' is a new vehicle designed specifically for Rally-Raid with the support of Prodrive, a British company specialized in motorsports. This prototype takes advantage of all the possibilities offered by the regulations of the Ultimate T1+ category, which is committed to agility and lightness.
As for the exterior design, only the absolutely necessary body panels have been preserved, with especially careful aerodynamics. The short, sunken and sloping front hood disappears from the crew's field of vision. The use of anti-reflective paint on the upper part of the dashboard also optimizes visibility for the driver and co-pilot.
In addition, a global reinforcement of the vehicle has been carried out with a consolidated chassis and bumpers, a carbon fiber body, as well as suspensions, with double triangulation, and a 4X4 transmission adapted to the extreme demands of the Rally-Raid. An innovative high-voltage electrical system will keep all accessories on board at their optimal power, even in the most difficult conditions.
'Sandrader' has the latest generation of BF Goodrich tires, which provide optimal grip. Overall weight has been reduced by 15kg compared to comparable prototypes by using a lighter tubular chassis, eliminating all superfluous body panels and using carbon for the others.
With the aim of reducing fuel consumption while improving performance, the aerodynamics of the 'Sandrader' have been especially taken care of. The engineers achieved a 10% reduction in drag and a 40% reduction in lift compared to comparable prototypes. To limit the increase in temperature in the cabin, an anti-infrared ray pigment included in the vehicle's carbon was used.
'Sandrader' is equipped with an engine that uses synthetic fuel supplied by Aramco to reduce its environmental impact. Aramco's synthetic fuels are produced by combining renewable hydrogen with captured CO2, providing a low-carbon product compatible with today's engines.
The prototype will begin a series of fine-tuning tests in different countries. It will enter competition for the first time in the 2024 Morocco Rally, a round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) that will take place from October 5 to 11.