Posted on 16 June 2011 by SACarFan
Posted on 27 May 2011 by SACarFan
Dacia has officially unveiled the Duster No Limit rally car. Built specifically for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the one-off racer was constructed by Tork Engineering with the assistance of Renault Sport Technologies. It will compete in the Unlimited class, which has lenient regulations, so designers were free to let their minds run wild. As such, the Duster features a tubular chassis, a lightweight composite body, and massive rear wing.
Power is provided by a mid-mounted engine that is based on the 3.8-litre V6 used in the Nissan GT-R. Detailed performance specifications haven’t been released, but Dacia says the engine develops 634 kW and is connected to a six-speed sequential Sadev transmission.
The Dacio Duster off-roader has become the star of parent company Renault Group’s motorsport activities, taking part in competitions like France’s Trophée Andros ice-racing series with Alain Prost (two runner-up titles), the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles (2nd and 3rd places in 2011) and, very soon, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The car will be driven by Jean-Philippe Dayraut, a three-time winner of the Trophée Andros, who said “The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is the only event where you get to keep a monster like this in check while drifting at speeds of 200 km/h (124 mph) on a course which features a mix of asphalt and dirt. I can’t think of any other form of motorsport where such cars are authorised.”