Dacia is set to take on Pikes Peak – the company will enter the tough cookie international hill climb in Colorado on June 26 with a purpose-built 850 hp Duster ‘No Limit’ prototype, driven by three-time Trophée Andros champion Jean-Philippe Dayraut.
The Duster has certainly been in the thick of motorsports action in the short time its has been around, taking part in competitions like France’s Trophée Andros ice-racing series with Alain Prost (two runner-up titles) and the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles, in which it mustered second and third placing this year.
Now, the brand has Pikes Peak in its sights, and it’s hoping the No Limit Duster will help it achieve glory. The one-off vehicle is built by Tork Engineering – which is in charge of the design, production, assembly, development of the car – and Sodemo, which is responsible for the engine part of the equation, in association with Renault Sport Technologies.
The 850 hp mill built by Sodemo is based on the Nissan VR 38 DETT 3.8 litre V6 block, as found in the GT-R, but has been tuned for the demands brought about by the high altitude event, which starts at 2,860 metres and finishes at 4,300 metres.
The engine is mated to a sequential six-speed Sadev box specially developed to cope with so much power, while at the same time ensuring quick, precise gearshifts, and the glass-fibre outer skin on the Duster also gets an advanced aerodynamics package specifically developed for the job – that’s one wicked, monstrous wing!
The Duster ‘No Limit’ meets specific regulations of the competition’s Unlimited class, which sets no upper limit on the size or power output of the engine – there’s no minimum weight, any tyres may be used and there are no restrictions concerning either the transmission system or aerodynamics.
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ugly monster…
Yeah…it should be ugly, it does the pikes peak, probably one of the races that requires titanium balls!!
Dacia, James May’s favourite car…LOL!!
“meets specific regulations of the competition’s Unlimited class” – regulations of the “unlimited” ??
James :”Good News!”
Jeremy : “What?!”
James : “The Dacia Duster will join Pikes Peak with a V6 twin turbo from a Datsun GT-R!”
Jeremy: “Great!… Now..”
This car can literally ‘dust’ all the other cars especially those Ah Beng-fied Dugongs off the road..
XD
All other cars but perhaps not Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima’s Suzuki. XD
that’s how Gojira will be driving….. if it can find a car big enough for it.
“The Duster ‘No Limit’ meets specific regulations of the competition’s Unlimited class, which sets no upper limit on the size or power output of the engine – there’s no minimum weight, any tyres may be used and there are no restrictions concerning either the transmission system or aerodynamics.”
Paradoxical statement actually lol – it meets the no limit regulation lol
it still need to comply with safety regulation rules…such as rollcage design,bodywork,fire retardant mechanism, driver safety cell and many more….
who will be the driver?..
‘Monster’ Tajima in his twin engine Suzuki Cultus & Escudo still a legend :)
Exactly, Tajima, though now already “warga emas”, but still kicking butts!!
Definately Sandero with botox…
this looks tame compared to Tajima’s many monster Suzukis and Millen’s GT1 prototype racer.
That was very significant post.