If Peugeot returns to the “African” marathon, it will be the return of a brand that has already won the race four times. Is there a fifth victory coming?
The French publication L’Equipe announced this week that Peugeot will be back to the great circus of off-road world in 2015: the Dakar Rally. Still without official confirmation, the spokesman for Peugeot Sport stated that “it is one of the possibilities that we are working on, as when we had planned to participate in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb race”, in statements to the French newspaper.
However, the news has already started to circulate the main motorized periodicals around the world. Some say that the great partner of this return in "strength" will be Red Bull, the giant of energy drinks that has supported Peugeot on other occasions. For example, in the latest issue of Pikes Peak Hill Climb.
As for the chosen model, the most likely option points to a rear-wheel drive «buggy» inspired by the Peugeot 208 (picture highlighted). At the wheel, the presence of Carlos Sainz, who signed a three-year contract with Peugeot, is taken for granted. For the second car, the names of Sebastien Loeb and Stephane Peterhansel are pointed out. But due to Loeb's involvement with Citroen's project at the WTCC, it is unlikely that the Frenchman will be able to go up some “dunes” to the Atacama Desert.
Remember that Peugeot has already won the Dakar four times, with the late 205 Turbo 16 in the image (in 1987 and 1988), and with the 405 Turbo 16 (in 1989 and 1990). At a time when regulations allowed the development of cars that owed little to Formula 1 cars at the time.
It's worth remembering: