The Garage » dakar

This is so rad.

Erik Ockwell — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:04:01 +0000

Anybody that knows me knows I love Subarus. But only a select few know I have a special soft spot for Foresters, or “bricks” as I like to call them.

My old brick was cool, with a rare Subysport exhaust that made people look around and wonder what’s making all the racket, completely bypassing the two-tone SUV sitting beside them, and getting mad at the civic or integra sitting beside me. The huge mudflaps were cool too. The photo above is the new owner tearing it up at the MLRC Rallycross last summer.

But I digress. Watch this video. New most awesome Subaru ever. Apparently this thing will be running the Dakar rally in it’s new format in Argentina by Barattero Motorsport this coming January.

I’m in love.

Dakar 2009 in images

Gary Grant — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:30:51 +0000

The 2009 edition of Dakar is set to wrap up tomorrow, and while Robby Gordon is still shown in 3rd place things aren’t looking good for the American favorite. Yesterday Gordon finished a disappointing 16th on the stage thanks to a rock stuck in the throttle linkage. It appears that more problems have hit the Monster Hummer, as they are showing in 23rd place today but still clinging to that podium spot.

A couple of days ago, the Boston Globe published a big gallery of absolutely stunning images from Dakar. The battle royale between enthusiasts and tree huggers in the comments section is almost as fun as the photos!

Dakar 2009: Shaking things up at Stage 12

Gary Grant — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:42:51 +0000

As was so kindly pointed out by a commenter on Tom’s most recent Forgotten ~~Ugly~~ Sporty Cars post, I haven’t been keeping up to date with Dakar. I hate to say it, but sometimes life gets in the way of reporting.

While I’ve been away though, some pretty crazy stuff has been going on. Stage 11 was canceled due to wicked weather. WRC champ Carlos Sainz had a big one, dropping the nose of his VW into a ditch and flipping the beast on it’s roof. Somehow, he thought he would continue even though his co-piloto has a broken shoulder.

While Sainz’s retirement is big news, so is the climb of American Robby Gordon who is now up to 3rd overall. With a second place on Stage 10 and 3rd today on 12, it looks like the Dakar Gods are finally beginning to smile upon Robby G.

Dakar 2009: Robby Gordon is movin’ on up

Gary Grant — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:17:16 +0000

While we’re really just happy to have daily Dakar updates every evening on TV, most of us here in The Garage are really rooting for American anti-hero Robby Gordon. People can say what they want about Robby, but he truly is a racer’s racer who just wants to win in anything he drives.

At the end of day 1, I think we all were a little sad to read that he had only finished in 17th position. Watching the video after the break however, puts a bit of a different spin on things. Basically, Gordon scared the crap out of himself and a quad rider and is now driving with his brain. This is a good thing! Having seen some in car footage on the OLN coverage, I’m amazed that some riders haven’t been squished. The dust is incredibly thing and hangs in the air forever meaning that drivers can’t see a darned thing.

Fortunately, today’s standings show that Robby G is whittling away at his time deficit and has moved up to 9th position overall. This is despite a couple of left rear wheel failures caused by extended periods of 120 mph plus hammering across the countryside.

Check out the first video from Team Dakar USA after the break

Photo above is courtesy of flickr user Scotty Jive who has a few Dakar pics to share. Hopefully more to come too!

Dakar 2009 gets under way

Gary Grant — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 02:22:12 +0000

Things have been rather quiet here in The Garage these days, as we all attempt to actually be part of our families over the holidays. Fortunately for all of us, there are 542 rally crews who eat, sleep and breath Dakar!

The gigantic field of cars, bikes, atv’s and trucks left Buenos Aires this morning to begin a 6000 kilometer loop that will bring them back to Buenos Aires on January 17th.

This is the first time the Dakar has happened off the African continent. To give you an idea of how brutal the route must be, only 421 crews have finished the first stage!

We’ll try to keep our readers up to date as much as possible. Today, we have a lead up video from Robby Gordon and Team Dakar USA. Gordon finished the day in 17th place out of 168 cars.

The latest news on Dakar… finally.

Gary Faules — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:05:58 +0000

Not only has the route been changed but so has the name. Now it will be called the Dakar Series which will take place in three stages. The first stage will start on April 11th in Budapest and finish in Hungary and Romania. The second stage will begin in Portugal in September and then they race through Spain and Portugal from Buenos Aries Argentina to Chile and then return to Buenos Aries for the finish.

Dakar heads to South America

Gary Faules — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:05:14 +0000

ASO, the organizers of the event, have signed a deal with a promotion company in Argentina! And although the South American rally likely won’t happen this year, when it does it will likely revert to Dakar’s traditional January 1 starting date and take the place of the Pampas Rally in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup. The Pampas Rally will go to Chile and back again.

There has been other routes discussed such as Paris to Beijing Dubai and even Australia but the reports show those possibilities as being too expensive. Morocco was also discussed but intelligence ruled out because of terrorist problems in that area.

ASO had discussed running the event in 2008 just in Morocco, but intelligence ruled that out with terrorists close to the Mauritanian border.

Another Reason to Totally Detest Al-Qaeda

Jeff Bressler — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:35:46 +0000

Is this really what the world has come to? It seems even a legendary rally in the twisted minds of Al-Qaeda is contrary to their beliefs.

The Dakar Rally, the legendary race across the Sahara which is one of motorsport’s toughest and most dangerous competitions, has been cancelled for the first time in its 30-year history because of security fears. There have been security warnings in the past, but never potent enough to scrap the entire race.

The Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), which organizes the race, said it took the last-minute decision following the recent murders of four French tourists in Mauritania, as well as threats from terrorist groups against the rally itself, which was due to start in Lisbon on Friday.

Three gunmen, who police suspect were linked to Al-Qaeda, shot dead four French tourists in Mauritania on Dec. 24 as they had a picnic at the roadside near the border with Senegal.

About 570 teams had registered to take part in this year’s event. Their support vehicles had already started the long journey and the fuel needed to power the cars over the dunes was sent ahead.

In addition to bitterly disappointed teams and fans, the cancellation will also hurt the villages and cities which enjoy an economic windfall from the rally. The head of the hoteliers’ association in Senegal, where the race was due to end on January 20^th , said the losses would run into hundreds of thousands of dollars and the bad publicity could hurt the country’s image as a tourist destination.

Not everyone will mourn the lack of a Dakar Rally this year. On some fronts the Rally is also an equal opportunity violator. Organizers have been criticized for sending powerful race cars speeding through the sands and savannahs of countries where some residents are not made sufficiently aware. In 2006, children in Guinea and Senegal died as the result of lack of pre race warnings and proper course security.

Some revised info thanks to crack staffer Gary Faules

Chile offers to host 2008 Dakar Rally

SANTIAGO (AFP) — Chile on Wednesday said it was willing to host the 2008 Dakar Rally that was cancelled due to security concerns, and would soon write the Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) making its offer, a government official said.”We’ve taken up the concerns of the federations (of auto and motorcycle racing) and our intent is to satisfy their needs,” said Undersecretary of Sports Jaime Pizarro.”Most important is what the French organization (ASO) decides. We’re preparing a letter laying out our official proposal,” said National Tourist Service director Oscar Santelices.He said Chile had the required conditions of stability, infrastructure and geography to hold the Dakar Rally, but did not rule out including neighboring Argentina in the enterprise.Santelices said Argentina had already sent representatives to France offering their territory for the cancelled rally, but that it did not pose any impediment to a joint venture.”Deciding where (the rally) starts and where it finishes is the ASO’s task. But first we have to bring it to South America,” he added.The 2008 Dakar Rally had been due to start on Saturday in Lisbon, but the murder of four French tourists in Mauritania on December 24 led to the French government advising against any travel to the country and race organisers cancelling the 30th edition of the event.Eight of the rally’s stages were due to pass through the Mauritania en route south for Dakar and the scheduled finish on January 20.It was the first time the rally had been cancelled since its creation in 1979.Dakar Rally organisers are also considering a race through central Europe this spring to replace the marathon race, the head of the Czech KM Racing Team, Pavel Kubicek, told AFP in Prague on Monday.

Porsche kicks off Transsyberia Rally

Gary Grant — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:41:05 +0000

The Porsche Cayenne has had more than a few detractors since it’s inception, with many feeling that there is no reason for an SUV with 911 lineage. Porsche is determined to show the world that the Cayenne is a winner in it’s own arena. But what exactly is that arena?

This is no shopping mall autocross, this is the Transsyberia Rally. Beginning this morning, 25 rally prepped Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberias will begin the 7000 km trek from Moscow’s Red Square to the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbataar. There are no over privileged soccer moms on board these Cayenne’s, with names like Rod Millen and Armin Schwarz at the wheel. There will be some serious stage action.

To cope with that action, the Cayenne’s have received more than a bit of beefing up from the big guys at Weissach. Mods include full roll cage, upgraded air intake and body sealing (for water crossings), additional lights and rally tires. As would be expected, each truck carries a full complement of navigational electronics to make sure the crews find their way.

The event runs until August 17 and will be covered live through the Porsche web site. You can also check back to The Garage, as we’ll keep readers up to date as we receive details.

Porsche press release and more photos after the break

Stuttgart/Moskau. At 11.20 a.m. local time (9.20 CEST) today, the first of a total of 25 Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberias will depart from Moscow’s Red Square heading east. After approximately 7,000 kilometers, the Transsyberia Rally will finish on August 17 close to the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbataar. In a first for such a competition, Porsche has created a limited edition series and produced 25 Cayenne S Transsyberias for this long-distance Asian rally.

The excellent off-road characteristics of the new Cayenne have been further enhanced in the Porsche Development Center in Weissach with the following modifications: a roll cage for the interior; a special air intake above the engine hood; a multi-component underbody guard; the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control adapted for extreme off-road conditions; body sealant up to the side windows; special off-road tires; four roof-mounted headlamps and a roof spoiler with double-deck profile and eye-catching rally design. Also on board as standard are a navigation system specifically for off-roading, a Tripmaster computer, and two one-man tents. The Transsyberia Rally may be described as an orienteering excursion, but it is by no means a “luxurious, fair-weather event for the faint-hearted”.

The drivers participating are correspondingly experienced, and include Armin Schwarz (1996 European Rally Champion), René Metge (two-time winner of the Paris-Dakar Rally), Rod Millen (multiple winner of the American hill race Pikes Peak) and Saeed Al-Hajri (several-times Middle East Rally Champion). In addition, Germany’s best-known television judge, Alexander Hold (from the program “Richter Alexander Hold” on Sat 1) will act as co-driver on the first two stages, navigating one of the Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberias and putting his skills in dealing with the roadbook and Tripmaster to the test.

Porsche will be reporting live at the end of each of the sixteen stages, the longest of which starts in Novosibirsk and finishes in Kosh Agash, covering a distance of around 950 kilometers across Siberia. The latest texts and photos from the individual stages are available on the Internet at http://www.porsche.com/transsyberia.

Chrysler Group Celebrates 20 Years of Modern Concept Vehicles

Gary Grant — Sat, 26 May 2007 12:34:12 +0000

Car enthusiasts love concept cars. Journalists love concept cars. Chrysler loves to build concept cars! In fact they are dedicated to building the Coolest of Cool concept cars. In reality, every designer and every manufacturer thinks that their concepts are the coolest. Not every concept is a driver though and the Chrysler boys and girls try to make most of them runners. the even get them out on the road for journalists to have a go at. Not long ago, one lucky guy got to take the new Challenger down a drag strip!

It has been 20 years since Chrysler began taking this approach and they are pretty proud of some of those cars. Rightfully so, as a number of the cars on the list went on to production and a full model life. Viper, Prowler, Ram, Neon. These and more have been important to Chrysler fans all over, not to mention the company.

More images and press release after the break

Auburn Hills, Mich., May 25, 2007 – “Concept to reality” has become a term that epitomizes the Chrysler Group design philosophy, and many observers are hoping that it will apply to the company’s concept vehicles for 2007.

Chrysler Group’s latest concept vehicles clearly demonstrate a design tradition that has become a key strength of the company: an ability to design the coolest-of-cool concepts, which are as relevant as they are innovative.

This approach started with the Frankfurt Motor Show reveal of the Lamborghini-engined, cab forward-styled, four-door Chrysler Portofino concept sedan in 1987. Almost 20 years and more than 100 concepts later, this continuous development has helped Chrysler Group reinvent and maintain its reputation as a car company driven by design and engineering.

Concept vehicles have two major roles for the Chrysler Group: they showcase to management, the media and the public the potential future design direction for Chrysler Group cars and trucks, and they help to attract the best young designers in the world into its design studios.

Chrysler Group’s concept vehicle program allows designers to test new colors, features, vehicle size and segments. Concepts can also be showcases for new design cues, which often find their way into production on future vehicles – even if the entire concept vehicle does not.

Importantly, the designs that are revealed to acclaim and accolade at auto shows around the world each year are not just built to look good. That is where the company’s design-to-reality tradition really kicks in.

Not only does Chrysler Group produce concept vehicles that can actually be driven – especially by journalists for feedback and publicity purposes – but many ultimately become production vehicles within a few years of their first reveal. The latest example is the Dodge Challenger. First revealed as a concept at the 2006 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, it was announced that the Challenger will go into production in 2008.

According to Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President – Product Design Office, Chrysler Group, “We’ve always said at Chrysler that we don’t just produce concepts for fun. We have proved year after year that our concepts are innovative and relevant.

“Our track record shows that many Chrysler Group concepts, and several of the design features showcased on our concept vehicles, have gone into production,” he added. “While we can’t say yet if any of our 2007 concepts will eventually be seen in our showrooms, they clearly hint at exciting and innovative future design directions that could find their way into our company’s products.”

2007 Concept Vehicles
This year’s group of concept vehicles includes one for each of the Chrysler Group’s brands. Combining refinement, function and style, the Chrysler Nassau concept explores a new expression of the Chrysler brand. First shown at the 2007 NAIAS, the four-door, four-passenger Nassau luxury coupe is a more emotional and artistic articulation of what it means to be a Chrysler.

The Jeep® Trailhawk, which also had its premiere at the 2007 NAIAS, merges the spectrum of the Jeep brand by combining the core off-road features of the new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with the refined sophistication of an all-new on-road, open-air concept vehicle, providing a unique and fresh expression for Jeep.

The Dodge Demon is a compact, nimble “roadster with an attitude” – a perfect balance of classic sports car proportion and simplicity blended with modern design and performance. The vehicle is designed to be an affordable Dodge sports car that merges brand cues of bold design and powerful performance with an open-air “fun-to-drive” attitude. This concept had its debut at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show.

Twenty Years of Modern Concept Vehicles
The Chrysler Group has a long history of innovation in design and engineering, going back even as far as the first 1924 Chrysler sedan. In the modern era, since 1988, the company has created more than 100 concept vehicles in a variety of shapes, sizes, configurations and materials.

1988
Chrysler Portofino
Plymouth Slingshot

1989
Chrysler Millennium
Dodge Dakota Sport V-8
Dodge Intrepid
Dodge Viper RT/10
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Jeep Z5 Concept 1
Plymouth Speedster
Plymouth Voyager III

1990
Dodge Daytona RT
Dodge LRT
Eagle Optima
Jeep Freedom

1991
Chrysler 300M
Dodge Neon
Jeep Wagoneer 2000

1992
Chrysler Cirrus
Dodge Epic

1993
Chrysler Patriot
Chrysler Thunderbolt
Jeep Ecco
Plymouth Prowler

1994
Chrysler Pacifica
Dodge Aviat
Dodge Ram VTS
Dodge Venom
Dodge Viper GTS Coupe
Eagle Vision Aerie
Plymouth Expresso

1995
Chrysler Atlantic
Eagle Jazz
Plymouth Back Pack

1996
Chrysler Composite Concept Vehicle
Chrysler LHX
Dodge Intrepid ESX

1997
Chrysler Phaeton
Dodge Concept
Dodge Sidewinder
Dodge T-Rex
Jeep Cherokee Casablanca
Jeep Dakar
Jeep Icon
Jeep Wrangler Tabasco
Jeep Wrangler Ultimate Rescue
Plymouth Pronto

1998
Chrysler Chronos
Dodge Big Red Truck
Dodge Intrepid ESX2
Jeep Jeepster
Plymouth Pronto Cruiser
Plymouth Pronto Spyder

1999
Chrysler Citadel
Dodge Charger R/T
Dodge Power Wagon
Jeep Commander
Jeep Journey

2000
Chrysler 300 Hemi® C
Chrysler GT Cruiser
Chrysler Java
Chrysler Panel Cruiser
Dodge ESX3
Dodge MAXX cab
Dodge Neon SRT
Dodge Viper GTS/R
Jeep Varsity
Plymouth Howler

2001
Chrysler Crossfire
Dodge Powerbox
Dodge Super8 Hemi
Jeep Willys

2002
Chrysler California Cruiser
Chrysler Pacifica
Dodge M80
Dodge Razor
Jeep Compass
Jeep Willys

2003
Chrysler Airflite
Chrysler 300C
Dodge Avenger
Dodge Durango
Dodge Kahuna
Dodge Magnum
Dodge Tomahawk
Jeep Treo

2004
Chrysler ME Four-Twelve
Dodge Sling Shot
Jeep Rescue

2005
Chrysler Akino
Chrysler Firepower
Dodge Caliber
Dodge Nitro
Jeep Compass
Jeep Gladiator
Jeep Hurricane
Jeep Patriot

2006
Chrysler Imperial
Dodge Avenger
Dodge Challenger
Dodge Hornet

2007
Chrysler Nassau
Dodge Demon
Jeep Trailhawk

The Garage » dakar

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