Local carmaker Dacia will premier the new Duster, the lines of which preview the 4x4 model that is due to go on sale in 2010, the company said.
Dacia has chosen to base its challenge in the 2009/2010 Andros Trophy ice-racing season on the “Silhouette” category. Alain Proust will drive the competition version of Dacia Duster.
“The announcement coincides with the revelation by Dacia of the name and design of the brand's sixth model, Duster. The brand seeks to spring a surprise by using the campaign to premier Dacia Duster, the lines of which preview the 4X4 model that is due to go on sale in 2010. Dacia Duster's high body line and prominent wheel arches are clear pointers to its 4x4 credentials¸” Dacia said.
The discipline of the race places a cap on excessively complex and costly technical solutions, while the chassis, gearbox and tires, for example, are all covered by the regulations, forcing teams to explore simple, ingenious solutions.
The coachwork of the competition version is suited to the specific demands of the Andros Trophy. The extensive front glazed surface area and the positioning of the windscreen pillars ensure high foreword and lateral visibility.
The Andros Trophy stands out as one of motor sport's most exacting disciplines. In ice racing, the track conditions can change very quickly as a function of prevailing weather conditions, and driving calls for precision, rigor and race-craft.
Its glass-fiber body conceals a tubular chassis which houses a three-litre, 24-valve V6 engine from the Renault-Nissan Alliance range. The engine puts out 350hp at 7,500rpm, and maximum torque of 360Nm at 5,500rpm.
The six-speed sequential gearbox ensures fast, precise gearshifts, even when drifting through corners at full song. The mid-rear location of the engine illustrates the work that has gone into optimum weight distribution
