Dacia_Duster
Op het autosalon van Genève konden we de Dacia Duster bekijken. De wagen die toen nog futuristisch was, is nu wat conventioneler geworden en lijkt rijp voor het productiestadium.

De Dacia Duster keert terug op een plaats waar niemand het ooit had kunnen dromen: sneeuw. Dacia maakte een rally-versie van de Duster Concept, die effectief ook zal deelnemen aan wedstrijden. De bestuurder van dienst zal niemand minder dan Alain Prost zijn, iemand die zijn weg kent op een ijzig parcours.

Voor u begint te lachen, of u bent al bezig, moet u wel weten dat deze Dacia Duster niet volledig is wat je van een Dacia zou verwachten. Oké, het model is nogal ‘basic’, maar onder de motorkap ligt er een enorme motor en bovendien beschikt deze Dacia Duster over vierwielaandrijving. Bij het maken van deze Dacia werd er gebruik gemaakt van de expertise van Renault Sport Technologies.

Die expertise leidde ertoe dat er onder de motorkap een 3.0 liter grote V6-motor ligt die geoptimaliseerd werd om te rijden op uitzonderlijke hoogtes. Bij 7.500 toeren piekt het vermogen op 350 pk, bij 5.500 toeren kan Alain Prost tijdens zijn race genieten van 360 Nm. Een sequentiële zesbak moet ervoor zorgen dat de Dacia voldoende snel van verzet kan wisselen. Combineer die motor, die trouwens in het midden van de wagen ligt, met het feit dat de wagen slechts 950 kg weegt en je beseft algauw dat het Dacia menens is.

De komst van deze Dacia Duster zou bovendien wel eens het teken kunnen zijn dat de Dacia Logan en de Dacia Sandero binnenkort een nieuw lid in het gamma van Dacia mogen verwelkomen. Bovendien zit de kans er dik in dat de wagen er ongeveer uit zal zien zoals hier op de foto’s, maar dan zonder de brede wielkasten, de bestickering en wellicht ook zonder de V6-motor…

Dacia Duster Sport Alain Prost

Dacia Duster Sport Alain Prost

Dacia Duster Sport Alain Prost

Dacia Duster Sport Alain Prost

A COMPETITION VERSION OF DACIA DUSTER TO
CONTEST THE 2009/2010 TROPHÉE ANDROS IN
THE HANDS OF ALAIN PROST
· Dacia, a brand of the Renault group, is to contest France’s celebrated Trophée Andros ice-racing
series. The brand, which is acclaimed for the unbeatable equipment and performance package its
models deliver for their price, remains true to its reputation by appearing in a discipline where its
presence was least expected: ice racing.
· Alain Prost will drive a competition version of Dacia Duster. The Frenchman chose Dacia for the
values championed by the brand’s vehicles, namely simplicity, efficiency and robustness. “I am
delighted to be driving the Dacia Duster. It is a brand new vehicle, and I am proud to be able to
play a part in its promotion to the unusual backdrop of the Trophée Andros. Thanks to the work
put in by Renault Sport Technologies, I have every confidence in Dacia Duster’s potential and
reliability which together point to an extremely exciting season,” says Alain Prost.
· The announcement coincides with the revelation by Dacia of the name and design of the brand’s
sixth model, Duster. This robust and reliable 4X4 has an international calling and will target
customers looking for an affordable everyday all-terrain vehicle.
· The Trophée Andros is a competition that stands apart in motor sport inasmuch as it places a cap
on the use of complex and costly technological solutions, placing the emphasis instead on
vehicle and driver ability. The Dacia brand has forged a reputation for challenging established
thinking in the world of the automobile, permitting a whole new way to go motoring by delivering
all the essentials… at just the right price.
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AN UNPRECEDENTED PARTICIPATION FOR DACIA IN THE TROPHEE ANDROS
Dacia has chosen to base its challenge in the 2009/1010 Trophée Andros ice-racing season on the socalled
‘Silhouette’ category. All the circuits visited by the Trophée Andros put reliability to a particularly tough
test, and this will give Dacia a chance to showcase the fact that robustness forms an integral part of the
brand’s DNA. The discipline also places a cap on excessively complex and costly technical solutions, while the
chassis, gearbox and tyres, for example, are all carefully covered by the regulations, forcing teams to explore
simple, ingenious solutions, an approach which totally fits the Dacia spirit.
Dacia’s newcomer will get its first taste of ice racing in the hands of Alain Prost, with the brand seeking 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 4×4 credentials¸ while the coachwork of the competition version is perfectly suited to the specific demands of
the Trophée Andros. The extensive front glazed surface area and the positioning of the windscreen pillars ensure
outstanding foreword and lateral visibility.
The Trophée Andros stands out as one of motor sport’s most exacting disciplines. Indeed, in ice racing, the track
conditions can change very quickly as a function of prevailing weather conditions, and driving calls for precision,
rigour and race-craft, three qualities which all come naturally to a champion of Alain Prost’s calibre.
DACIA DUSTER PREPARED BY RENAULT SPORT TECHNOLOGIES
Over and above driver talent, the cars that contest the Trophée Andros undergo specific preparation.
The competition version of Dacia Duster has benefited extensively from the expertise acquired by Renault Sport
Technologies in motor sport. Its glass-fibre body conceals a tubular chassis which houses a three-litre, 24-
valve V6 engine from the Renault-Nissan Alliance range. This powerplant has been carefully tuned in order to
optimize its performance potential at the high altitudes at which the races will be held. It delivers peak power of
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 perfecting weight distribution, in compliance with the 950kg minimum weight
requirement and with a view to keeping the centre of gravity low and minimizing polar inertia for enhanced control.
The double wishbone suspension arrangement and long-travel dampers have been engineered to permit Dacia
Duster to take the different terrains it promises to encounter during the Trophée Andros campaign in its stride.
The competition version of Dacia Duster is equipped with limited slip differentials which are indispensable for
the extreme conditions. This feature, which is also seen on other Renault Sport Technologies-developed
competition and road cars, ensures efficient traction performance irrespective of the amount of grip available,
driving style or type of corner. The competition version of Dacia Duster also incorporates a four-wheel steering
system for complete cornering line control. This mechanical system links the front and rear wheels, and can be
rapidly adjusted to match the characteristics of each circuit.
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DACIA DUSTER COMPETITION CAR – TECHNICAL DATA
CHASSIS
Tubular steel chassis
Double wishbone suspension
ENGINE
Renault-Nissan Alliance VQ 30
Position: mid-rear
Six cylinders (V6)
Number of valves: 24
Cubic capacity: 2,987cc
Bore x stroke: 93mm x 73.3mm
Maximum power: 257kW EEC (350hp) at 7,500rpm
Maximum torque: 360Nm EEC at 5,500rpm
TRANSMISSION
Six-speed SADEV sequential gearbox
BRAKES
Front: 260mm-diameter vented steel discs
Rear: 265mm-diameter steel discs
WHEELS
5.5″ x 16″ (magnesium)
Tyres: Continental Racing Contact 3
DIMENSIONS / WEIGHT
Length: 4,001mm
Width: 1,900mm
Front/rear track: 1,690mm
Wheelbase: 2,500mm
Weight: 950kg
Fuel tank capacity: 25 litres