Also, in the wake of the brand’s repositioning as the rugged, outdoors choice for those on a budget, the epic rally meets Dacia’s new principle for “human adventure”.
“The ambition is to win,” says Broad. “But this is also an outdoor technical laboratory to develop innovations that will influence our road cars, and it’s an experiment with sustainable fuels.” To that end, the Sandrider runs on a synthetic brew supplied by Aramco. The Ultimate T1+-class machine is a bespoke design that, insists technical director Philip Dunabin, is a genuine Dacia. The company’s designers were involved in the concept and styling, a collaboration with Prodrive that, says Dunabin, worked smoothly.
The Sandrider is built around a rugged tubular steel chassis clad in carbonfibre bodywork, powered by a 3.0-litre Nissan V6 through a bespoke 4×4 transmission on all-terrain BF Goodrich tyres.
Looking around the car, the double spring-and-shock parallel arrangement at the rear stands out, and gives it a logical advantage. “With a two-damper system, if you lose one you’ve still got something to carry the car,” says Dunabin.
The spare wheels, tucked into large ducts behind either side of the cockpit, allow for quick release. The drivers and their navigators have been drilled on all manner of repairs by Prodrive, because on stage they’re on their own.
Team members aren’t allowed to physically help them. Nevertheless, support is always close at hand. The three Sandriders will be chased at intervals of around 40-50 minutes by T5 race trucks actually entered on to the event but run solely as technical back-up.
Inside the air-conditioned cabin, space is predictably tight. There’s a hydraulic handbrake and a robust mechanical gearlever. The navigators have two tablet screens to work from and the drivers have a small screen in their eyeline to indicate direction. Rally raiding isn’t like the WRC, with drivers listening to detailed pace notes, because, to coin a phrase, where they’re going they don’t need roads…
