The forty-first edition of the Dakar will begin in little more than a month on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, specifically in the lands of Peru, a country that will house 100% of the stages that will confirm this new edition of what is considered the most important car event. hard of the world. Among the Spanish participants, Óscar Fuertes and Diego Vallejo will compete at the wheel of the SsangYong Rexton DKR, this beast with a 450 hp V8 engine that goes to the rear axle.
The 2019 Dakar will be held from January 6 to 17 , 2019 and will start and end in Lima. Before his car was shipped to Peru to be on time at the start of the rally, the Korean brand wanted to present us the car with which Óscar Fuertes and Diego Vallejo intend to reach the goal after the excellent results of the edition 2018 in which they achieved second place among the debutants, and were thirty-three in the general.
A 100% car
The first thing to note about the SsangYong Rexton DKR, is that it is a car completely manufactured. This buggy that at the level of the body has great similarities with the street SsangYong Rexton, has been manufactured with the aim of making it more reliable, faster and lighter than last year.
Starting with the chassis, it is multi-tubular , made of chrome-molybdenum and welded with TIG technology, it has an integrated cage and houses the spectacular V8 petrol engine in its central longitudinal position, which has increased from 405 to 450 hp. Thanks to that engine and to be rear traction, the car is part of the T1.3 category.
The engine is combined with a Sadev SL90-23 6-speed gearbox with manual-sequential operation and cut-off system, straight teeth and crabot synchronization. To withstand up to 1,500 Nm of torque , the new AP tridisk ceramic clutch with a new self-locking differential type Torsen is a key element.
Lighter body and less electrical elements
The body is completely new, is lighter and has a better angle of attack that makes it better in its role for the dunes. The smaller frontal surface has allowed to improve the aerodynamics, and that, together with a better tuning of the engine that allows to make it more efficient, allows to take a smaller and lighter fuel tank.
The total weight of the set is around 1,900 kilos of weight, which is able to accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in just 4.4 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 195 km / h.
One of the key elements in a test like the Dakar, are the possible mechanical breakdowns. To minimize the chances of suffering them, nothing like reducing the number of elements susceptible to damage.
The new SsangYong Rexton DKR has a new MoTeC programmable control unit with real-time map change, which makes it possible to completely dispense with fuses and relays , thus reducing the chances of suffering electrical faults.
In terms of tires , the Yokohama Geolandar M / T G003 37X12.50R17 mounted on a new 17×7 Raceline alloy wheels with “Beadlock”, have a basic pressure adjustment system to overcome the dunes, which drives the co-pilot.
The shock absorbers play another fundamental role, and in this case it has a double King brand system with helical spring and extension compensator, together with telescopic dampers adjustable in two compression parameters and one extension.
The brakes have a 30% more friction surface, being therefore more powerful and resistant to fatigue.
Oscar Fuertes and Diego Vallejo, ready for the Dakar 2019
“In our second participation in the Dakar, we will start again with the main objective of reaching the finish, improving if possible our position in the general classification, paying special attention to the stages that pass through the dunes, but always with the idea of reach the goal among the best in our category. We are convinced that the experience accumulated in the Dakar and our new Rexton DKR can serve us to perform at a great level, and this is an unbeatable occasion to demonstrate it ” , commented Óscar Fuertes, to whom we wish all the luck in the new edition of the Dakar 2019 that will start in just over a month.