Autoblog

Eco Unfriendly: Dakar 2010 caused 570K of damage in Chile

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., South America

Despite the best efforts of racing organizations the world over to clean up their image, it's pretty tough to consider any kind of motorsport squeaky clean. Apparently, that's especially true of the recent Dakar rally in South America. Besides the expected burning of fossil fuels and the emissions associated with it, the National Monuments Council (NMC) of Chile reports that the off-road race caused roughly $570,000 (300 million pesos) of damage to 56 of the country's 111 heritage sites.

Further, the NMC says that 13 of those heritage sites suffered from lost archeological data. Apparently, this isn't the first such instance of collateral damage during the Dakar race. Last year, a similar report was filed by the NMC, and the organization is again asking that the rally organizers pay these costs.

For what it's worth, such damage was not unexpected. Late last year, the NMC drafted a detailed report of expected damage to the sites it monitors. Next year, though, the NMC is hoping that its report, which will be completed this August in anticipation of the event early in 2011, will be handed out to rally participants so they know where to tread especially lightly.

[Source: Moto-Net via Motorbiker | Image: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images]

Eco Unfriendly: Dakar 2010 caused 570K of damage in Chile originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 May 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carlos Sainz victorious as Volkswagen fills the podium at Dakar

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Volkswagen, South America

Carlos Sainz wins the 2010 Dakar Rally for VW - Click above for high-res image gallery

When we joined Volkswagen on its first run in the Baja 500 back in 2008, the diesel-powered Race Touareg 2 suffered two lengthy breakdowns before the first hundred miles had passed. Just a few months, later VW's diesel runner was taking the top two spots in the Dakar Rally. Not content with having to share the podium with Robby Gordon, VW went ahead and took the top three spots in this year's Dakar.

Two-time World Rally Championship winner Carlos Sainz can now add a Dakar trophy to his cabinet. Avoiding the kind of mistakes that took him out of the race last year on the 12th stage, Sainz held on to win by just two minutes and 12 seconds over VW driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, even though Al-Attiyah won twice as many stages. Giniel de Villiers, last year's winner, was in the third VW, 32 minutes behind Al-Attiyah.

You can read the presser on VW's win-win-win after the jump, and check out the action in the gallery of high-res photos below. On a side note, VW Group diesels have now won Le Mans (Audi, Bentley), the Dakar Rally, and the World Touring Car Championship (Seat). Maybe now's a good time to reconsider whether we really want them in NASCAR or F1...

Gallery: Carlos Sainz wins the 2010 Dakar Rally

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Carlos Sainz victorious as Volkswagen fills the podium at Dakar

Carlos Sainz victorious as Volkswagen fills the podium at Dakar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen Amarok puts on official duds for Dakar Rally

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Volkswagen, Off-Road

Volkswagen Amarok Dakar Support Vehicle - Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2010 Dakar Rally, which is no longer run in Africa due to terrorism threats, kicked off from its designated starting point in Argentina on January 1st. Eventually, the competitors will end up back in Buenos Aires on January 17th, but not before traversing 5,600 miles of some of the toughest terrain on the planet.

This year, Volkswagen will be having a rather large presence at the Rally with four race-prepped Touareg SUVs taking part in the event along with 35 Amarok pickups that are acting as support vehicles. In the process, we imagine that the drivers will have plenty of opportunity to put the ridiculously named truck's electronic differential lock, Off-Road ABS, Hill Descent Assist, ESP Plus system and Hill Hold Assist to the test.

Volkswagen would like you to know that the Amarok will be available starting this September in the UK, but has given numerous indications that it won't be coming Stateside. Anyway, hit the jump for the press release and check out the high-res image gallery below of the truck gettin' its rally on.

Gallery: Volkswagen Amarok Dakar Support Vehicle

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen Amarok puts on official duds for Dakar Rally

Volkswagen Amarok puts on official duds for Dakar Rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Spectator killed during opening stage of Dakar Rally

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Casualties are nothing new in the history of the Dakar Rally, and unfortunately the 2010 event has already claimed a life. During the opening stage of the 32nd running of the 9,000-kilometer race this weekend, 28 year-old Natalia Sonia Gallardo was struck and killed by a truck being driven by Mirco Schultis. As a result of large crowds along the route, Gallardo was reportedly standing in an unauthorized area where spectators were not supposed to be and police did nothing to stop people from gathering there.

The 16 day rally starts and ends in Buenos Aires, Argentina again this year. The rally then winds across South America into Chile. Last year, the race was moved from Africa to South America after terrorist threats caused the 2008 race to be canceled. Over the three-decade history of the race, more than 50 competitors and spectators have died.

[Source: The Globe and Mail]

Report: Spectator killed during opening stage of Dakar Rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen iPhone app lets you follow Dakar progress

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:41:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology, Diesel

There are thousands of iPhone apps for all "that" and too much more, but few that we think have the potential to be this cool. VW will contest the Dakar Rally from January 2-17 -- Race Touareg 2 drivers Giniel de Villiers and ~~Dirk von Zitzewitz~~ Mark Miller finished 1-2 last year -- and you can follow the VW team with its Rally Mobile app.

The information will start flowing before the race and continue throughout and afterward. Look for daily reports and video recaps, photographs, background information on the the Race Touareg 2, and detailed stage information. Also, It's free, which is always cool. All the pertinent info and the download link are in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen iPhone app lets you follow Dakar progress

Volkswagen iPhone app lets you follow Dakar progress originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: New Subaru Forester rally car getting warmed up for Dakar

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Subaru, Off-Road

Click above to view the video after the jump

Put the words "Subaru" and "rally" together, and you'll inevitably be flooded with visions of the Impreza WRX STI campaigning in the WRC. This isn't one of those times.

Details are a bit on the scarce side, but what we do know is that Barattero Motorsport and YPF Elaion have teamed up (with a little help from Subaru, we're sure) to compete in the January running of the 2010 Dakar Rally. Their chosen chariot for the epic journey? None other than the recently redesigned Subaru Forester. But it's a Forester in name alone.

Packing a tuned 2.0-liter (JDM-spec) STI boxer four putting out 300 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, the Elaion is a tube-framed, carbon fiber and kevlar-bodied beast that's been outfitted with dual shocks featuring nine inches of suspension travel, vented, cross-drilled brakes sized 295mm and all the assorted kit to run in the world's most arduous off-road race. Yoshiu Ikemachi and Gabriel Pozzo will kick off their journey in the Dakar Forester on January 1st, but before the festivities get underway they've released a teaser video which you can scoop out after the jump.

Continue reading VIDEO: New Subaru Forester rally car getting warmed up for Dakar

VIDEO: New Subaru Forester rally car getting warmed up for Dakar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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KTM pulls out of Dakar Rally

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:07:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Motorcycle

Austrian motorcycle maker KTM stakes its reputation on the ability of its off-road motorcycles to tackle the toughest terrain on earth, and it's made a habit of proving these capabilities with both a factory team and a far-reaching privateer support program in the Dakar Rally each year. Up through 2009, that is - KTM has just announced that it's pulling out of next year's event.

The reason cited for the shocking decision is the French ASO's ruling that all motorcycles taking part in the Dakar race in 2010 must use engines displacing 450cc or smaller. KTM's entries all use engines displacing a little over 650cc and will therefore not qualify. Instead of waiting for next year to react, KTM "has decided to immediately accept the consequences and announces its withdrawal from the Dakar."

Whether this is nothing more than a case of sour grapes or an intentional move to limit KTM's chances of winning a ninth-consecutive victory at the Dakar Rally, it's disappointing to a whole bunch of fans with orange-colored blood running through their veins. For what it's worth, KTM says it will continue racing, just not in the Dakar. Make the jump to read KTM's official press release. Thanks for the tip, Mike!

[Source: KTM via Bikes in the Fast Lane | Photo: AlexCamPro]

Continue reading KTM pulls out of Dakar Rally

KTM pulls out of Dakar Rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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