Autoblog

Dacia Duster limousine an ambitious student project [w/video]

George Kennedy — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Videos, Crossover, Russia, Design/Style, Luxury

The Dacia Duster catches a lot of ire from the the Top Gear boys, but the work of 23 students could (but probably won't) put an end to that. The students are part of Dacia's Engineering Projects Auto Program, and have gone about creating a stretched Dacia Duster.

The team started by cutting the Romanian crossover and adding 59 inches of sheet metal. The result is an Eastern European ute that stretches over 19 feet long!

The Duster is painted in a matte black finish, and the exterior design is capped off with some sort of aluminum side thingy. In the midst of all this customization, the stock wheels were sensibly kept intact.

The cabin has been fitted a television, four captains chairs and an Android tablet. Other interior touches include expansive sunroofs, track lighting and generous heaps of leather.

Check out the fruits of the students' labor in the gallery and check out the video of the stretch-Duster below.

Continue reading Dacia Duster limousine an ambitious student project [w/video]

Dacia Duster limousine an ambitious student project [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jay Leno has a very tender moment with a decidedly tough 1975 Plymouth Duster

Zach Bowman — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Celebrities, Specialty

Long before Jay Leno became an international celebrity, he was spinning wrenches at a local car dealership. While there, he crossed paths with Paul Annunziata, a brilliant mechanic with a penchant for Mopar muscle. While Leno was busy doing stand-up comedy and working his way toward network television, Annunziata was doing something really interesting: building a street-legal pro-stock drag car out of a 1975 Duster. After winning $10,000 in the lottery, he started with a body-in-white chassis before snapping up a 426 Hemi V8 from a Super Bee. Not satisfied with wedging an impossibly huge engine into the confines of the Duster's engine bay, Annunziata bolted on a massive Roots blower.

The rear of the body had to be tubbed to keep the tires under the factory sheetmetal, and the Duster also underwent extensive engine bay modification to house its new powerplant. Even so, everything on the machine is fully functional as it would have been from the factory.

Unfortunately, Annunziata was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Rather than sell his pride and joy, he offered it to Leno for free under the stipulation that he never sell the machine. Leno agreed, but only if he could actually pay Annunziata for his creation. The two compromised by setting up a scholarship for those who are interested in pursuing a four-year degree in auto mechanics or restoration. We call that a win on every front. Scroll down to see Leno take the 1,000 horsepower Duster out for a run.

Continue reading Jay Leno has a very tender moment with a decidedly tough 1975 Plymouth Duster

Jay Leno has a very tender moment with a decidedly tough 1975 Plymouth Duster originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 May 2012 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dacia unleashes 850-hp GT-R-powered Duster "No Limit" Pikes Peak challenger

Noah Joseph — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Crossover, Renault, Off-Road, Racing

Dacia Duster "No Limit" - Click above for high-res image gallery

Dacia sends its racing team out in winters to drift across ice and snow for the Andros Trophy. But when the summer rolls around, even the snow on the French Alps begins to thaw. What's an ice racing team to do? Why, head to Pikes Peak, of course.

The international hill climb event is coming around again next month, and when it does, the likes of Monster Tajima and Rhys Millen will have an interesting new challenger on its hands. And after months of reports and teasers, you're looking at the finish product.

A joint effort between Dacia, Renaultsport, a number of independent firms and driver Jean-Phillipe Dayraut who brought them all together, the Dacia Duster "No Limit" was built for the Unlimited class at Pikes Peak, where (contrary to just about any other form of motorsport) there are essentially no restrictions placed on a car's specifications. As a result, the purpose-built racer packs the twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 from a Nissan GT-R (tuned to 850 horsepower), which is mounted amidships behind the cabin and mated to a six-speed sequential racing gearbox. All of that mechanical chutzpah is kept down by the most aggressive aerodynamics package this side of an F-35 Lightning.

It's a beast of a car, and we can't wait to see Dayraut - the reigning three-time Andros Trophy champion - take its wheel at the Peak on June 26. In the meantime, check out the extensive high-res image gallery for a closer look and follow the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Dacia unleashes 850-hp GT-R-powered Duster "No Limit" Pikes Peak challenger

Dacia unleashes 850-hp GT-R-powered Duster "No Limit" Pikes Peak challenger originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dacia Duster teased preparing for Pikes Peak assault

Noah Joseph — Thu, 19 May 2011 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Crossover, Renault, Off-Road, Racing

Dacia Duster Pikes Peak racer - Click above for image gallery

North American audiences may not be familiar with the name Dacia. It's Renault's Romanian budget brand, and a particular favorite of Top Gear's James May. But beyond its no-frills road cars, Dacia has also followed its parent company's lead in establishing a name for itself in motorsport competition. And that fighting spirit is about to come to American shores - or hilltops, anyway.

As we reported back in January, Dacia is preparing a version of its Duster crossover for full assault on Pikes Peak. The Duster is the racer which four-time F1 champion Alain Prost drives in the Andros Trophy, a French ice-racing series, but in a bit of a twist, the project is reportedly being piloted by Prost's main rival, Jean-Phillipe Dayraut, who drives a BMW 1 Series in the Andros Trophy. (Imagine Lewis Hamilton going to Le Mans in a Ferrari and you'll see what we mean.)

With the car set to debut in testing on June 5 ahead of the June 26 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Dayraut has released a handful of images showing his new machine being built and wind tunnel tested. And it looks like quite the beast, with giant spoilers front and rear. As for what is powering the Monster-challenging monster, rumor is it's based on the Nissan GT-R's twin-turbo V6 - the companies are allied, after all - tuned by Renaultsport. Whatever it is, it's said to pack 850 horsepower, making this one very serious contender to break the elusive ten-minute mark come one month from now.

Dacia Duster teased preparing for Pikes Peak assault originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 May 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renault rolls out special Dacia Duster just for French ski instructors

Noah Joseph — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Crossover, Renault, Off-Road

Dacia Duster ESF - Click above for high-res image

Skiing the French Alps is something you'd likely associate with a luxury lifestyle. Dacia, on the other hand, is a budget brand. In other words, diametric opposites, you might think - until you recall that it's the Dacia Duster that's been challenging for France's Andros Trophy ice racing series at the hands of none other than Alain Prost. Now Renault's low-cost Romanian subsidiary has announced a new special edition model.

Drawing on its years of partnership with the École de Ski Français (that's French ski school, for the linguistically unfamiliar), the new limited edition Duster gets a white paint job, special badging, a reinforced aluminum sump guard, a roof rack to accommodate four pairs of skis, and a set of spare wheels pre-fitted with snow tires. Otherwise, the equipment is the same as the Lauréate 4x4 trim level, and it's powered by a 110-horsepower turbodiesel four.

So who would be interested in buying a limited-edition Dacia? Ski instructors, apparently. The ESF edition Duster is available exclusively to ESF instructors, with a €18,990 sticker price. If that description just happens to fit you, well... do yourself a favor and read the complete press release after the break.

[Source: Dacia]

Continue reading Renault rolls out special Dacia Duster just for French ski instructors

Renault rolls out special Dacia Duster just for French ski instructors originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dacia Duster to tackle Pikes Peak with 850-hp Nissan GT-R engine?

Noah Joseph — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Crossover, Nissan, Renault, Off-Road, Racing

Dacia Duster Andros Trophy - Click above for high-res image gallery

We know that looks like snow in the picture above, but imagine all that white stuff as the winding circuit that ascends Pikes Peak instead. The legendary (and brutal) Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has been dominated by the likes of Suzuki's Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima in years past, and while Rhys Millen has been eager to win back his daddy's title, reports indicate that both Tajima and Millen could have a new challenger to deal with this year.

The challenge could come from the Andros Trophy - the French ice racing series that attracts big names from F1 like Alain Prost and Jacques Villeneuve. As much about the drivers as it is about the cars, the Andros Trophy series has been dominated by two names over the past several years: the aforementioned quadruple F1 champion Prost, and Jean-Philippe Dayraut. The former won the trophy in 2007 and 2008, the latter in 2009 and 2010, and the both of them are currently tangling for the 2011 title.

Prost switched from the Toyota Auris in which he won the trophy twice to the specially-prepared Dacia Duster pictured above. Dayraut left his Skoda Fabia to Villeneuve in favor of the BMW 1 Series. If reports prove accurate, however, it could be Dayraut taking the Dacia to Pikes Peak. French reports say Dayraut's people approached Tork Engineering (the firm that set up Prost's Duster) to make a Pike's Peak challenger using the engine from the Nissan GT-R (Dacia is part of the Renault-Nissan alliance) with a projected 850 horsepower and a curb weight under 2,000 lbs.

With those kinds of stats - and that kind of driver - the Dacia hillclimber is shaping up to be a a monster. And Monster Tajima had better take notice.

Gallery: Dacia Duster Andros Trophy

[Source: Le Blog Auto]

Dacia Duster to tackle Pikes Peak with 850-hp Nissan GT-R engine? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Banned Dacia Duster advert is funny, strange

Zach Bowman — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, SUV, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Humor

Banned Dacia Duster ad - Click above to watch video after the jump

Let's just start by saying that the ad in the video after the jump contains some not-so-safe-for-work language and a couple of crude body gestures. Dacia evidently worked up an ad for its Duster that was intended to underscore the great bargain that its pint-sized SUV represents. In the process, the company managed to alienate an entire nationality and portray its dealers as a pack of bloodthirsty, vulgar thieves willing to yank the shirt off your back and insult your wife. Would you be surprised if we told you that this particular spot was apparently banned? We didn't think so.

Still, if you're an admirer of the art of stringing together obscure profanity, you'll likely get a chuckle out of this unconventional ad. Hey, no one ever accused us of being the classiest kids on the block. Hit the jump to take a look for yourself, just remember to plug in those earphones if you're on the clock. Thanks for the tip, cornel001!

Gallery: Dacia Duster 4x4

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Banned Dacia Duster advert is funny, strange

Video: Banned Dacia Duster advert is funny, strange originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSJ: Renault pondering return to North America

Chris Shunk — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Renault

Dacia Duster - Click above for high-res image gallery

Renault hasn't been in the US market since 1987, the year the Alliance and the Encore stopped trickling out of AMC factories. Few have missed the French automaker's presence since it left our shores, though many thought the doors would once again open to the land of opportunity once Nissan was in the fold. That hasn't happened so far, but a story in The Wall Street Journal shows that Renault is at least thinking about once again coming Stateside to sell cars and SUVs. Gerard Detourbet, head of Renault's entry-level vehicle division, told WSJ that the company is studying a move to North America, and the vehicle that could influence the decision is the low-cost Duster SUV.

The Duster, which for now is being build by Dacia in Romania, will eventually be sold as a Renault once production ramps up. If the apparently capable Duster is a success in emerging markets like South America and Eastern Europe, there could be a chance Renault would give the mini ute a chance in the U.S. But Detourbet reportedly doesn't see Renault entering the U.S. market with just one vehicle like it did with the Alliance in late 1982, instead favoring a family of affordable vehicles as the best approach. And with Renault's Logan line already established in many parts of the world, the budget-minded nameplate could be reworked for U.S. duty at some point in the future.

While it's nice to hear that Renault is at least considering a return to America, we're not all that hopeful that anything will happen within the next three to five years. Besides, once the Duster is retrofitted for U.S. duty it'll probably be heavier, more expensive and overwhelmingly diesel-less.

Gallery: Dacia Duster 4x4

[Source: Wall Street Journal - Sub's Req'd]

WSJ: Renault pondering return to North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dacia shows off new production Duster 4x4

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, SUV, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Renault, Diesel, Off-Road

Dacia Duster - click above for high-res image gallery

You know what the problem with Autoblog is? Not enough Romanian cars! To rectify this hateful situation, we present to you the all-new Dacia Duster, a compact SUV that "rewrites the 4x4 rulebook." What that means is that in Europe, most SUVs are in fact soft roaders. Totally useless in the rough stuff despite their fancy all-wheel drive systems and too expensive for the majority of the people to purchase. The Duster, on the other hand, is going to cost little (hey, it's a Dacia!) yet be quite capable when the going gets rocky, muddy and/or roadless.

We've seen a tricked out, snow-racing version of the Dacia Duster before, but that's not the borscht and potatoes of the new Duster, so to speak. Designed primarily with emerging markets in mind (Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Maghreb), the Duster will also be badged as a Renault and sold in continental Europe. Never forget that it was Renault who helped Dacia to get off the ground in the mid-Sixties by handing over the tooling to the Renault 8, which reemerged as the Dacia 1100 (and the totally awesome 1100S).

Despite its cute-ute looks, Dacia is claiming that the Duster is the real, all-terrain deal. The stats seem to back that up: eight inches of ground clearance combined with 30 degree approach and 35 degree departure angles reminds us of ye olde Jeep Cherokee (hey, the old AMC-developed Cherokee had a lot of French in it). While missing the Cherokee's low gears, the Duster gets a three-stage transmission featuring an auto torque-split mode, lock and two wheel-drive. The tranny tech is actually sourced from Nissan (also owed by Renault) and it figures to work really well. in fact, there is some speculation that the Duster is based off Nissan's Qashqai. Also helpful is that the Duster weighs just 2,816 pounds in 4x4 guise (2,596 pounds as a 4x2). Then you factor in a torquey diesel power plant (105 horsepower, 266 pound-feet of torque) and you've got yourself quite an impressive bad road beasty.

Chances of us getting it here? Slimmer than none. First of all, whomever it is that still owns to rights to the Plymouth brand (Chrysler, Fiat, Daimler, the UAW, Obama?) would have nothing but dollar signs in their eyes if a Duster showed up. Then, of course, there's the undeniable fact that car makers have a sick aversion to giving us cheap, simple, rugged utilitarian diesel trucks. However, you're more than free to purchase an X5 xDrive35d from BMW, and soon you'll be able to buy a reworked Infiniti QX56 that halfway resembles a FX. Good stuff, right? We'll be getting a glimpse of the Duster up close and in the flesh come Geneva, but that'll be fleeting. Press release can be found after the jump.

Gallery: Dacia Duster 4x4

[Source: Dacia]

Continue reading Dacia shows off new production Duster 4x4

Dacia shows off new production Duster 4x4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Snow Drift: Dacia Duster debuts for Trophée Andros with Alain Prost

Noah Joseph — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, SUV, Europe, Renault, Specialty

Dacia Duster Trophée Andros - Click above for high-res image gallery

Let's set one thing straight here. The retirement of a leading Formula One driver is often portrayed as some sort of tragedy - for the driver himself especially. But the truth of the matter is that for a former World Champion, the world is his oyster. Retired F1 drivers can go on to compete in virtually any racing discipline they wish, with nothing to prove in the process. Of contemporary retired World Champions, Hakkinen and Rosberg went to DTM, Mansell took the Indy title, Lauda's training to become an astronaut and Villeneuve's gone...well, everywhere. But Alain Prost has gone another route entirely.

Having retired from F1 in 1994 after his fourth World Championship, Alain started his own team. Prost Grand Prix eventually folded in 2002, and the following year, the French driver began competing in the Trophée Andros. The most prominent ice racing series in the world, the Andros Trophy is held primarily in France where it draws some big names. World Touring Car Champion Yvan Muller won the Andros Trophy ten times, but in 2006 and 2007, Prost took the title twice in a row, driving a specially prepared Toyota Auris. This year, however, the quadruple F1 champion will be driving this: the new Dacia Duster.

Although a production version of the budget SUV won't be unveiled until Geneva in March - a year after the concept version debuted there - the Romanian subsidiary of French automaker Renault has given the world a sneak preview with this ice-racing version. Specially built by Renaultsport - the same outfit that fields single-seater formulae and makes all those wonderful hot hatches - the Duster ice racer packs Nissan's highly decorated VQ engine: a 3.0-liter 24-valve V6, mounted in the middle (that is, behind the driver) of a tubular chassis, driving 350 horsepower through a six-speed sequential gearbox to all four wheels via limited slip differential and a mechanical four-wheel-steering system. A fiberglass body helps keep weight down to just 2,100 lbs - the minimum allowed in the series - which should help Prost keep his competition on ice and keep Dacia fans (like Top Gear's James May) cool until the production version hits proper tarmac. Check out the full details in the press release after the jump and photos in our high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Dacia Duster Andros Trophy

[Source: Dacia]

Continue reading Snow Drift: Dacia Duster debuts for Trophée Andros with Alain Prost

Snow Drift: Dacia Duster debuts for Trophée Andros with Alain Prost originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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