Bentley is an automaker not without its own racing pedigree, but the bulk of that is anchored in the 1920s and at Le Mans, to which it returned in winning form in the earlier part of the new millennium with the Speed 8. The latest development could, however, see the Flying B marque enter into another class of mo
There's just no getting around the fact that, despite technological advances and a host of regulations aimed at improving safety, organized racing is a dangerous occupation. We saw it last year with the deaths of Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli – pushing the limits on either two or four wheels is sometimes life threatening.
Volkswagen may not be returning to the Dakar Rally next year as a competitor – having already proven everything it has to prove – but don't count on seeing a desert completely bereft of VW badges altogether. That's because the German automaker will still be providing the support vehicles that the race organizers couldn't do without.
We've grown accustomed to seeing all manner of modified machinery power through the sand in an attempt to get to the top of a hill. We're even used to seeing vintage German machinery do the deed... that is, if you count sand rails and buggies built using air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle bits and pieces.
Dakar. The very name conjures up images of daring dashes through the brutish desert, running down scorpions and dodging terrorists at full throttle. Not exactly the place you'd expect to find a Bentley, then, but that's what the rumormill is pointing towards today.
The Land Rover Evoque is headed to participate in the next running of the Dakar Rally with a few necessary modifications. The British Excite Rally Raid Team is planning to take to the sands of South America with three cars shelled in the body of an Evoque. Under the hood, however, the T3 racers will make use of BMW straight-six power. The 3.0-li
Everything has its cost. And in the case of Volkswagen's new WRC effort, that cost appears to be Dakar.
Electric McRae Buggy – Click above to watch video after the jump
2012 OSCar eO – Click above for high-res image gallery
Volskwagen claims victory in the Dakar Rally – Click above for high-res image gallery
X-Raid Mini Countryman All4 Racing – Click above for high-res image gallery
The 2011 Dakar Rally is only two stages old, but there's already a big-time force at the top of the leader board. CNN reports that defending Dakar champion and Volkswagen driver Carlos Sainz has put the pedal to the metal to win the first two events and is leading BMW driver Stephane Peterhansel by a substantial three minutes, five seconds. Sainz's Touareg<
X-Raid Mini Countryman All4 Racing – Click above for high-res images
Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 teaser – Click above for high-res image
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.
