Audi Sport has received the 2024 version of the Dakar Rally, a grueling, two-week-long race that takes opponents throughout a number of the hardest terrains on the planet. Spanish pilot Carlos Sainz drove the successful automotive, and this marks the fourth time he completed the rally in first place.
Held in Saudi Arabia, this 12 months’s Dakar began in Al-‘Ula on January 5 and resulted in Yanbu on January 19. About 220 miles separate the 2 cities for those who take probably the most direct route, however the individuals had logged about 4,900 miles by the point they crossed the end line — assuming they acquired there. Ending the rally is one thing to be proud about, even for professionals, so successful represents a big achievement.
Sainz, co-pilot Lucas Cruz, and their RS Q E-Tron conquered huge dunes, rocky roads, and huge stretches of empty desert to complete the race with an 80-minute lead over the Toyota crew that completed in second place. Whereas the RS, Q, and E-Tron nameplates probably ring a bell, this is not an odd SUV. It is a purpose-designed off-roader powered by a series-hybrid drivetrain that consists of a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine sourced from Audi’s now-shuttered DTM program, a 52-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, and three electrical motors borrowed from the model’s Components E automotive and modified for rallying. The turbo-four basically serves as a generator: It creates electrical energy that will get despatched to the battery and used to zap the 4 wheels into movement. Audi quotes a 0-to-62 mph time of 4.5 seconds on free floor.
Giniel de Villiers and co-pilot Dennis Murphy took second place in a GR DKR Hilux Evo prototype, whereas Sébastien Loeb and co-pilot Fabian Lurquin completed third in a Prodrive Hunter. Dakar is not solely about vehicles: Bikes, huge vans, and side-by-sides are eligible to race as properly. American pilot Ricky Brabec notably took first within the bike class by ending in 51 hours and half-hour on his Honda CRF450 Rally.
Time will inform whether or not Audi will return to the Dakar Rally in 2025 to defend its title; rumors declare the model will not race once more, however nothing is official at this stage. If it comes again, it might want to fend off competitors from not less than two new factory-backed groups: Ford and Dacia.