Rally-spec Dacia Sandrider revealed

Feast your eyes on the new Dacia Sandrider - a 360 bhp dune buggy that’ll take on the world’s toughest rallies.

Back in June last year, Dacia announced it was going to compete in the prestigious World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) - a series of events that includes the infamous, gruelling, and car-obliterating Dakar Rally - for the very first time, from 2025 onwards.

Dacia isn’t mucking about, assembling a team of ‘Sandriders’ that includes rally legend Sébastien Loeb, alongside hardened Dakar winners Nasser Al-Attiyah and Cristina Gutierrez.

And this - the 3.0-litre V6-engined, twin-turbo Sandrider - will be Dacia’s weapon of choice when it kicks off its W2RC journey. A Dacia Sandero, it ain't. 

Based on the recent Manifesto concept car, the all-wheel drive Sandrider will compete in the ‘Ultimate T1+’ prototype class.

It boasts power of 360 bhp and 539 Nm of torque, sits on 17-inch rims, and runs on synthetic fuel - which has the same properties as fossil fuel but is produced artificially and in a more environmentally-friendly manner. That’s all part of Dacia’s commitment to making 'motorsport more sustainable'.

The carbon fibre-clad Sandrider itself is resolutely ‘no-frills’, according to Dacia, with all superfluous parts jettisoned in a bid to shed weight.

The bonnet slopes down for maximum visibility, there’s anti-reflective paint on the upper part of the dashboard to stop glare, and the electrical system is robust enough to keep working ‘even in the most difficult conditions’.

Meanwhile everything has been designed to make life easy for the crew.

A Dacia spokesperson tells us: “The Sabelt seats are upholstered in special anti-bacterial fabrics that self-regulate humidity. The spare wheels are uncovered for easier handling. Similarly, the crew can access onboard tools quickly, without needing to open a box. Further examples include a magnetic plate, built into the bodywork of Sandrider to prevent the fixation bolts for the wheels getting lost in the sand. This was a tip inspired directly from the experience of the team’s drivers and actioned using Dacia’s famed good thinking.”

Denis Le Vot, CEO of Dacia, adds: “Dacia and Dakar are a perfect match! Not only is this a test of Dacia's true robustness, it is a showing of our commitment to low-carbon mobility. We are very excited to take part in Dakar with synthetic fuel technology. Dacia, alongside the best team and drivers in the game, are serious contenders for the rally.”

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