R2R 2014 Dakar Rally Wildcat: Driven
We turn Dakar delivery drivers with some very special cargo
Chilly start for Race2Recovery's Dakar challenge
So, mouth suitably watering at the thought of driving a fully-fledged competition vehicle, Dakar veteran Ben Gott installs me in the hot seat to give me a run through of the car's controls before we set off.
Pre-flight checks
While the team members are busying themselves topping up the gearbox oil level on their 35,000kg, 1,000hp MAN truck, Ben runs me through procedures with the Wildcat: "Green is go, red is stop. Simple," he says. I'm with him so far...
Sean checks out his ride for the next 24 hours
"Next, hit the start button. No throttle, let it turn over and she'll catch. The gearbox is easy. It's a six-speed sequential Quaife unit - back for up, forward for down. It's got a paddle clutch in it so it likes to be off or on. That's about it."
I follow his lead and the engine churns over for a few seconds before a flare of revs slowly settle to an aggressive but melodic bark from the exhaust. Dip the clutch, hook first with a schuuunk, pick the throttle up and don't stall it.
Wildcats on the way
Once out on the road, the first thing that gets me is the throttle pedal and how the motor delivers its power. The accelerator has plenty of travel, and although it kicks out around 320hp, meaning 0-60mph in around 5.0 seconds... off-road... But it's the 320lb ft of torque that grabs you.
Quaife sequential puts V8's power down
My co-driver for the journey is Philip 'Barney' Gillespie, an injured serviceman turned rally navigator who already has one Dakar finish under his belt .
"The torque is amazing - it's perfect for pulling you up the face of a sand dune when you need it, and the gearbox means you can just go bang and do it again." He's spot on.
Onto the ferry for the first leg of Dakar entry
Cold dampers on off-road settings mean on the road we're not even scratching the Wildcat's surface, but the greasy conditions still highlight the car's amazing ability to sniff out traction.
As we near Portsmouth day one ends without issue, rolling the convoy safely onto the ferry. Day two, however, would be a different matter.
Heat of the moment
As we rumble off the boat to a flurry of camera phones the next morning and sit in the cue for immigration, the coolant temperature on the Wildcat's Bosch motorsport display steadily ticks higher until it's backlit in red and reading 116 degrees. I knock the engine off just to be on the safe side.
Into France and everything's going well...
121, 122, 123 - it just kisses 125 and I kill the engine before it kills itself, mindful that this is the car that'll be on the start line in South America next January. As we sit at the side of a French autoroute 34km away from scrutineering in Le Havre, coolant ominously bubbling away behind me, things don't look good.
But the R2R never-give-up attitude and military-honed precision immediately takes over. A trail of Land Rovers line the hard shoulder as the mechanics set to work. A faulty thermostat is immediately diagnosed, and after a bit of a battle fitting the new one, the car's fixed. Except by the side of the road the team can't fully bleed the coolant system.
...until R2R's first upset makes presence felt
Pass with flying colours
Even with the temperature issue, it was never in doubt the team would make it through. After reorganising their slot, both Wildcat's were allocated race numbers and stickers before being locked away in Parc Ferme.
Even before the race had started, R2R had to deal with adversity - it's what these guys have faced for a good chunk of their lives. And the spirit, determination and professionalism they show is incredible. They're an inspiration, the definition of heroes. With over 3,000 off-road miles ahead of them, it certainly won't be their will that gives up. Let's hope the Wildcats can keep pace.
PH wishes Race2Recovery the very best of British for Dakar 2014.
RACE2RECOVERY WILDCAT
Engine: 4,000cc
Transmission: Quaife 6-speed sequential manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 320 (approx)
Torque (lb ft): 300lb ft@3,850rpm
0-62mph: 5.0 seconds (off-road)
Weight: 2,200kg (approx) including full 375-litre fuel tank
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PS 4000cc petrol, in my mind I thought the 3600cc diseasel would be the one to go for due to huge low down torque and slightly better MPG over the 3k mile race, but glad they are using a good ol V8.
Opportunities like this must be superb for body and mind.
Strip out the extrem kit and sell as road cars with the standard LR interior but their running gear.
and Bowler went on to do the Nemesis which after a spell owned by the new owners of Spyker it has become the EXR.
The guys in R2R are inspirational. I was lucky enough to spend some time with Tony when he came down to do a charity day at our off-road site for a local disabled charity.
Good luck to them!
On a roadgoing Wildcat - Bowler did miss a trick: the pricing. You'd have to really, really want one to pay for a QT.
What they needed was something without all of the rally bits - more conventional (cheaper) hardware, big V8, looks etc, for half the price they wanted for the QT. After all - you use the rally heritageto sell road cars - you don't sell the actual rallycars! Joe public doesn't care that the road machine has rose jointed suspension, titanium exhaust andfull adjustable chassis. He just wants some of that racing glamour in something that looks the part, goes hard, and is achievable to buy and run. Sierra Cosworth, Delta Integrale, anyone?
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