RE: Pic Of The Week: Dakar Rally Then And Now

RE: Pic Of The Week: Dakar Rally Then And Now

Friday 31st December 2010

Pic Of The Week: Dakar Rally Then And Now

Looking forward to a new year in motorsport (and back a bit)


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With today's POTW teetering on the cusp of a brand new year, we felt it was time to look forward into 2011 and to a new year of motorsport.

We didn't have to look too far, mind you, because tomorrow (provided you're reading this on the last day of 2010) marks the ceremonial start of the 2011 edition of the Dakar rally in Buenos Aires Argentina.

These days, heavily modified off-roaders dominate what remains one of the world's toughest feats of motorsport endurance. This is a genre epitomised by the VW Race Touareg, which took victory in the 2009 and 2010 events and looks set to be a top contender for 2011 honours, too.

But it wasn't always thus. Back in the 1980s - when the world was basically mad - Porsche sent a supercar to battle the desert rally, and it won. At a loss as to what to do with its 959, which had been developed for the still-born Group B circuit racing formula, Porsche decided that it would modify it for what was then the Paris-Dakar. It duly did so and, in 1986, took victory with René Metge and Dominique Lemoyne.

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Two very different Dakar weapons, two very different eras. But which appeals more? A 400bhp rear-engined supercar careering across the surface of Mars, or a 310bhp diesel off-roader leaping improbably through sand dunes?

Of course, with the wonders of the internetweb you don't have to choose, so we've provided you with both...

Merry New Year etc...

Porsche 959:
Normal (1280x1024)
WideScreen (1440x900)
SuperSize (2048x1536)

VW Touareg:
Normal (1280x1024)
WideScreen (1440x900)
SuperSize (2048x1536)

Author
Discussion

Draexin

Original Poster:

147 posts

169 months

Thursday 23rd December 2010
quotequote all
I'm commenting in the future... Looking forward indeed... wink

PascalBuyens

2,868 posts

281 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Draexin said:
I'm commenting in the future... Looking forward indeed... wink
Thursday 23rd December....


SO last week :-p

Johnny

9,652 posts

283 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
I'm really looking forward to the Dakar this year..Mainly for this:




Draexin

Original Poster:

147 posts

169 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
PascalBuyens said:
Draexin said:
I'm commenting in the future... Looking forward indeed... wink
Thursday 23rd December....


SO last week :-p
Well... On the 23rd, today was the future. Wait, that sentence sounds.. weird XD

Edited by Draexin on Friday 31st December 07:44

k-ink

9,070 posts

178 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Mmm... download the uber cool 959 image, or a dull VW van... tricky one.




I miss the 80's smokin

jp-speed-triple

1,504 posts

186 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Come on Riggers......how about a pic of the unsuported Simon Pavey single handing his way through this year on a 450bmw...or a shot of the best element of the Dakar...the trucks.

nice to see its getting ANY coverage at all however! thumbup

buggalugs

9,243 posts

236 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Cameras have come a long way in 25 years :P

M666 EVO

1,124 posts

161 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
I heard a stat years ago about the 959, if you shot past a 959 at 100mph it could overtake you within 1/4 of a mile. Not sure if that is true but in the mid 80's, that was a neat trick to pull off!

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Aww, I just love that first pic! bounce

Mastodon2

13,818 posts

164 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
I love that Touareg, it's such a tank and it must be nigh on unstoppable. I think the chance to drive something like that in an event like the Dakar rally, even in South America, would be an unforgettable experience. It's just about the only diesel vehicle I can think of that I actually want to drive.

Furious Styles

929 posts

162 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
959 picture is cloud9

Off to scour t'interweb for the Tamiya one i had as a child as the real thing will forever elude my bank balance.

pSyCoSiS

3,581 posts

204 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
959 is an awesome car, although you don't hear / see that much about them these days.



Edited by pSyCoSiS on Friday 31st December 11:33

rypt

2,548 posts

189 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Taking the rally away from Paris-Dakar is a move that I shall never agree with it, sure setup another rally doing Chile etc, but keep the historic one too

Dan 87

49 posts

166 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Amazing pics!
How've I never thought to put the POTW as my phones background until today!
I feel a this could start a weekly background change biggrin

Johnny

9,652 posts

283 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
rypt said:
Taking the rally away from Paris-Dakar is a move that I shall never agree with it, sure setup another rally doing Chile etc, but keep the historic one too
Yes, but you do know why they have moved it don't you?

Mighty Flex

900 posts

170 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Furious Styles said:
959 picture is cloud9

Off to scour t'interweb for the Tamiya one i had as a child as the real thing will forever elude my bank balance.
You might find it hard to justify the cost of an original Tamiya one then... wink

k-ink

9,070 posts

178 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
... you might find it hard to justify the cost of any of the old Tamiy models. Especially when they always rerelease everything! Zero point collecting them or paying more than RRP.

JaySTee

190 posts

173 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Mighty Flex said:
Furious Styles said:
959 picture is cloud9

Off to scour t'interweb for the Tamiya one i had as a child as the real thing will forever elude my bank balance.
You might find it hard to justify the cost of an original Tamiya one then... wink
I used to have the tamiya 959, gave it a hard time but it wad pretty rapid and a lot of fun. Maybe I should have looked after it a little better!!

rypt

2,548 posts

189 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Johnny said:
rypt said:
Taking the rally away from Paris-Dakar is a move that I shall never agree with it, sure setup another rally doing Chile etc, but keep the historic one too
Yes, but you do know why they have moved it don't you?
Because apparently the terrorists were somehow going to attack a rally that goes through deserts and is very spread out
It is a load of nonsense really, the rally should have been kept in Europe and Africa

dandarez

13,244 posts

282 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
How well will this little MINI do?

Superb shot of it yumping in this week's AUTOSPORT.