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SteveRacer wrote:I think the Pugs will have some serious competition from Toyota this year. I do not think Mini will be competitive as they do not have the big names in the team. Toyota had Devilliers and added Dakar winners Al Attiyah and Roma. The restrictor change will lower the diesel HP and give the Petrol engines a fighting chance at altitude.

SteveRacer wrote:The restrictor change will lower the diesel HP and give the Petrol engines a fighting chance at altitude.

While still conforming to all FIA regulations, the new Toyota Hilux Evo weighs 615kg less (now targeting 1,300kg) than the previous four-wheel drive version of the Toyota Hilux racer. It is also able to come with larger wheels (940mm diameter versus 805mm), offer a broader range of suspension travel, and be equipped with an on-board tyre inflation/deflation system.

The engine and transmission are relocated between the axles. This move has centralised the weight distribution for maximum dynamic performance, while mounting the heaviest components near the bottom of the vehicle has also lowered the centre of gravity.

New regulations for 2017 also allow the Hilux Evo’s naturally aspirated V8 engine to run a wider 38mm air restrictor, now the same diameter as a number of key competitors that benefited from a 1-2mm advantage last year.

Peugeot Sport has ensured that the car’s 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbodiesel engine is even more driveable for next year’s Dakar, delivering greater torque at lower revs. Adding to the challenge for the engineers is the fact that the latest Dakar regulations have imposed a smaller restrictor on the engine (38mm as opposed to 39mm last year) with a net loss of around 20 horsepower. However, this power is now accessible from further down the rev range, meaning that the car is easier to drive and potentially even faster.

Andres125sx wrote:

SteveRacer wrote:The restrictor change will lower the diesel HP and give the Petrol engines a fighting chance at altitude.

May you please elaborate? What are the specific changes?

I love Dakar, but I´ve never followed rule changes

nokivasara wrote:Do you like the "new" Dakar, since they moved to South America?

I've been a fan since the early 90's when it truly was Paris-Dakar and feel that it's evolved too far towards "wrc"-type stages. The adventure bit is missing, even though they have more off road navigation this year the stage times show that there's not much of a challenge for them. If you have a 30 minute lead now it feels like the race is over, with a weeks worth of stages left...

I still watch it though, the trucks are just awesome