Dakar Rally Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Audi Club North America

6 Jan 2024

Audi Sport: Inside Dakar 2024 E01, Prologue

The prologue took place today with Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist setting the fastest time with their Audi RS Q e-tron. Beyond that, we've also got some other footage from Audi Sport that we were able to add to the Audi Club North America channel and have embedded below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCaKT9MfpIo&t=70s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsZJfSLMoRI

5 Jan 2024

Find of the Day: De Paoli Dakar Monster quattro on Cars & Bids

[gallery columns="1" link="file" size="full" ids="95246"] We’ve covered this Frankenquattro before, and ran the story of its ’86 Paris-Dakar run on the blog yesterday. We did that in part because we saw Cars & Bids has offered it up for sale and likely timed with the 2024 Dakar Rally to get attention. So, if you’ve wanted to own a highly unique piece of quattro history, this car may very well fit the bill. [gallery link="file" columns="1" size="full" ids="95244"] Spoiler alert: Unde...

5 Jan 2024

Ekström Dominates Dakar Prologue for Audi

[gallery link="file" columns="1" size="full" ids="95238"] As the weeks-long Dakar Rally begins, competitors first have a sandy qualifying run just 27 km long run in Al’Ula dubbed “The Prologue” that took place today. Finish in the Top 10 today, and you to choose your starting position for the opening stage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t59sLwvLEPw Fastest amongst the cars was Audi Sport’s Mattias Ekstrom with an impressive 16m 30s in his RS Q e-tron. That was 23 seconds faster than th...

4 Jan 2024

Are You Ready for Dakar? Rally Starts Tomorrow!

[gallery columns="1" size="full" link="file" ids="95233"] Even though it may be more grueling than Le Mans, and more of a technological science fair than La Sarthe at the peak of the LMP1 era, Audi’s Dakar Rally program remains obscure due to its far off location and remote stages that prove hard to capture and package as a media product. In short, it’s hard for fans to keep up with the action. Even still, Audi Sport goes out of its way to keep fans aware of the action and so we intend to c...

4 Jan 2024

Feature: Frankenstein Monster of Dakar

[gallery columns="1" link="file" size="full" ids="95192"] The incredible story of the quattro Paris-Dakar and its illustrious builder Franco de Paoli words: George Achorn, photos: Franco de Paoli Editor’s Note: This article originally ran in the Q3_2019 issue of quattro Magazine. The 2024 Dakar Rally begins tomorrow, while the car you see in this story also hits the auction market this week elsewhere in these pages. In as much, it seemed the perfect opportunity to re-tell this story. If ...

3 Jan 2024

Confident Both Off-Road and On-Road: the Audi Q8 e-tron edition Dakar

[gallery link="none" columns="1" size="full" ids="94984"] Editor's Note: Audi of America confirmed for us today that there are no plans to bring the Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar to the USA at this moment in time. source: Audi AG Optimized off-road capability: Ground clearance raised by 31 millimeters A unique design language: Striking exterior and optional decals inspired by the RS Q e-tron from the Dakar Rally More grip: Off-road ready General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tires improve acceleration a...

21 Dec 2023

Dakar Rally 2024: Team Audi Sport Ahead of a Great Challenge

[gallery link="none" columns="1" size="full" ids="94577"] source: Audi AG Innovative prototype up against strong competition Audi driver crews look forward to tough challenges in January Team Audi Sport and QMS form a proven organizational structure The Audi RS Q e-tron faces its third Dakar Rally. Team Audi Sport has optimized the pioneering rally prototype, that has an electric drivetrain, a high-voltage battery and an energy converter, in meticulous detail for the toughest rall...

30 Nov 2023

Audi RS Q e-tron for 2024: Innovative Prototype With Many New Details

[gallery link="none" columns="1" size="full" ids="93690"] source: Audi AG Audi improves the RS Q e-tron once again: Ahead of its third outing in the Dakar Rally, the rally prototype with its pioneering electric drivetrain with a high-voltage battery and an energy converter receives innovations in many areas. The Audi driver crews of Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz benefits from numerous detail improvements in Janu...

27 Nov 2023

Final Test Run for the Audi RS Q e-tronRS Q e-tron

[gallery link="none" columns="1" size="full" ids="93563"] source: Audi AG Test run in southern France concludes Dakar preparations All three driver crews took part Further extension of the endurance of components was the focus The last big test before the 2024 Dakar Rally: Team Audi Sport has put the Audi RS Q e-tron through its final test in the south of France. The three Audi driver crews of Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lu...

30 Oct 2023

Audi Sport’s Ultimate Meeting of Electrified Prototypes: “e-tron on Track”

[gallery link="none" columns="1" size="full" ids="92232"] source: Audi AG Versatile electric drives from Audi around motorsport Mattias Ekström, Stéphane Peterhansel and Carlos Sainz meet Tom Kristensen at Audi Sport’s “e-tron on track” event in Neuburg, Germany Five fascinating models show rapid technical progress They stand for efficiency and enthusiasm in equal measure: Five high-performance Audi models for racing and action embody the path of electrified drives. The brand ...

19 Oct 2023

Challenging Morocco Rally for Audi

[gallery link="none" columns="1" size="full" ids="91847"] source: Audi AG Ups and downs for Audi at the Morocco Rally Three stage victories for innovative Audi RS Q e-tron All three Audi RS Q e-tron cars at the finish of the Morocco Rally Team Audi Sport received no reward for a strong recovery at the Morocco Rally: Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Edouard Boulanger had improved from sixth place to second position on the penultimate day. However, a failure of the water pu...

3 Oct 2023

Audi RS Q e-tron Wows Paris with Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger

[gallery link="none" columns="1" size="full" ids="90770"] source: Audi AG From the desert to the city: Audi is not only using the forward-looking drive technology of the RS Q e-tron in the Dakar Rally, but is also specifically demonstrating it in metropolises. After the rally car’s highly acclaimed city tour through Hamburg a year ago, Paris was now on the agenda. In the home of French Audi factory drivers Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger, the innovative low-emission prototype head...

19 Sep 2023

Audi RS Q e-tron on City Tour: Audi Drivers inspire Madrid, Paris and Stockholm

[gallery link="none" columns="1" size="full" ids="90156"] source: Audi AG Prototype with electric drive attracts high attention Tour of three European capitals From the desert to the metropolises: Audi not only uses the future-oriented drive technology of the RS Q e-tron at the Dakar Rally but also specifically demonstrates it in major cities. Following the highly acclaimed Hamburg tour a year ago, the program now included the capitals of the three countries from which the Audi factor...

14 Jul 2023

Audi F1 Focus to Also Impact RS Q e-tron Dakar Program

[gallery columns="1" size="full" link="file" ids="81646"] News broke earlier this week of Audi's focus F1 impacting customer racing programs, with no factory backed programs in 2024 and the ceasing of new car sales early next year. Now, it seems a decision on the Dakar program involving the RS Q e-tron rally raid vehicle has also been made, and the program will end after the 2024 event. In a clever reuse of technology, Audi Sport had developed the RS Q e-tron using its Formula E motor and 2...

6 Jun 2023

Vorsprung durch “Technic” – LEGO Audi RS Q e-tron Revealed

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="86734"] A couple months ago, LEGO fan blogs had confirmed the toy brick manufacturer’s intent to build a scale version of Audi’s RS Q e-tron Dakar rally car. Model kit #42160 was listed as one of LEGO’s more extensive “Technic” kits. While details weren't exactly right, we now have full details direct from the source. While not available yet, we now know the retail price will be $179.99, that it'll be have remote control functionality and 914 piece...

31 May 2023

Audi RS Q e-tron Testing in Saudi Arabia Focused on Tire Puncture Issues, Durability

[gallery link="file" columns="1" size="full" ids="86647"] [Source: Team Audi Sport] Team Audi Sport has prepared an analytical test for the suspension and tires after the 2023 Dakar Rally. The Audi RS Q e-tron’s record in January included a total of 14 podium results on 15 event days but also various setbacks. While the innovative electric drive concept worked flawlessly, tire failures clearly set back the three driver teams Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edoua...

5 May 2023

Rumor: Audi to Extend & Expand RS Q e-tron Dakar / Rally Raid Program

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="81593"] While there are rumors Audi Sport customer racing programs could be on the chopping block by the end of the 2023 season in an effort to focus on F1, the same source (Motorsport.com) is suggesting Audi will continue and expand its efforts with the RS Q e-tron at Dakar. According to the piece, Audi Sport will not only contest the 2024 Dakar Rally, it will also compete in the entire season of the FIA World Rally Raid Championship series of which the Dak...

16 Jan 2023

Team Audi Sport with Good Individual Results and Setbacks at the Dakar Rally

[gallery link="none" columns="1" size="full" ids="81923"] source: Audi AG 14 stage podiums and seven times among the top 3 in the overall standings Electric drive concept of the low-emission race car highly efficient Board member Oliver Hoffmann: “We’ll be back in 2024” The effort paid off: Team Audi Sport shaped the 2023 Dakar Rally with innovation and performance right up to the end despite various setbacks. The Audi RS Q e-tron with its electric drive concept scored a tot...