Three years ago, Audi had never competed in Rally Raid, the hardcore Ironman-loving sibling of stage rally, let alone the iconic but grueling two-week-long Dakar Rally. But Audi, having pushed boundaries and conquered multiple motorsport disciplines throughout its history (including endurance racing and Le Mans, rallying, DTM, IMSA and Formula E) wasn't afraid of a challenge. In fact, it fancied making one of the toughest races in the world tougher.
The aim of the project was to be the first car manufacturer to use an electrified drivetrain in combination with an efficient energy converter to compete for overall victory against conventionally powered competitors in the world's toughest rally. No mean feat, especially as it's only had three years to bring this brain-meltingly complex motorsport programme together. From nothing.
And leading up to the 2024 Dakar Rally, Audi's bosses made it clear that this was its third and final attempt at outright Dakar victory. No pressure, then.
No pressure to win the most punishing event on the motorsport calendar. No pressure to do it at the final opportunity. No pressure of staining its immaculate motorsport record, especially as it's a manufacturer synonymous with rough-stuff success. Oh, and no pressure to do so in a car concept radically different to anything else that's ever scored victory in 45 years of this revered off-road enduro. Talk about a pioneering spirit.
Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av BBC Top Gear UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av BBC Top Gear UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
HEAD TO HEAD VANTAGE vs 911 TURBO
For as long as we can remember the Porsche 911 has been the default best sports car money can buy. Does the new Aston Vantage represent a changing of the guard?
BOSS LEVEL:PART TWO
In a world exclusive, three makers of the world's most powerful hypercars are cordially invited... to drive each other's creations
THE THEORY 0F EVOLUTION
Ridged bladder seats, an inflating steering wheel and an AI track day coach... has Lotus hit on the supercar's future, or gone mad?
Koenigsegg Jesko Attack
The Jesko Attack drives like a conventional supercar. Brakes like one, turns like one, grips like one. But it doesn't accelerate like one.
STIC LAPS are back!
It's a 1.75-mile figure of eight on an old Canadian Air Force base just south of Guildford. Hardly Monza, or the Mulsanne straight, and never in a million years - you'd think a place that would become one of the most sought after performance benchmarks in the motoring world.
URBAN OUTWITTERS
Does the solution to city motoring lie in designs from the past with powertrains from the future? TopGear goes in search of answers... at rush hour
FUTURE FERRARIS
If you thought Ferrar's past was colourful, wait until you see what it's cooking up next. The future's bright, the future's rosso
DIRTY DOZEN
Ferrari's new super GT makes no secrets about what's under the bonnet, but can it swallow five countries in just a few hours? Better get on with it...
MYTH BUSTER
\"ADAPTIVE DAMPERS ALWAYS NEED TO ADAPT\"
The S2000 from a parallel universe
Meet Evasive Motorsports’ Honda S2000R, the car the Japanese firm should have built itself
