FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30 December 2003
GO GET ’EM COLIN!
The Dakar Rally starts on New Year’s Day and will last for 18 days covering seven countries and almost 7000 miles. And Nissan has arguably the highest profile driver, World Rally Master and Brit, Colin McRae who’ll be competing in the Dakar for the first time.
This will be Nissan's second appearance in the rally following its first time in 2003. For the 2004 entry, no fewer than 65 people will make up the Nissan Rally Raid Team which is based in Oxfordshire. This figure includes not just McRae but engineers, mechanics, logistics personnel, drivers of the assistance trucks, crews, press and PR staff and management.
Colin McRae is without doubt a legendary character in the world of rallying. He was World Rally Champion in 1995 and has finished second in the World Championship on three occasions. After an exceptional career, he has reached a turning point, and is venturing into rally-raids. McRae is supported by Swedish co-driver Tina Thörner who has done the Dakar before – luckily for Colin. He’ll have driven before on everything from mud to ice but never before in the same event. During the Dakar, there’ll be snow and sub-zero temperatures in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains then 43 degree heat in the southern Sahara. And then there’s sand. A lot of sand.
McRae isn’t the only rally master that Nissan has hired for the Dakar. Four-times winner of the legendary Dakar event, Ari Vatanen will be behind the wheel of a Nissan Pickup for the second year in a row. Extremely motivated, as always, Ari cannot wait to get back to Africa, a continent of which he is incredibly fond. Having claimed four of the manufacturer’s five stage wins in this year’s Dakar, he would like to reach the record number of 50 stage wins during the 2004 event (he currently has 49 wins to his credit…). His compatriot Juha Repo will be in charge of the navigation. Juha recently took part in the UAE Desert Challenge in Dubaï, alongside Ari. It was his first time in the sand and the dunes, and quite visibly, he enjoyed the experience.
Along with its new team, Nissan has a new vehicle. The 2004 Pickup is based on the 2003 prototype which reached Sharm-el-Sheikh, the end point of its first Dakar, on 19 January earlier this year, in fifth place in the final overall classification. This new generation of the Pickup is, like its predecessor, driven by the competition version of the production VQ 3.5 litre, 6 cylinder engine producing more than 260PS. The most significant changes are to the bodywork. The 2004 model has been designed with improved aerodynamics, in order to achieve a higher top speed and better visibility. Moreover, the significant reduction in the front overhang, the improvement in the protection beneath the bodywork and a more generous clearance should allow the crew to better face the rocky routes and the dunes. The wheelbase has been shortened by 150 mm, the bodywork had been widened and the internal proportions have been enlarged for the comfort of the crew.
The six-speed sequential gearbox and the front and rear differentials remain the same, despite a slight improvement brought to the torque.
Four teams will be taking up the challenge of the Dakar in Nissan Pickups. To manage them, Gilles Martineau has recently joined the Nissan Rally Raid Team. With solid experience in motorsport, he will take on the role of Team Manager. After 12 years with Ford, where he was the Director of Motorsport Activities, Gilles Martineau is knowledgeable in both circuit competition and Rallying. He has no fewer than 10 seasons of Formula Ford to his credit, having taken control of all aspects of the category, both organisational and sporting. Manager and coordinator of the Rally Raid activities, he has extensive knowledge of both the World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies and the Dakar.
For all the action, see www.nissan-dakar.com.
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Note: pictures can be downloaded from www.nissanpresse.com, user ID: nissan2003, password: media.
For further information contact:
Lydie ARPIZOU – Nissan Rally Raid Team press officer
Tel: +33 1 30 13 56 37
Mobile: +33 6 77 844 730
e-mail: team.nissan@wanadoo.fr