Nissan SA builds Paris-Dakar cars

Nissan will for the first time tackle the top class of the torturous Paris-Dakar race in two Hardbodies, evolved from the version that won the South African Off-Road Production Vehicle drivers’ championship this year.

Nissan will for the first time tackle the top class of the torturous Paris-Dakar race in two Hardbodies, evolved from the version that won the South African Off-Road Production Vehicle drivers’ championship this year.

Nissan Motorsport will be competing through its racing partner Dessoude Competition of France. The Hardbodies will be driven by Group N world rally champion Gregoire de Mevius and six-time Paris-Dakar motorcycle winner Stephane (Peter) Peterhansel. De Mevius was eighth overall in the 2001 event in a Nissan Terrano, while Peterhansel took his Terrano to 12th overall.

The commission to build the cars for the gruelling 2002 event follows the tremendous success of the Nissan Hardbody in the South African off-road championship this year.

The Paris-Dakar Hardbody is an evolution of the Double Cab that took Giniel de Villiers to the South African Off-Road Production Vehicle drivers’ championship this year. De Villiers and team-mate Hannes Grobler won four of the hotly contested races on the eight-event calendar.

Nissan SA Motorsport manager Glyn Hall and his team also played a significant role in the recent championship-winning successes of the Nissan Primera in the British touring car championship.

"De Mevius and Peterhansel have already been to South Africa to test the current class T Nissan Hardbody at the Gerotek testing facility outside Pretoria, and both were extremely impressed with what they found here," said Mike Whitfield, Nissan’s executive vice-president of marketing.

"The fact that the Nissan Motor Company and Andre Dessoude chose us to build the cars after seeing them in action in South African events, again proves the high standing of Nissan South Africa in the eyes of its parent company and the international racing community," said Whitfield.

The cars built for the Sahara Desert onslaught are based on the new-shape Hardbody due for launch in 2002. The running gear is similar to that used in the South African racing Hardbody, although changes have been made to adapt it to Paris-Dakar rules.

Power comes from the VQ 3,5-litre engine based on the multiple award-winning three-litre V6 that powers the Maxima QX. It is fitted with a restricter to limit power output to 195 kW as per international rally raid rules, so much development work has gone into producing train-pulling torque. A 500-litre petrol tank is fitted.

In the interest of weight distribution the engine was moved back a full metre to sit in the passenger compartment. The engine bay is reserved for the cooling system, front differential, the steering and suspension components – and the front part of the intricate 70-element roll cage that also serves as the monocoque.

The racing Hardbody has permanent four-wheel drive, with the power going to the wheels via a sequential six-speed gearbox with straight-cut gears, set in a special casing manufactured by Nissan Motorsport.

The front differential is aluminium and was designed to accommodate the extraordinarily long wheel travel required in top-class off-road racing. The steering rack, too, had to be specifically engineered by Nissan Motorsport.

The Hardbody’s basic suspension setup – independent double wishbone in front and live axle at the rear – was retained, but modified and adapted for off-road racing.

"Our Hardbody has proved its mettle in the South African off-road championship this year, and it will be a proud moment indeed if our South African-built Nissan Hardbody could drive on to the winner’s podium in Dakar," said Whitfield.