2009 Dakar Rally

[Christopher Aponte]

Hans are you sure they will drive there? Or are this just sightseeing pics from South America. Omg if they drive here i can't leave my television anymore

actually Bram...almost all over South America you have those kind of roads....waaay especially in the mountains
so the chance of seeing them race for survival on such road is really really high

 

[Christophe Berton]

bowler rulz love that car, wildcat and nemessis

 

[Karl Dubois]

dakar 2009

They have to do the Andes twice, they have to drive above 4500m.

That the nature there is beautiful, i agree. But the reason they leave Afrika is that there are terroristic threaths last year.
I'm not sure if they gonna solve that problem to go to South America.
I think this part of the world is also unstabel.
I hope for all pilots and teammembers they gonna have a good time there.

PS. Two Belgian winners in Dakar
* Gaston Rahier- won the bikes in 84' and 85' with BMW
* Jacky Ickx - won the cars in 83' with Porsche

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

@Barriga

I have to disagree The western part of South America near the coast looks like that. But right after the mountain chains of Chili there is a large strip of death desert, like you will see in the african sahara, due to the cold golf stream in the pacific.

Also the lower parts which is significantly in South American looks totally different.

But man, that the ASO agrees on having such roads in the rally is fantastic (!!), only i hope that the maniac drivers can behave themselfs there, one error and.....

If this rally will be a success i dont think they will ever go back to Africa again..

@Karl: the whole tribe culture in africa makes it very unsuitable for such big events. They drove for years tru Mauretania which is a joke. There is a government, but that has no jurisdiction outside of the capital at all. You are basically on your own there.

South America has a long history of unstable politics but has changed for the better the last 20 years. Way better option imho!

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Recos Video's Argentina - Chile

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JtG9uvpG1w[/media]

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Clip Argentina / Chile

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbIN1m6HvaI[/media]

 

[Christophe Berton]

Top Gear' Bowler test

[media]http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=dLvlfAyduvA[/media]

[media]http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=l_E3Y1TFbrw[/URL][/media]

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Dakar Motorcycles Thread

The motorcycles thread

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

What car brand will win Dakar 2009?

Please specify in this thread why and for the real predictors: what driver

 

[Ryan Callan]

Volkswagen. Although I would love a Bowler to.

I'll tip Carlos Sainz

 

[Ryan Callan]

I'm gonna have a complete guess and say KTM. I don't keep up with bikes too much

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

I voted BMW, more hopes then actually realistic. I saw that Pierre Karsmakers enters again in this years Dakar. He was my hero when i was a kid. Remember him crashing in the Sahara breaking his hips and that aweful screaming. Will never forget that

 

[Christophe Berton]

Bowler ofcourse

 

[Marcel vd Aa]

It will probably will be Mitsubishi again who will come out on top.
They have proven to be the best on numerous occasions, although Volkswagen was coming up strong in the last editions.
I hope the Hummer does well this year too.
And then there is BMW....
Too much to choose from...

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

So much money invested last years: so my vote goes to VW

 

[Brad Johnson]

KTM will probably take it for sure.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Is Luc Alphand still doing the Dakar ?

 

[Eddie Lynch]

I don't think anything bad like that will happen. Lets hope not.

 

[Eddie Lynch]

Thanks for these! Chile looks like a very beautiful place!

 

[Eddie Lynch]

First video has been taken down D:

Haha, when the German man flips of Hammond XD I think he did well for not even owning a car.