The Fiat Panda that conquered the Dakar

The PanDakar was the first Italian car, the first Fiat vehicle and the first city car derived from a road-going version to successfully complete the Dakar.

The so-called PanDakar is a Fiat Panda 4×4 Cross equipped with the same 180 CV 2.0 MultiJet engine as the production model, with only a few modifications to withstand the harshness of the race. It uses a long-travel suspension from SACHS, due to the rugged terrain the vehicle had to face. The agility and good handling of the Fiat Panda Cross were essential to finish the event. This vehicle proved an exceptional ability to cope with any surface and the tricky weather conditions of the Dakar 2017.

The development of the PanDakar was handled by the Orobica Raid team, formed in 2008 by Guido Verzeletti, a specialist in long-distance raids. Among all the team members they have a combined total of forty Dakar participations.

Giulio Verzeletti and Antonio Cabini were in charge of taking the PanDakar to the finish line in Buenos Aires. These drivers had previously covered a total of 9,000 km crossing Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. Meanwhile, Nicola Montecchio was the team member who led the engine preparation, in particular the characteristics needed to cope with the high altitudes of some stages of the race. The PanDakar is the first city car derived from a production vehicle to finish the race, a milestone that is undoubtedly much celebrated within the Turin-based brand.

The same characteristics that have made it the king of the desert have also earned it the title of best-selling compact 4×4 in Europe, measuring less than 3.8 m in length. The small size and great manoeuvrability are some of the keys to the Fiat Panda.

Source: Newspress