Dakar Rally: Winners drive ZF in car and truck categories

ZF and ZF Sachs partners once again left the world’s toughest rally unbeaten: The first three teams in the automobile category and the two fastest trucks relied on suspension and transmission components supplied by the German technology company during the 9,000 kilometre plus rally through Argentina and Chile.

As last year Volkswagen claimed overall victory in the automobile category with the Race Touareg. No other team has won this category with diesel power so far. In the process, Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz became the first Spanish driver duo to win the automobile category since the event was first held in 1979. They beat their mates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) by the incredibly narrow margin of 132 seconds. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/D) followed in third place. Last year’s winner Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) were seventh for Volkswagen.

Single-tube Telescopic dampers 2010 season

In each Race Touareg, which is powered by TDI engines producing more than 300 hp and over 600 Nm torque, ZF Sachs Race Engineering high-performance clutches are used. The three-plate ceramic module always guarantees perfect power transmission in the most difficult gravel, water crossings and while crossing the Andes twice. Volkswagen also relies on its partner’s dampers. On each wheel, which has spring travel of up to 250 millimetres, the two special single-tube telescopic dampers absorb the movement and convert it into heat. The team lead by Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen explicitly praised the particularly good adjustability of the reliable components, which allow the drivers to realise a relevant set-up for the different route profiles of the 14 stages.

The new Volkswagen pick-up van Amarok also had a successful debut as a service vehicle for Volkswagen. The Amarok is equipped with the 6-speed-transmission Ecolite by ZF, a steering system by ZF Lenksysteme as well as ZF suspension components.

Kamaz celebrated its ninth victory in the truck class since 1996. Vladimir Chagin/Sergey Savostin/Eduard Nikolaev and Firdaus Kabirov/Aydar Belyaev/Andrey Mokeev presented the Russian manufacturer with a one-two finish. The race trucks are equipped with a manual ZF-Ecosplit gearbox and benefit from the pneumatic shift-assistance Servoshift. Other components supplied by the German company also proved their qualities: The ZF-Steyr VG 2000 all-wheel drive transfer gearbox, the MFZ 430 clutch from ZF Sachs and also the ZF-Servocom steering.