Dacia Duster Ice Wants Trophee Andros

Its been a few successful months for Dacia's Duster models, with orders poring in from all over the world for the first true Romanian SUV. But it does seem like there's something missing for the Mioveni-based manufacturer.

Dacia models have never been known for the appetite they have for racing. Renault, Dacia's mother company, is planning to change that with the help of the Ice version of the Duster and driver Alain Prost. The car is pretty much the same as the one used by Prost last year, but not quite.

The car has been modified for better performance and, according to its driver, is now in tip-top shape to take the Andros (last year, the Duster secured second place overall in the series).

"The work that has been done on Duster Ice since last year has paid dividends and we are convinced we have a competitive car for this year's competition,” said Prost.

“That said, the opposition promises to be even stiffer this time round, so we will need to deliver a blend of outright performance and consistency if we want to challenge for this year's title. My personal objective is to win the Trophee Andros with Dacia."

The Duster Ice is powered by perhaps the greatest engine a Dacia will ever see: a 3.0l V6 which spits out 350 hp. The engine is controlled with the help of a six-speed sequential gearbox. But, of course, that's not all the attributes which set this Duster apart from its production version peers.

The Ice uses a four-wheel steering system, limited slip differentials, double-wishbone suspension and long-travel dampers and electro-hydraulic steering system.

This model is not for sale. Sorry.