Volkswagen DunBee Dakar "Stéphane Henrard" 2015

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StarLight Garage suggests automobile gems to be included in the Gran Turismo Series.
The Belgian Volkswagen DunBee from Stephane Henrard from 2015 should be one of them.
Shall this year be the year of the Beetle?
I don't know, the rest of the field is also strong at least on paper but the DunBee has a lot some experience under its belt and has what it takes to be fast and reliable.
Enjoy this Dakar Beetle!



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Attempts to finish the Dakar in a Beetle date back to the 1980s but have never been successful.
Stéphane Henrard is back at the Dakar after a hiatus spent developing a Beetle he believes is capable of handling the dunes: the DunBee.

Everyone in Mexico has heard of the Beetle’s exploits. However, Henrard has spent several years putting together a Beetle like no other, and is now ready to embark on his quest.

All that hard work in the Belgian tuner’s workshop has paid off in the shape of a Beetle codenamed DunBee, a portmanteau of ‘Dunes’ and ‘Beetle’.
Henrard is adamant that the technical challenge involved left him with no choice but to bide his time before bringing his latest brainchild onto the Dakar stage: “The DunBee made its debut in the Africa Race because it wasn’t made for the South American Dakar of the first few years.

Stéphane Henrard: “Now I’m sure the car’s mature enough and I also think the courses have changed. Our buggy’s got some experience under its belt and has what it takes to be fast and reliable. Now it’s time for it to prove its worth in the strongest field in the world of rally raid.”

Henrard has finished three times in the top 10 so far, which means the Beetle has a real shot at being in the mix. “The first step is finishing the race. I know it’s a cute, fast, little car, but there are about fifty cars out there capable of doing just as well. On the other hand, I’ve got the feeling anyone would be proud of driving this car. It just makes you want to jump behind the wheel.”


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THE OTHER VW'S ARE HERE:







THE OTHER DAKAR CARS ARE HERE:


 
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Henrard Racing DunBee Dakar T1.4 Henrard Racing #353 Stéphane Henrard & Bruno Barbier 2015

Henrard Racing built the car; the only "Volkswagen" part is bits of the engine and the sponsorship. The DunBee is a Dakar T1.4 class vehicle (Car - Diesel, 2-Wheel Drive). Henrard Racing is listed as the entrant on the Dakar website. Stéphane's co-driver is Bruno Barbier.

The pictures portraying the "#253" are from the 2014 Africa Eco Race, which is an interesting raid where ex-Dakar motors go to get babied by rich privateers/more serious teams go to get practice in desert racing.
 
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