Audi's RS Q e-tron Revamped for 2024 Dakar Rally: Safety, Reliability, and Performance Enhanced
Audi enhances the RS Q e-tron for the 2024 Dakar Rally, focusing on safety, reliability, and comfort. Key upgrades include improved chassis, robust tires, and advanced acoustic shielding, ensuring better performance and efficiency for drivers like Ekström, Peterhansel, and Sainz.
As Audi prepares for the 2024 Dakar Rally, the RS Q e-tron, their rally prototype with a pioneering electric drivetrain, receives significant upgrades. These enhancements focus on making the vehicle safer, more reliable, more comfortable, lighter, and reducing maintenance times for the team. The Audi driver crews, including Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger, and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz, are set to benefit from these comprehensive improvements in January 2024.
The RS Q e-tron's safety features have been notably upgraded. Following accidents at the 2023 Dakar Rally, Audi focused on reducing peak vertical acceleration during landings. Adjustments to the springs, dampers, bump stop in the chassis, and the material stiffness and geometries of the seat foam contribute to better load distribution and reduced peak loads. A longer CFRP crash box at the front end of the chassis structure now better absorbs energy in accidents, enhancing occupant protection.
In terms of reliability, Audi Sport has made strategic improvements to the RS Q e-tron. Despite its proven reliability in harsh conditions, Audi has addressed specific issues like stone penetration causing damage. New fastening elements for the uprights and more robust rims, coupled with stronger sidewall tires, enhance the car's sturdiness.
Comfort for drivers and co-drivers has also been a priority. Enhanced acoustic shielding and cockpit sealing, along with a modified front bonnet, make driving conditions more conducive to concentration.
Performance-wise, the RS Q e-tron has seen improvements across various areas. Adjustments in chassis setup, weight optimization, and updates in electric drivetrain software have been made. Additionally, regulatory changes have allowed an increase in the maximum output from the electric motors, boosting the car's competitiveness.
Maintenance efficiency has also been a focus. Audi Sport's development team has simplified many aspects of daily maintenance, such as bolted connections and improved tool holders, leading to quicker and more efficient servicing.
Rolf Michl, Head of Audi Motorsport, expressed confidence in the RS Q e-tron's preparedness for the 2024 Dakar Rally, thanks to these creative solutions. With extensive testing already underway, Audi is gearing up to demonstrate the full potential of the RS Q e-tron at the world's most challenging desert rally.
