Colin Clark spent some time with Dacia during the (ongoing) Rallye du Moroc as it closes on W2RC glory
Photography by DirtFish
Words by Colin Clark
I want an honest answer. I want you to think back two years and tell me the first thing that came to your mind when you heard the word ‘Dacia.’
Cheap Renault.
I’m with you. And now? Try World Rally-Raid Champion. At its first attempt.
Dacia’s off-road program has taken the world by storm, especially with Nasser Al-Attiyah at the wheel. The five-time Dakar winner wasted no time signing for the French firm when he saw the desire, the determination and the drive from Dacia. It was the same story for the world’s most successful rally driver Sébastien Loeb.
But great drivers need a great car and that’s where Dacia has delivered. As I write this, Al-Attiyah is chasing his fourth straight W2RC title, but his first with Dacia and a first for the brand. That’s a remarkable achievement and an even more astonishing 18-month turnaround for a brand.
The Sandrider is driven by the best drivers in the world and sits on the cusp of a world title
Standing in the middle of Morocco, with the Sahara beneath my feet, it’s hard not to be impressed by the Sandrider. If there was ever going to be a Formula 1 car for the desert, this surely has to be it. It’s got purpose, poise and no shortage of presence. There’s not a hint, not a whiff of cheap Renault about this thing. It’s a rocketship, pure and simple.
But most of all, it’s a Dacia.
The man behind this most audacious of marketing marvels is François Aupierre. But how? And why the desert?
“This,” says Aupierre, waving his arm around the Rally of Morocco bivouac, “this is an outdoor, life-sized adventure. It fits perfectly for Dacia, with our brand markers: robust and outdoor. Clearly, this is a robust adventure, but it’s also a fully outdoor adventure because rally-raid is the Everest of motorsport for the adventure. When we looked at what is the most relevant competition to link our brand, this one is the perfect fit for Dacia DNA.”
Aupierre (right) explains how W2RC perfectly fits with Dacia's brand identity
Where Aupierre and Dacia have been really smart is in the deployment of the project. It’s the polar opposite of a program like the T2 effort which Defender has recently engaged in – although interestingly both manufacturers have employed Prodrive in development and deployment.
For Defender, the priority is about establishing and promoting the relationship between the race car and what you can drive on the road. It’s why the silhouette of Stephané Peterhansel’s D7X-R is identical to the OCTA you can park on your drive.
Dacia doesn’t – yet – have that following. The production-based route wouldn’t really have worked when the car’s not yet the star. Dacia had to make a noise. And a splash. It had to be an outrageous T1+ category racer. The Sandrider was born.
Winning Morocco on its debut last year – actually finishing one-two – was the best possible start to a program which is already paying dividends. Brand recognition is very much on the up and Dacia is appealing more and more to a target market of those who like to live their lives outside.
Will Al-Attiyah land Dacia its maiden world title in Fez this week? We don’t have long to wait, but whether he does or not, it’s impossible not to be mighty impressed with what Aupierre and his team have achieved.
Words:Colin Clark
Publish Date October 14, 2025 DirtFish
Up Next