With a month-and-a-half remaining until the start of the 2015 Dakar, the Peugeot 2008 DKR is getting into the swing and has traded its initial all-carbon finish for its official colour scheme.

This spectacular metamorphosis is an eloquent sign that the bestial machine is now fully prepared to take on its 4x4 rivals on the most punishing cross-country rally of them all.

As the event’s January 4 start approaches, the commando teams at Peugeot, Red Bull and Total have ticked practically all the boxes of their respective checklists, and the revelation of the Peugeot 2008 DKR’s definitive livery was one of them.

After spending seven months robed in black, the French engin-eers’ creation has now swapped its carbon finish for a far racier look based on a combination of blue, white and red which confirms that its competitive debut is imminent.

“It looks far more aggressive like this,” observes Cyril Desprès who is unaccustomed to such stylish colour schemes on such a big surface area of bodywork.

Meanwhile, Stéphane Peterhansel was swift to note the practical side of the design for him and his co-driver. “The fact that the part around the cockpit has been finished in white is an excellent way to protect us from the heat. I’ve competed in a car with a black roof and I can tell you that it makes a big difference.”

With just 48 days to go until the start of January’s Dakar, the team faces a busy final countdown. On November 20 the service trucks carrying all the necessary equipment and spares will be loaded onto the ship that will take them to Argentina. After that, the three rally cars will be built in readiness for their journey to South America by airfreight after one final test in Morocco, at the beginning of December. Meanwhile, the crews are due to undergo an intensive mechanical training course in order to prepare them for any emergency work they may need to carry out during the rally’s marathon leg, when third-party servicing is prohibited.

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