All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

2025 Dacia Duster Soul of Dakar

The start of one of the largest and most difficult rally races in the world, the Dakar Rally (01/03 – 01/17/2025), is approaching, and the Romanian car manufacturer Dacia has presented a special vehicle dedicated to this race, the Duster Soul of Dakar.

The Duster Soul of Dakar has a livery reminiscent of that of the Dacia Sandero prototype that will compete in the upcoming Dakar Rally. It is equipped with optional components for the Duster model (InNature) such as a waterproof bag, a luggage box and a shovel, located on the roof rack. Inside, there are YouClip fasteners such as hooks for bags and holders for smartphones, tablets and drinks.

Although Dacia could have done more, some believe that the Soul of Dakar is an example of what a series of special versions based on the current offer will look like. This was also hinted at by Dacia director Denis Le Vot. Such a project would not require large investments, and it would be a good marketing move.

When it comes to the powertrain, the car uses the same engine as the standard Duster, a mild hybrid 1.2-liter engine with 130 hp (95 kW). The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission with an electronic four-wheel drive system, which is different from most Duster models that have front-wheel drive.

At the upcoming Dakar Rally, Dacia will participate with the Sandrider model powered by Nissan’s 3.0-L twin-turbo V6 engine with 360 hp (265 kW). In the vehicle will be one of the greatest in the world of rally sports, Sebastien Loeb and Nasser Al-Attiyah.

Source: Dacia

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2025 Dacia Duster Soul of Dakar
Auctions

1984 Sbarro Super Eight is for sale

At the 1984 Geneva Motor Show, the small Swiss high-performance replica and sports car company Sbarro unveiled a special edition car, the Sbarro Super Eight. The car was designed by company founder Franco Sbarro for Bernd Grohe, and is now for sale.

The car is powered by a 3.0-L Ferrari F106 V8 engine with a factory rated 240 hp, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear axle. The engine is equipped with dual overhead camshafts on each cylinder bank, four valves per cylinder, and Bosch fuel injection. It sits on 15″ multipiece BBS wheels wrapped in Yokohama AVS AV1-40 tires.

This unique red Sbarro Super Eight is based on a Ferrari 308 GTB whose frame was shortened before being fitted with a two-door fiberglass body, a nose panel that extends over the headlights, a chin spoiler, an offset cowl vent, flared fenders, straked intake vents ahead of each rear wheel, ghosted horizontal stripes along each B pillar, simulated straked vents behind the rear windows, and a rounded rear profile with a painted heckblende and quad upturned exhaust outlets. Ventilated disc brakes and double-wishbone independent suspension with coilover shock absorbers and anti-roll bars at front and rear, were taken from the Ferrari 308.

The interior is covered in brown leather with cloth inserts over the two-place seating and door panels. In front of the driver is a MOMO three-spoke steering wheel wrapped in brown leather and a five-digit odometer showing 30,011 km (~19k miles). Additional equipment includes color-keyed carpeting, wood door caps and dashboard accents, shoulder belts, a lockable console storage compartment, a gated shifter, power windows, and a Clarion component stereo system with a cassette player and an equalizer.

The auction ends on December 11th and the highest bid at the time of writing was $145,000 USD.

Source: Bring a Trailer

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1984 Sbarro Super Eight is for sale
News

2025 Praga Bohema

At the beginning of the year, Czech company Praga Cars started production of its hypercar, the Praga Bohema. It is a limited edition that will be produced in just 89 examples, and the first car has already been delivered to its owner.

After the presentation in January, company owner Tomas Kasparek said: “This is an important moment for Praga in our 117-year history. We closely monitor every stage of the production process to ensure that the Bohema production model meets and even exceeds our customers’ expectations.”

Each car is hand-built with bare carbon and bespoke paint finishes available including gold leaf detailing. It is equipped with adjustable shock absorbers, 380 mm carbon-ceramic brakes, deep air intakes, a splitter and a unique rear wing, and an exhaust system made of titanium. It sits on a set of 18-inch wheels with thick-walled tires. It has a 65-liter fuel tank housed within a skeletal frame, as well as two 50-liter tanks in the rear wheel arches.

Inside, fixed seats can accommodate two adults, while the driver can adjust the pedals and the steering wheel features a digital display that displays basic readings and telemetry, including oil and coolant temperature, and even features a horn, which can be completely removed. There are also fighter-inspired air vents, a smartphone holder, storage compartments, and plenty of Alcantara.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Praga Bohema is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine, taken from the Nissan GT-R, with 700 hp (522 kW) and 535 lb-ft (725 Nm) of torque. Weighing just under 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) the car can reach a top speed of more than 197 mph (317 km/h). The engine is paired with a Hewland 6-speed sequential manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.

The price of each car is 1.43 million euros + tax.

Source: Prague Tsars

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2025 Praga Bohema