Grand Rad In Atar!
We sat quietly, like little school children. Cest ne pas normal (it is not normal)...eh....waiting for one person for half an hour..... The otherwise smooth quintessential PR voice of Paul Alvarez seemed to be gathering just that little bite. And not without reason either. On that frighteningly cold morning in Paris, he had been patiently waiting for 49 motoring journalists to trickle inside the bus that would take us from the sybaritic comforts of Hotel Concorde Lafayette to Terminal 9 at Roissy. Ultimate destination: Atar, Mauritania. Aim: to put Peugeot's new Grand Raid utility vehicle through the paces.
The bus had been stationary with its engine running for about thirty minutes by the time the last of the journos took their seats in various states of dishabille. Too much of Chautaue Arnoux the previous night perhaps. But Pauls tone, cold as the Paris winter, suggested one thing for sure that this was no ordinary drenched-in-cognac press junket. Peugeot, the automobile major, was laying out one of the worst test-drive terrains in the world for the benefit of the motoring scribes.
The seemingly-innocuous Sahara holds its own surprises for haughty drivers who intend to conquer the mighty terrain on their very first drive. (Just to think of it, the only true cross-continental rally that went through Sahara the legendary Paris-Dakar is now dead). It takes military preparation, military execution, military timings and military tones to get things done. No wonder the sweet talks from Paul and his pretty assistant, Sophia, had transformed into verbal lashings at the first signs of indiscipline.
The bus eventually moved, as the last of the journos grabbed their seats. We were soon going through the mandatory security checks at the airport. Nobody had a Mauritanian visa stamped on their passport, but we sailed through without a hitch. Paul had probably got all that sewed up even before our arrival in Paris. The French still have a way with their former colonies, I guess.
The exclusive Air Toulouse Boeing 737 took off on its 5 hrs 30 min. flight to er... Atar (even the best Atlas in my office had missed out on this godforsaken place). The Polish journos even went as far as to express serious doubts about the very existence of an airport at Atar! They were left wondering why everybody went into splits at the mere suggestion of this very grave oversight on the part of the organisers.
The road to Sahara
Peugeot's link with the great desert goes way back in time. During the seventies, many African citizens would go to France looking for jobs. And when they made enough money to buy a used Peugeot, they would drive their way back to Africa. They found that these cars were sturdy enough to last in the tough desert terrain, and were easy to work on as time took its toll on them.
The modern-day Peugeot also echoes the same virtues strong suspension componentry and overall reliability. It was then but natural for Peugeot to put some of their new models to test in the same ungainly terrain. The Piste des Lions rally in 1990 and the Peace Rally in November 1994 gave the company ample opportunities to do just that. These expeditions, which involved a range of models (from the 205 to the 605, and even the 306), proved the vehicles ability to cope with the worst possible driving conditions and still maintain superlative levels of comfort. Now it was Partners turn to go through the same rites of passage. And an all-new version the Grand Raid had been chosen for the occasion.
The Partner and the Grand Raid
Partner is based on a ground-up utility vehicle platform which is shared by Peugeot and Citroen. Citroen was first to come out with their version the Berlingo. What made it a different experience for Peugeot was the fact that, while most of its utility versions are usually derived from cars, this one has taken the opposite route a purpose-built utility vehicle that assumes the form of a makeshift people-mover. Six months after the launch of the utility versions of the Partner range in France, Automobiles Peugeot has produced two new variations of the same theme. The Partner Estate and the Combi are now available in the showrooms.
It was the Grand Raid version of the same Partner that we had to put to test in the vast Saharan expanse. The Grand Raid sports the warpaint and the look that compliment the otherwise sedate lines of the Partner. The concept merges sporty handling and dynamics to the practical virtues of a utility van or a pick-up. Peugeot commissioned famed coach builders, Durisotti to design the moulded hard-top in matte black with plenty of glass area. The Grand Raid also features alloy wheels, bull bars, side and lower body protection, protective ladders behind the cab seats, and a spare wheel mounted on the rear flap. The twin tones on offer include the military green and the golden yellow splashed against the contrasting matte black bits-and-pieces that go well with the Durisotti hardware.
Other modifications
The Grand Raid model is yet to enter the market. But when Peugeot decided to let the scribes loose in the desert sands, they opted for some basic specifications.
Diesel was chosen for its torque. The 1905cc four cylinder model develops a modest 71 bhp at 4600 rpm, but is good for 120 Nm torque on call at 2000 rpm. The alloy wheel rims are shod with 14-inch tubeless radials from Michelin. Add a 4mm gauge sheet metal protection for the engine along with the front and rear axles taken from the 1905cc model, and the Grand Raid car is ready to storm the desert. Everything else is similar to the Partner thats being sold in Europe.
Atar!
The Air Toulouse 737 was now hovering over a tiny structure that looked somewhat like a hanger. The runway, a tiny strip, was nothing much to talk about. In fact, later we realised that it was the only piece of asphalt that we would see in Mauritania. The aircraft banked steep and leveled up for landing. From the way the aircraft was losing height it was clear that the pilots were trying to use every inch of the runway. As the rubbers hit the tarmac, there was a huge plume of dust. Mustve been a magnificent sight from outside.
Inside, however, one could actually feel the G-forces tug at you as the aircraft used all the reverse thrust it could muster, and opened up all its drag-inducing flaps and paraphernalia as it lost speed. At last it came to a screeching halt....with just about an airplane length left of the runway. The Polish journos were still muttering hurried prayers as the 737 taxied towards the small hanger building.
We could see 25 of our desert warrior machines lined up as we came out of the aircraft. We were greeted by yet another group of 50 journalists who had had their share of sand, tents and Mauritania, and were about to leave by the same plane. Some more very military instructions from Cordoba Proveira (bossman to Paul and Sophia) reverberated through the radios equipped in each and every automobile ......remember, this is not a race ...do not follow each other closely .....you are driving too fast......understand this is not a rally.......
It was just 40 km to our base camp, and we set out pussyfooting on the terrain in our Partner Grand Raid model. Except for one sand dune that we had to negotiate with deflated tyres (for a wider foot grip), it was a relaxed drive to the first bivouac where we found three huge Mauritanian tents and sixty small mountain tents of the La Fuma kind waiting for us.
Peugeot's war preparations became more evident as we reached the camp. The sight of the mighty Peugeot P4s patrolling the area and the number of technicians camping there meant that the Peugeot Partners were being subjected to some very inhospitable terrain. Wed soon find that out in twelve hours time anyway.
I watched the bright orange sun turn into a pale russet gold and sink into the desert sand. The part-time nomadic existence had taken its toll on me. I could hear the tent fluttering in the sweet desert wind as I hit the sack. But I was too pooped out to even zip up the tent flap. An Arabian Nights fantasy already possessed the deepest recesses of my unconscious. Over and out.