VIDEO: Peugeot recruit Sebastien Loeb for 2016 Dakar

Rally legend, Sebastien Loeb, has confirmed he will race for French car-maker Peugeot in the 2016 Dakar rally.

Loeb, who boasts an astonishing 46 per cent wins-to-starts in WRC will drive the recently revealed 2008 DKR and will first get a chance to drive the new Peugeot racer later this week, alongside former WRC team-mate and rival, Carlos Sainz, on the Rally du Maroc.

Loeb, 41, has never raced a ‘Cross Country’ Dakar race, despite campaigning a Pikes Peak racer and a World Touring Car Championship.

For the Dakar race, that’s actually now in South America, for security reasons, will see the French rally driver reunited with his WRC co-driver Daniel Elena who he won nine world titles and 78 WRC victories.

Like Loeb Elena has never competed in a Cross Country race.

Fresh for the 2016 challenge, the 2008 DKR16 remains heavily based on last year’s 2015 truck but is longer, wider, lower and more powerful with an incredible suspension with 46cm travel.

The new car gets shorter overhangs and completely new suspension to deal with the tortuous, rough terrain.

Under the rear bonnet, the mid/rear-mounted twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 diesel is said to have more power than last year’s 250kW/800Nm, although Peugeot Motorsport hasn’t quoted exactly how much its racer gains.

There’s also a new aero and air-intake mounted on the bonnet and roof for the driver and co-driver to keep cool in the heat of battle.

In any case, with Loeb joining the team the hope is Peugeot will be in for a chance to win the prestigious Dakar after managing to finish only 11th and 34th last year.

To help celebrate Loeb joining the Peugeot motorsport family the French car-maker have celebrated with a truly bizarre (terrible) video that plays homage to the A-Team.