HATS off to Renault for its freshest attempt to raise the profile of the latest diesel technology by entering a vehicle powered by the company's 1.9 dCi engine in the 2002 Paris-Dakar Rally.

Double winner Jean-Louis Schlesser chose a new challenge and built a 200bhp two-wheel drive Renault Kangoo Buggy, powered by a version of the diesel engine found in fleet cars like the Laguna, Megane and Scenic. Before the event began Schlesser was optimistic about the car's performance, with massive torque making up for any power disadvantage over the V6 petrol version.

But success was not to be - Schlesser's Kangoo retired from the gruelling event after a fire.