Tag Archives: Dakar Rally

News

JLR will compete in the Dakar Rally

Jaguar Land Rover has announced that it is preparing to take part in one of the most famous and difficult rally races in the world, the Dakar Rally. The race has been held since 1979 with several breaks and changes of location, and from 2020 the race moved to Saudi Arabia & Middle East.

This will be the first time that the British brand has taken part in the Dakar Rally, and Jaguar Land Rover has chosen the Defender model. “Our first factory participation in the Dakar means that we are at the beginning of our journey. We are aware of how much we have to learn and achieve before we arrive at the start in 2026, but we are already well on our way and we are looking forward to the adventure,” said JLR’s head of motorsport James Barclay.

“Adventure is in the Defender brand’s DNA, so by partnering with Dakar we are embarking on the ultimate motoring adventure where competitors truly embrace the impossible. Our partnership begins in 2025, when Defender will showcase its capabilities and endurance as the official car of the event, but we also look forward to the entry of the Defender Dakar Team into the competition in 2026,” said Defender brand boss Mark Cameron.

Jaguar Land Rover will debut in 2026 and will be an official sponsor of the competition until 2028. This means that it will use its Defender models as support vehicles, which will be specially designed for the race.

Source: JLR

News

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser 10th Victory Edition

In honor of 10 consecutive victories at the most famous rally, which has been held since 1979 (Dakar Rally), Toyota introduced a special edition of the Land Cruiser J300 model, the Land Cruiser 10th Victory Edition.

The car was presented in the UAE and is based on the model Land Cruiser 300 Black Edition which is already available in this Gulf state. It is equipped with components from the Black Edition equipment kit, which includes a black radiator grille, underbody protection and a mudguard. A set of black and gray decals, which extend to the rear bumper, adorn the profile of the car and pay tribute to the Land Cruiser‘s motorsport heritage. It’s mounted on a set of black 18″ rims wrapped in 285/60R18 tires.

Inside, there’s a standard 9-inch infotainment screen, tri-zone air conditioning, wood accents, fabric seat covers and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Land Cruiser 10th Victory Edition is powered by a turbocharged 3.5-L V6 engine that develops 415 hp (309 kW). Power is sent to all wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission.

It should be said that Toyota’s 10 consecutive victories refer to the series car category and not to the overall ranking.

Toyota Land Cruiser 10th Victory Edition costs $87,095.

Source: Toyota

Gallery:

News

Dacia Sandrider

The 2024 Dakar Rally ended last month, and Romanian manufacturer Dacia unveiled its vehicle for next season, the Dacia Sandrider. It is a vehicle that the team will use next year in the Ultimate T1+ class in the Dakar Rally, but also in the World Rally-Raid Championship.

The buggy is inspired by the Manifesto model that Dacia revealed two years ago. The carbon body of the racing car is placed on a tubular chassis, and experts from the British company Prodrive participated in the development of the car.

The Sandrider will have to undergo numerous tests before its first appearance scheduled at this year’s Morocco Rally, which will be run from October 5 to 11. Next season, Team Dacia will have three cars that will be used on difficult terrains around the world, and they will be driven by top rally drivers Sébastien Loeb, Cristina Gutierrez Herrero and Nasser Al-Attiyah.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Sandrider is the most powerful car in the history of Dacia. It is powered by a 3.0L biturbo V6 engine with 360 hp (268 kW) at 5,000 rpm and 398 lb-ft (539 Nm) of torque. power is sent to all wheels via a 6-speed sequential gearbox. The car is mounted on 17-inch rims wrapped in tires suitable for all types of terrain on which the Sandrider will compete.

Source: Dacia

Gallery:

Dacia Sandrider