Tag Archives: Dakar Rally

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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

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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

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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

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