Toyota has officially announced its entry into the next edition of the Dakar Rally. The 2022 Dakar Rally will see not one, not two but a total of four new Gazoo Racing designed Hilux vehicles. They are calling it the Toyota GR DKR Hilux T1+ and they look menacing. As expected, the cars are essentially Hilux pick-up trucks on steroids. But not only do they look mean, but they also pack a lot of grunt and clever upgrades.
The New Hilux for 2022 Dakar packs Land Cruiser Power
The older Hilux that Toyota has been using to compete in rally raid events came with the 5.0-liter 2UR V8 engine. However, Toyota is phasing out its V8s. So for the updated GR DKR Hilux T1+, it borrows the six-cylinder motor from the new Land Cruiser. The new GR Hilux will use the V35A 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine. Toyota is claiming that the vehicle packs an ‘FIA-regulated’ output of 400 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque, suggesting that the motor is more capable than that. The new engine is lighter and puts down the power better with improved torque delivery than the previous Hilux, Toyota has used in the past.
However, as dictated by regulation, the GR Hilux has gained some weight. The overall weight of the new GR DKR Hilux T1+ is rated at 4,409 pounds. Additionally, the suspension has been revised. Toyota claims the suspension travel has been increased to 13-inches (350mm) from previously at 11-inches (280mm).
The new GR DKR Hilux T1+ gets new shoes as well. Toyota has replaced the 34-inch tires for a set of larger and wider 37 inch BF Goodrich rubber, wrapped around 17-inch aluminum wheels.
DKR Hilux To Follow The Dress Code
Toyota, through the Gazoo Racing project has been involved in the FIA World Endurance Racing (WEC) and the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) for some time with a lot of success in both. With the new DKR Hilux, Toyota and Gazoo Racing will not only take part in the Dakar, but it will also enter the 2022 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship. So to match the other motorsport entries by Toyota, the new Hilux will sport the new Toyota GR red and white livery.
The Drivers Of The GR Hilux For Dakar 2022
Toyota will enter a total of four cars in the upcoming 2022 edition of the Dakar Rally. The team will be led by three-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel. Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy, Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings, Shameer Variawa, and co-driver Danie Stassen will be piloting the other three Hilux cars this year.
The last time Toyota took an outright victory at the Dakar was in 2019 that gave Al-Attiyah his third victory. His previous wins came in 2011 with the Volkswagen crew and in 2015 when driving for Mini. In 2020 and 2021, Al-Attiyah and his Hilux finished in second place having being beaten by 4-time Dakar winner, Carlos Sainz and then 14-time winner, Stéphane Peterhansel, respectively.
Al-Attiyah now looks to take his fourth Dakar win after coming extremely close on two previous occasions. The Qatari driver seems ready to fight the Minis and Peugeots in the dunes of the Arabian desert. He says, “We won the race together in 2019, and now we have a new bullet coming. I am excited about our prospects, especially with the new GR DKR Hilux T1+, which is definitely faster and more capable than the previous car.”
About the new GR DRK Hilux T1+, Al-Attiyah said “I continue to be impressed by the new car, and I’m particularly impressed with the tough terrain that we can tackle with the new, bigger tires.”
The 2022 Dakar Rally: What To Expect
Toyota will continue to develop the Hilux further as it will go through its final test in South Africa in a competitive environment. The fleet of Hilux T1+ vehicles will then be shipped to Saudi Arabia in December, finally for the Dakar.
The 2022 Dakar Rally will be the 44th edition of the event since it first started in 1978. After moving from Europe and Africa, then to South America, the Dakar rally is being held entirely in the deserts of Saudi Arabia since 2020. The rally will be held between January 2-14, 2022. Competitors will be subject to navigating their vehicles (Bikes, Quads, Cars, SXS, and Trucks) for 2,500 miles through some of the toughest terrains the Arabian desert has to offer. Across the 12 stages, competitors will encounter different terrains like sand, rocks, dirt, and tarmac. For the first time, the Dakar will even venture into the Rub' al Khali, the vast, barren, and virgin dunes of the Middle East, better known as the Empty Quarter.