Some experiences stick with one perpetually. Riding shotgun in a Dakar Rally Toyota Hilux throughout the dunes of Namibia with Guy Botterill behind the wheel was a type of unforgettable moments. It was thrilling, barely terrifying and fully fascinating, all on the similar time. As a motoring journalist, I’ve pushed loads of spectacular automobiles over time, however being a passenger in a machine constructed to sort out the hardest rally on this planet, pushed by the 2024 Dakar Rally Rookie of the Year, was in a league of its personal.
From the skin, the Dakar Hilux resembles a Hilux – on steroids – however that’s the place the similarity with the showroom mannequin largely ends. Every element has been engineered with one goal in thoughts: surviving 1000’s of kilometres of punishing terrain at extraordinary pace. The expertise hidden beneath its composite bodywork is outstanding.
Before we even set off, I used to be struck by how purposeful every little thing regarded. There aren’t any pointless luxuries, flashy screens or ornamental trim. Every change, each show and each management exists as a result of it serves a perform. It is motorsport engineering in its purest type.
Sliding into the race seat, I instantly realised this was not going to be an odd drive. A multi-point racing harness held me firmly in place, whereas a roll cage surrounding the cockpit was a continuing reminder that security is as necessary as pace in rally raid competitors. Visibility was wonderful, though the inside felt extra like a fighter jet than a bakkie.
The beating coronary heart of the Dakar Hilux is a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine, derived from the Toyota Land Cruiser 300. It produces round 298kW of energy and roughly 660Nm of torque, though output is regulated beneath FIA guidelines. The engine is managed by a classy Motec engine administration system, permitting exact management of energy supply in a few of the harshest working circumstances conceivable.
As Guy eased onto the throttle, the Hilux accelerated with astonishing urgency. There was no hesitation, solely relentless ahead momentum. Every squeeze of the throttle translated into quick response, making the huge dunes and tough gravel tracks appear nearly insignificant.
The expertise that impressed me most was not the pace, however how intelligently the automobile put that energy to the bottom.
The Dakar Hilux makes use of a six-speed sequential Sadev gearbox, permitting lightning-fast gear modifications that preserve the engine firmly in its candy spot. There isn’t any leisurely shifting right here. Every gear engagement is crisp, mechanical and quick. Combined with limited-slip differentials on the entrance, centre and rear, the drivetrain always works to maximise traction over unfastened sand, rocks and uneven surfaces.
Watching Guy work was nearly hypnotic. His palms barely appeared to maneuver as he guided the Hilux throughout terrain that regarded fully unattainable from my seat. Small steering inputs, tiny throttle changes and full confidence allowed the automobile to glide over obstacles that may cease most four-wheel drives of their tracks.
Then there may be the suspension.
The Dakar Hilux options double wishbone suspension entrance and rear, with an unbelievable 350mm of wheel journey. On paper these numbers are spectacular. Experiencing them is one thing else fully.
We hit bumps that I instinctively braced for, anticipating an infinite impression. Instead, the Hilux absorbed them. The suspension soaked up holes, ridges and uneven surfaces. At occasions it felt as if we have been floating throughout Namibia quite than driving by way of it.
That refined suspension expertise additionally offers the motive force monumental confidence. Guy maintained outstanding pace whereas the Hilux remained regular. It was a unprecedented demonstration of how superior chassis engineering can remodel unattainable terrain into one thing nearly easy.
The tyres deserve their very own point out. Massive 37-inch tyres wrapped round light-weight competitors wheels present distinctive grip on unfastened surfaces, whereas additionally serving to shield the automobile from the brutal punishment that Dakar rivals face daily. Their monumental footprint permits the Hilux to skim throughout gentle sand, whereas sustaining stability over rocks and gravel.
One side that fascinated me was how a lot expertise is devoted to reliability. Dakar is gained as a lot by endurance as pace. Every element has been developed to outlive relentless punishment. The tubular chassis offers distinctive energy whereas retaining weight beneath management. The composite physique panels scale back mass and are simpler to restore ought to injury happen throughout competitors. The 540-litre FIA-approved security gas cell permits crews to sort out huge distances between refuelling factors, which is important in distant desert levels.
Even contained in the cockpit, the digital methods repeatedly monitor engine efficiency, whereas specialised instrumentation offers essential info to the crew with out distraction. Unlike a luxurious SUV full of leisure options, each show within the Dakar Hilux exists to maintain the crew transferring at most tempo, whereas defending the automobile from mechanical failure.
As we blasted throughout the Namibian panorama, clouds of mud trailing behind us, I discovered myself grinning inside my helmet. It was unattainable to not. Every crest, each slide and each burst of acceleration bolstered simply how extraordinary this machine actually was.
Of course, expertise alone doesn’t create this expertise. It nonetheless takes an distinctive driver to unlock the Hilux’s full potential. Watching Guy Botterill confidently place the automobile precisely the place it wanted to be, whereas carrying astonishing pace throughout unpredictable terrain, gave me a completely new appreciation for the ability required to compete within the Dakar Rally.
When I climbed out, my coronary heart was nonetheless racing. I had skilled one of the crucial technologically superior off-road racing automobiles ever developed, working precisely because it was designed to do.
The Namibian desert supplied the right proving floor, however the outstanding engineering hidden beneath the Hilux’s acquainted form was as spectacular. It proved that success within the Dakar Rally is just not solely about bravery and willpower. It can also be about clever design, cutting-edge expertise and relentless engineering that permits driver and machine to beat a few of the harshest terrain on Earth.
* Sheryl Goldstuck is common supervisor of World Wide Worx and editor of GadgetWheels. Follow her on Bluesky on @crazycatbuzz.bsky.social.