Toyota GR Hilux Heading To Dakar With Land Cruiser V6 Power

It represents the biggest technological leap for the Toyota Dakar program since 2011.

By: Jacob Oliva

Nov 19, 2021 at 11:49pm ET

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Toyota announces its official entry to the 2022 Dakar Rally. Named the GR DKR Hilux T1+, the off-road racer has now completed its prototype stage. It will continue its development until the prestigious off-road motorsports event, set to happen on January 2 in Saudi Arabia.

Powering the Dakar-bound Toyota GR Hilux is the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine found in the J300 Land Cruiser GR Sport. The power plant makes an FIA-regulated output of 400 horsepower (298 kilowatts) and 487 pound-feet (660 Newton-meters).

Gallery: Toyota GR DKR Hilux T1+

The V35A V6 is said to be lighter and torquier than the previous Hilux rally racer, though Toyota noted that the overall weight of the truck has been increased to 4,409 pounds (2,000 kilograms), in line with new motorsport regulations.

Toyota also bared some details about the revamped Dakar racer. Suspension travel is increased from 280 to 350mm while getting a bigger and wider set of BF Goodrich tires wrapped around a set of aluminum wheels.

The GR DKR Hilux T1+ racer features Toyota's latest Gazoo Racing livery, used by the automaker in both World Endurance Championship and World Rally Championship. That said, the truck will be entering the 2022 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship.

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Toyota will be entering the 2022 Dakar Rally with four all-new GR DKR T1+ versions of Hilux, led by Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and French co-driver Mathieu Baumel. Dakar Rally winners Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy will return for Toyota, along with South Africans Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings. Shameer Variawa and co-driver Danie Stassen will pilot the last truck of the fleet.

Toyota will continue the development of the GR DKR Hilux T1+, with the final test happening in South Africa before getting shipped to Saudi Arabia early in December.

Source: Toyota