Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) won the 2023 Dakar Rally, recording its second consecutive victory in the tumultuous event. Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu’s GR DKR Hilux T1+ finished first on January 15.
The pair lost time to the victors of the last stage but still won the rally by 1 hour 20 minutes and 49 seconds. Nasser has won five Dakar Rallys, Baumel four, and Toyota three. After leading the third stage, they never let competitors catch up in time.
The top 5 finishers of the event mostly included Hilux T1+ trucks. Remarking on the triumph, company CEO Akio Toyoda stated:
Three GR DKR Hilux T1+ of Toyota Gazoo Racing, two from Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body and Hino Team Sugawara’s Hino 600 all completed the 16-day Dakar Rally. Congratulations to all the six teams on the tough 8,500 km road! Thank you to all the fans for your support!
He added:
On the long, tough roads of Dakar, it is very hard to win if you don’t have a car that’s not only easy to drive, but also reliable and durable. By continuing to challenge the Dakar, the GR Dakar Hilux T1+ will be refined into an ever-better car. Thank you for training Hilux!
The Dakar Rally-winning Hilux T1+ is a superior version of itself in terms of performance specifications. It has the 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser’s twin-turbocharged 3.5 liter V6 petrol engine that sends 400 horsepower and 660 Newton meters of torque to all four wheels via a 6-speed sequential manual gearbox.
It has three limited slip differentials (front, rear, and center), double-wishbone suspension, a lightweight tubular frame chassis, and a lightweight body made from composite materials.
With this win, the Hilux brand has cemented itself as the gold standard of off-road pickup trucks.
