Dakar - Euro Land Cruiser

[RL Lemke]

9 Euro Land Cruisers, which are the same as the US GX470 and thus the 4Runner, were entered into this years Dakar Rally, in the stock vehicle category.

Of the 9 diesels entered 8 finished the rally, and one was pulled from the event for being too late.

Here is the site with the write-up from the driver featured in the OLN coverage (Ryan Arciero).

http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12039

For those of you that have not been watching the meager US coverage, it will be rebroadcast this Saturday on OLN (Outdoor Life Network). This rally makes the Baja 1000 seem like a walk in the park.

Most races I have seen lead me to believe that even if pitifully slow, I could finish. The Dakar is a rally I know I could never finish as some of the terrain is just too difficult, let alone the nearly 8,000 km distance.

 

[RL Lemke]

I found some photos of the Toyota.

 

[RL Lemke]

It took a lot of Google before I stumbled onto these photos.

 

[RL Lemke]

Another one.

 

[RL Lemke]

Last one. For now anyway.

 

[PioneerMeta4]

Crazy...Dakar looks crazy! How do the car handle so much punishment in such long ways. I'M PROUD of toyota!!!

 

[RL Lemke]

Here are 4 more photos. #1

 

[RL Lemke]

Here is #2.

 

[RL Lemke]

Here is #3.

 

[RL Lemke]

Last one, one more time. Here is a look at their shock modifications.

 

[olliebear]

I'm just wondering....

how much modifications are they allowed to make to the cars? NASCAR vehicles are nothing similar ot the "cars" they model after, and with enough mods, even a Yugo can ru nand win. So how much mods were put into the Toyotas-Euro LCs?

The Paris to Dakar rallies used to be dominated by Mitsubishi Monteros. Wonder if Mitsubishi pulled out or educed their factory sponsorship as a cost cutting measure.....

 

[RL Lemke]

Re: I'm just wondering....

how much modifications are they allowed to make to the cars? NASCAR vehicles are nothing similar ot the "cars" they model after, and with enough mods, even a Yugo can ru nand win. So how much mods were put into the Toyotas-Euro LCs?

The Paris to Dakar rallies used to be dominated by Mitsubishi Monteros. Wonder if Mitsubishi pulled out or educed their factory sponsorship as a cost cutting measure.....

Lots of different classes of vehicles. The Toyotas here were in the stock class. Of course, you can see the required safety equipment which was added.

Mitsubishi has the fastest "cars" in the rally. Nisson (Datsun to me still) made a super effort also.

Google 2005 Dakar to see how this event was covered everywhere else on the planet, just not here. This year the US had a number of out best participating in the rally.

On the motorcycle side our US KTM Red Bull team all finished the rally. Pretty near the top too. Here is the AMA quote:

Team KTM Red Bull USA rider Kellon Walch claimed first place in the final stage of the grueling Dakar Rally, while French rider Cyril Despres won the overall.

Walch finished the 8,956-mile rally in 57 hours, 12 minutes and 26 seconds giving him a 22nd place finish in the motorcycle standings. Despres took top honors with a time of 47 hours, 27 minutes and 31 seconds.

Walch’s teammate Chris Blais was the top American rider, earning a ninth-place finish with a time of 49 hours, 20 minutes and 41 seconds, while KTM Red Bull USA team manager Scot Harden came in 17th with a time of 54 hours, 48 minutes and 31 seconds.

For more information, see the official Dakar Rally Web site, www.dakar.com.

 

[RL Lemke]

Here is the map of the rally route. The point of all this is that of all the vehicles that started the rally, as compared to the few that finished, having all 9 "4Runners" finish is quite a statement. Stock vehicles, with the required added safety equipment, competing at that level, and all finishing makes me feel confident that I too will make it out of any adventure I will ever start.

 

[olliebear]

What ever happened to the Paris part?

Used to be Paris to Dakar. Parlez vous Francais no more?

 

[RookieChile]

First time in here, sorry if my english is bad. This topic is old but it would be incredible cool if the offroad community in the US start doing race events using the T2 rules from FIA.