Desert Drama and Dune Dominance: Toyota’s Tantalizing Troupe Tackles 2024 Dakar with Upgraded Hilux

Ah, the Dakar Rally, the annual test of machinery, endurance, and the human spirit to not scream when the GPS leads them into a camel herd. It’s where Toyota, with their new Hilux, plays in the sand like a toddler with a bucket and spade. The GR IMT Hilux EVO T1U, a name that rolls off the tongue as smoothly as a rally car over a dune, is Toyota’s latest desert conqueror. I’m sure the engineers just threw a bunch of letters into a hat and picked at random to name it.

For 2024, Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) is bringing the biggest party to the Dakar, with five crews. They say it’s a blend of youth and experience, but it sounds more like a mid-life crisis mixed with teenage rebellion. Giniel de Villiers, the man who has seen more Dakars than a GPS satellite, is back, and he’s bringing a team that looks like the cast of a high-octane reality show.

And let’s talk about the rookies – Lucas Moraes and Seth Quintero. Moraes, last year’s surprise podium finisher, is returning, probably to prove it wasn’t just a lucky break. Quintero, meanwhile, is the “rally-raid prodigy”. I suspect his first words were “vroom vroom”.

Then there’s Saood Variawa, an 18-year-old who probably thinks Dakar is a Snapchat filter. He’s following in his father’s tire tracks, which is sweet but also a lot of pressure. Imagine the family dinners: “So, Saood, how many rallies have you won today?”

Guy Botterill is another newcomer, swapping the tidy world of rallying for the chaos of rally-raid. His co-driver, Brett Cummings, is a Dakar veteran, likely hired to say “it’s just over the next dune” about 800 times a day.

The new Hilux itself is 100mm wider – because in rally-raid, size does matter. It has a new cooling package, probably to stop the drivers from overheating when they see the competition. And let’s not forget the relocated air conditioning – crucial for keeping the snacks cool.

Toyota’s also going green with biofuel. It’s like putting a salad bar in a steakhouse, but every little helps.

The 2024 Dakar starts on January 5th with a short prologue near Alula. It’s like the appetizer before the 10-course meal of sand, more sand, and the occasional camel. There’s even a ‘48-hour Chrono’ stage, which is just the organizers being cheeky. And it all ends in Yanbu, where the drivers will probably kiss the ground and swear never to drive again – until next year.

In conclusion, Toyota’s bringing the big guns, the new kids, and a Hilux that’s probably smarter than your average smartphone. It’s going to be a desert bash with sand in places sand should never be. Let’s see if they can turn all that sand into gold.

The post Desert Drama and Dune Dominance: Toyota’s Tantalizing Troupe Tackles 2024 Dakar with Upgraded Hilux first appeared on Fuelled.