Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) has 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 15 January.
The pair lost time to the final stage winners but won the rally in 1 hour 20 minutes 49 seconds. Nasser has won five Dakar Rally, Baumel four and Toyota three. Having taken the lead in the third stage, they never let the competitors catch up.
The top 5 of the event consisted mainly of Hilux T1+ trucks. Noting the triumph, company CEO Akio Toyoda said:
Three GR DKR Hilux T1+ of Toyota Gazoo Racing, two of Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body and the Hino 600 of Hino Team Sugawara completed the 16-day Dakar Rally. Congratulations to all six teams for the difficult road of 8,500 kilometers! Thanks to all the fans for your support!
He added:
On the long, difficult roads of Dakar, it is very difficult to win if you do not have a car that is not only easy to drive, but also reliable and durable. Continuing to challenge the Dakar, the GR Dakar Hilux T1+ will evolve 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 features the 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser’s 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 gasoline engine that sends 400 horsepower and 660 Nm of torque to all four wheels through a 6-speed sequential manual transmission.
It features three limited slip differentials (front, rear and center), double wishbone suspension, a lightweight tubular frame and a lightweight composite body.
With this win, the Hilux brand has established itself as the gold standard of off-road trucks.