Toyota Gazoo Racing is set to compete in the 2024 Dakar Rally with an updated version of its Hilux, the GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U, to fit the new World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) regulations. The team will field its largest entry yet, with five crews, including two rookie drivers alongside the experienced Giniel de Villiers, Lucas Moraes and Seth Quintero.
The 2024 W2RC program will kick off with the Dakar Rally, a crucial event for Toyota’s two confirmed crews of Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleon, and Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz. These teams will compete for victory in the W2RC, while Toyota’s three South African drivers will participate in the South African Rally Raid Championship (SARRC), which also serves as the primary testing ground for the GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U.
Lucas Moraes — a standout performer in his privately entered Hilux in the 2023 Dakar — will be paired with Armand Monleon, a former motorcycle and SSV competitor now stepping into top-flight rally-raid racing. Seth Quintero will join forces with German co-driver Dennis Zenz. They will benefit from the guidance of Giniel de Villiers, the 2009 Dakar winner with a remarkable record in the event, and his co-driver, Dennis Murphy.
Joining them are Saood Variawa and co-driver Francois Cazalet. Variawa, a young racing sensation, will make his Dakar debut in 2024, following in the footsteps of his father, Shameer Variawa. Guy Botterill and co-driver Brett Cummings are completing the line-up, with Botterill entering his first Dakar Rally.
Toyota GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U
The new GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U has undergone several refinements, including a 100mm increase in width, suspension adjustments, a relocated air conditioning unit for improved efficiency, and a new cooling package. The vehicle has been rigorously tested, with nearly 20,000 miles of racing and testing in the 2023 W2RC and SARRC series, as well as extensive trials in the Kalahari and Namib Deserts.
Power comes from a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol engine, developing 358hp and 620Nm of torque. Power goes through a Sadev six-speed sequential shift gearbox to all four wheels, with front, centre and rear limited slip differentials. 37-inch BF Goodrich tyres on 17-inch Evo Course wheels provide grip, attached to double wishbone suspension that can travel as much as 350mm.
In line with sustainability efforts, Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) has partnered with Repsol to meet targets set by the Dakar Future project. Repsol supplies TGR with fuels containing 70% renewable content, significantly reducing the carbon footprint. These advanced biofuels are produced from waste materials like used cooking oil in facilities certified under the ISCC EU sustainability scheme. TGR has been closely involved in developing and testing Repsol Renewable Fuel 70R+, a blend formulated exclusively for TGR in compliance with FIA regulations.
The 2024 Dakar Rally will commence on 5 January with a prologue near Alula, northern Saudi Arabia. The rally will feature six stages, including a new 48 Chrono stage, followed by a rest day in Riyadh. The second half of the rally will take competitors back towards the north, concluding in Yanbu on January 19.
“To have achieved everything we did in 2023 is an amazing feeling,” said Alain Dujardyn, TGR W2RC Team Principal. “We won the Dakar Rally, as well as the W2RC titles for a second successive year, thanks to our highly durable and reliable GR DKR Hilux T1+, as well as the skills and dedication of Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel. Now, we stand at the start of a new chapter with our GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U, which promises to raise the bar yet again. More than that, we are fortunate to have one of the most competitive driver line-ups in the bivouac. We are excited about the future and look forward to 2024 as our new crews grow into their roles as TGR works drivers. At the same time, we are counting on the experience of Giniel and Dennis, as well as all our technical staff, to guide and nurture our new talents.”
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