Toyota Gazoo Racing reveals new 2024 Dakar Rally challenger

Toyota Gazoo Racing on Wednesday unveiled its new GR IMT Hilux EVO T1U.

Set to make its off-road racing debut at the 2024 Dakar Rally, the new car is 100mm wider than its predecessor and incorporates several refinements. The suspension has seen specific attention while the air-conditioning unit has been relocated for more efficiency.

In addition, the GR IMT Hilux EVO T1U features an all-new cooling package allowing for greater redundancy in harsh driving conditions. Toyota's focus on quality, durability and reliability was a key factor in the development of the new car, and it benefits from nearly 30,000km of development, a lot of which was conducted in the Kalahari Desert. 

Committed to racing towards a sustainable future, Toyota Gazoo Racing confirmed the GR IMT Hilux EVO T1U will run on a new biofuel produced by Spanish energy company Repsol. Compared to conventional petroleum it is made from 70% renewable content.

“The Dakar Rally has a reputation as the toughest automotive race on the planet and is the perfect place for us to prove the quality, durability and reliability of our Toyota Hilux,” said Toyota SA vice-president of marketing Glenn Crompton. 

“We've been working hard to make our GR IMT Hilux EVO T1U even better than its predecessor, and I look forward to seeing the new car in action early in January.”

Dakar 2024 is set to start on January 5, with a short prologue near the northern city of Alula. Six tough stages will follow the prologue, including an innovative “48-hour Chrono” stage, which is essentially an extended marathon stage. This will be followed by the traditional rest day, which again takes place in the Saudi capital of Riyadh (January 13 2024). Six more stages will take the rally back towards the northern part of the country before the event comes to an end in the coastal city of Yanbu on January 19.

Toyota Gazoo Racing will field five teams at the event. The line-up is Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy, Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet, Guy Botterill and Brett Cummings, Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleon and Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz.