MOTORING NEWS - The end of the year is in sight, and soon we will be seeing plenty of tinsel and hearing 'Little Drummer Boy' through the speakers from every major grocery store in the country.
And while 2017 is drawing to a close, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team are cracking their knuckles in anticipation for the 2017 Dakar Rally, taking place 2-14 January in South America.
Gazoo updates
Not only will they be competing in brand new vehicles by the name of the Hilux Evo, they are also welcoming two new members to the Gazoo team: Dakar 2015 (and 2011) winner Nasser Al-Attiyah (from Qatar) and his French navigator, Matthieu Bomel. The other Gazoo Racing Team members are Dakar veterans Giniel De Villers and his long-standing German navigator Dirk von Zitzewits, as well as Leeroy Poulter with Rob Howie as his navigator.
So let’s get back to the Hilux Evo. How is it different from last year’s vehicle? For starters, it has been prepared specifically with Dakar conditions in mind. No longer four-wheel drive, the rear wheels are driven in the Evo. Race engineers have been able to use this new configuration to their advantage, while staying well within FIA regulations. Benefits include a lower kerb weight (615 kilograms less), larger wheels, a broader range of suspension travel, and an on-board tyre inflation/deflation system.
They were also able to mount the powertrain between the axles, resulting in ideal weight distribution and a lower centre of gravity. New regulation for 2017 allow the Hilux Evo’s naturally aspirated V8-engine to run a wider 38 mm air restrictor, now the same diameter as a number of key competitors that benefited from a 1-2mm advantage last year. Another plus-point is improved power-to-weight ratio.
Not only will they be competing in brand new vehicles by the name of the Hilux Evo, they are also welcoming two new members to the Gazoo team: Dakar 2015 (and 2011) winner Nasser Al-Attiyah (from Qatar) and his French navigator, Matthieu Bomel. The other Gazoo Racing Team members are Dakar veterans Giniel De Villers and his long-standing German navigator Dirk von Zitzewits, as well as Leeroy Poulter with Rob Howie as his navigator.
So let’s get back to the Hilux Evo. How is it different from last year’s vehicle? For starters, it has been prepared specifically with Dakar conditions in mind. No longer four-wheel drive, the rear wheels are driven in the Evo. Race engineers have been able to use this new configuration to their advantage, while staying well within FIA regulations. Benefits include a lower kerb weight (615 kilograms less), larger wheels, a broader range of suspension travel, and an on-board tyre inflation/deflation system.
They were also able to mount the powertrain between the axles, resulting in ideal weight distribution and a lower centre of gravity. New regulation for 2017 allow the Hilux Evo’s naturally aspirated V8-engine to run a wider 38 mm air restrictor, now the same diameter as a number of key competitors that benefited from a 1-2mm advantage last year. Another plus-point is improved power-to-weight ratio.
