Think it can dethrone the Nokia 3310 as the world’s single toughest object?
It will compete in the World Rally-Raid Championship’s ‘Stock’ class
2026 is going to be a busy year for the Land Rover Defender OCTA because the British carmaker has just confirmed its entry into the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), beginning with the Dakar Rally in January. Talk about tough initiations.It'
Hilux owners would be proud
After two grueling weeks out in the desert, the Dakar Rally is officially finished. This year's winner is Toyota and took home a 1-2 finish in a convincing manner. It's a win for Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk,
FIA regulations prohibit Ford from repairing the damage on Sainz’ Raptor T1+
Carlos Sainz' worst fears have come true. Despite showing promise during the Rally of Morocco while driving the Ford M-Sport Raptor T1+, he and his co-driver Lucas Cruz are currently out of the Dakar.Dakar is the Mecca of off-
The big 4x4 will race in the toughest rally in the world
In 2024, 182 cars completed the Dakar Rally. Which sounds impressive, until you realize that those 182 cars come from a total of 340 entrants. So yeah, it's a really big, really scary race. And so Land Rover must clearly hate
by Vijay Pattni
This isn’t the RAV4 for grocery or school runs
Toyota has taken its perfectly unassuming crossover, the RAV4, and turned it into a rally-ready off-roader. The resulting Toyota RAV-X shows that this city-dwelling model can be both a daily driver and a desert racer.Unveiled at the
by Billy Caluag
These custom Ford beasts are something else
Ford has built a venerable stable of champions
After two decades with the Audi factory works team, Mattias Ekström is the latest addition to the Ford M-Sport Dakar team. He joins fellow ex-Audi and multiple Dakar Rally winner Carlos Sainz Sr. and American off-road racer Mitch
It's called the Raptor T1+
Ford has finally revealed its Raptor T1+ rally raid car, and it'll be taking no fewer than four of them along to the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia in January 2025. That's quite the assault on the competition.The Raptor
by Greg Potts
The Spaniard has won the event with four different teams so far
Ford has released new images of the Ford Raptor rally raid car that it hopes will claim outright victory at the 2025 Dakar Rally, and while we're still denied a proper look at the final thing, the team has at least
Act fast if you want one—it’s a limited-edition piece
G-Shocks and Land Cruisers are two of our favorite things here at the Top Gear HQ, so this latest collaboration between Casio and Toyota has rocketed high up on our list of wants.This is the G-Shock Mudmaster GW-9500TLC-
In the motorcycle category, just to be clear
It isn't just Audi that's celebrating wins at the 2024 Dakar Rally this year-Honda has also emerged victorious from the dunes in the motorcycle category.Honda Racing Corporation has made history with a win in Saudi Arabia, with now
Sainz Sr. extends his reign as the oldest-ever winner
Audi has claimed victory at the Dakar Rally at its third (and probably final) attempt, with Carlos Sainz Sr. claiming his fourth title despite not winning any of the 12 stages during two weeks of racing.Having won the Dakar in 2010,
by Joe Holding
It will be the Ranger Raptor's toughest challenge yet
With Audi set to bow out of the Dakar Rally-probably after it's won the thing, with Carlos Sainz (the father, not the son) taking the title for the 2024 edition in the RS Q e-tron-some are beginning to
by Joe Holding
But it can actually handle much tougher terrain
The 2024 Dakar Rally is already upon us, and Audi will be hoping that its range-extending RS Q e-tron can improve on its debut performance in 2022, where Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist finished ninth in class.It'll
by Greg Potts
Well deserved, we say
The Mitsubishi Pajero may no longer be with us (sad), but its legacy lives on. Already an icon even during its production, the much-loved SUV received a significant accolade two years after its discontinuation.Specifically, it's the first-generation Pajero
Before sending in a Ranger Raptor in 2025
Ford-undoubtedly as part of its new plan to sell you more trucks and SUVs-has chosen to take on the Dakar Rally in 2024, and it's sending a 'badass' version of its Ranger pickup to compete in the Rally Raid
by Joe Holding
Cayenne? What Cayenne?
It's not often we taste a new flavour of Porsche 911. Usually the same models come around on largely excellent repeat: Carrera, Targa, Turbo, GT3, Sport Classic... there's a 911 for just about anyone. Except, what if you like mucking
by Ollie Kew
Shipping might cost quite a bit, though...
The Mitsubishi Pajero truly is something special. It's easily one of the most iconic nameplates in the Japanese carmaker's lineup alongside the legendary Lancer.Admittedly, however, there are certain iterations of the Pajero that are a bit more special than
Could this be a sign of rally aspirations?
First things first: BMW hasn't said a single thing about taking on the Dakar Rally. Nor a tilt at Extreme E. All this video shows is a 'Dune Taxi' sliding and slicing its way through a desolate and staggeringly beautiful corner
This is what the elder Sainz will drive soon
Ah, the RS Q e-tron. Even its name suggests complexity, a need for very specific knowledge of both Audi and its intent. If someone were to ask us to explain it, we'd first ask, 'How much do you want to
