Rally raid
Encyclopedia
Off-road racing
Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles compete in races through off-road environments.-North America:...
that takes place over several days. Each day may require traveling up to 900 kilometres (559.2 mi). The length of the event can be 3–15 days. Examples of rally raid races include the Dakar Rally
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
, Rallye des Pharaons
Rallye des Pharaons
The Rallye des Pharaons is an FIM-sanctioned rally raid event that takes place in Egypt, with Cairo being both the start and finishing point at the foot of the pyramids of Giza, and covers roughly around 3,100 km. It is similar in format to the Dakar Rally in that it takes place in desert...
, Central Europe Rally
Central Europe Rally
The Central Europe Rally was a rally-raid endurance race held in Romania and Hungary. It was held in 2008 as a replacement for the canceled 2008 Dakar Rally...
, Spanish Baja
Spanish Baja
The Spanish Baja is a Rally Raid event held in the region of Aragon in northern Spain.This event was launched in 1983, based on the popularity of the African Adventure rallies such as the Paris Dakar and the Pharaons Rally...
, Raid De Himalaya
Raid De Himalaya
Raid De Himalaya is a motorsport started in year 1999. It is the world's highest Rally raid. The 2009 event was from Shimla to Srinagar, it was divided into 6 legs and was from 5 October to 13 October.-Raid De Himalaya 2007:Start Date : 1 October 2007...
and Russian Baja Northern Forest.
The first rally raid run was the Côte-Côte Rally, first held in December 1976.
Vehicles and classes
The three major competitive groups in rally raid are the motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
(moto) class, the car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
class, ranging from buggies
Dune buggy
A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes or beaches. The design is usually a modified vehicle and engine mounted on an open chassis. The modifications usually attempt to increase the power-to-weight ratio by either lightening the...
to SUVs, and the T4 & T5 truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
class.
Moto class
Popular motorcycles include those made by KTM
KTM
KTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer.The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen...
and Yamaha because many of their bikes have finished in top positions. BMW motorcycles
BMW motorcycles
BMW's motorcycle history began in 1921 when the company commenced manufacturing engines for other companies. Motorcycle manufacturing now operates under the BMW Motorrad brand...
have also been successful in the Dakar.
Car class—T1, T2 and Open
Mitsubishi MRX09 Racing Lancer
The Mitsubishi Racing Lancer is a cross-country rally car developed by Mitsubishi Motors for competing in 2009. "MRX09" stands for Mitsubishi Rally X-Country. The car was built to the FIA's Group T1 rules, and competed in the 2009 Dakar Rally. It has a tubular steel frame with carbon fiber bodywork...
and the T2 Group is made up of Cross Country Series Production vehicles. The Open class accepts weight-qualifying vehicles such as SCORE International
SCORE International
SCORE International is an off-road sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing and is famous for its flagship event, the Baja 1000 as well as the Baja 500 and San Felipe 250. SCORE races are held in United States and Mexico...
trucks.
Originally, European utility vehicles like the Renault 4
Renault 4
The Renault 4, also known as the 4L , is a hatchback economy car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1961 and 1992. It was the first front-wheel drive family car produced by Renault....
, Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
, Range Rover
Range Rover
The Range Rover is a large luxury four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle produced by British car maker Land Rover. The model, launched in 1970, is now in its third generation...
, Mercedes-Benz G
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
The original 460-series Geländewagen went on sale for civilian buyers in 1979, after having debuted in February of that year. It was offered with two wheelbases, a short wheelbase of 2,400 mm and a long one of 2,850 mm. One could choose between three body styles: A two-door short...
, Volkswagen Iltis
Volkswagen Iltis
The Volkswagen Type 183, more commonly known as the Iltis , is a military vehicle built by Volkswagen for use by the German military and under licence by Bombardier for the Canadian Forces and Belgian Army...
and the Pinzgauer
Pinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle
The Pinzgauer is a family of high-mobility all-terrain 4WD and 6WD military utility vehicles. They were manufactured in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom, by BAE Systems Land & Armaments. The vehicle was originally developed in the late 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Graz, Austria, and was named...
, as well the Japanese Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota Land Cruiser
The is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation. It is not related to the Studebaker Land Cruiser car produced in the US from 1934-1954....
, dominated the sport.
Prominent examples in the Car Class included the Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero
Mitsubishi Pajero
The Mitsubishi Pajero is a sport utility vehicle manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. It was named after Leopardus pajeros, the Pampas Cat which is native to the Patagonia plateau region of southern Argentina. However, since pajero is an offensive term for "wanker" in Spanish, alternative names have...
, the Volkswagen Race Touareg, the Bowler Wildcat 200
Bowler Wildcat
The Bowler Wildcat is an off-road vehicle originally made by Bowler Offroad, it is an evolution of the Bowler Tomcat which is not based on the Land Rover Defender against common belief...
and the Nissan Navara.
Truck class—T4 and T5
The Truck class, also known as "Camions" or "Lorries", is made up of vehicles weighing more than 3500 kg (7,716 lb). They are divided into two groups, T4 and T5.T4 class trucks participate in the competition, while T5 trucks travel from bivouac to bivouac to support the competition vehicles. T4 trucks may provide assistance during the special stages but must be homologated vehicles. The T4.1 class covers production trucks, and the T4.2 class covers modified trucks. T5 vehicles do not have to be homologated.
The T4 class has been composed of vehicles manufactured by Tatra
Tatra (car)
Tatra is a vehicle manufacturer in Kopřivnice, Czech Republic. The company was founded in 1850 as Schustala & Company later renamed Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft, a wagon and carriage manufacturer, and in 1897 produced the first motor car in central Europe, the Präsident. In 1918, it...
, LIAZ
LIAZ (Czech Republic)
LIAZ is a defunct Czech and Czechoslovak manufacturer of trucks. The company was formed in 1951 by the government as a division of Škoda. In 1953 LIAZ became independent of Škoda, but still continued to use its name until 1984...
, Kamaz
Kamaz
KAMAZ is a Russian truck manufacturer located in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russian Federation. KAMAZ opened their doors in 1976...
, Hino
Hino Motors
-External links:Global* * * Overseas offices****.*.***.*.* - Philippines**...
, MAN, DAF
DAF Trucks
DAF Trucks NV is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of PACCAR. Its headquarters and main plant are in Eindhoven. Cabs and axle assemblies are produced at its Westerlo plant in Belgium...
, Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
Unimog
Unimog
Unimog is a range of multi-purpose auto four wheel drive medium trucks produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The name Unimog is pronounced in German and is an acronym for the German "UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät", Gerät being the German word for machine or device...
, Renault Kerax
Renault Trucks
Renault Trucks is a French truck manufacturer with its corporate headquarters at Saint-Priest near Lyon. Originally part of Renault, it has been owned by Volvo Group since 2001....
, Scania
Scania AB
Scania Aktiebolag , commonly referred to as Scania AB or just Scania, is a major Swedish automotive industry manufacturer of commercial vehicles - specifically heavy trucks and buses...
, Iveco
Iveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
, and GINAF
GINAF
GINAF is a Dutch truck manufacturer which produces trucks mainly for heavy duty off-road transport, construction and agricultural work. About 250 trucks are made each year in the company's factory in Veenendaal in the Netherlands...
. In the 1980s, a strong rivalry between DAF
DAF Trucks
DAF Trucks NV is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of PACCAR. Its headquarters and main plant are in Eindhoven. Cabs and axle assemblies are produced at its Westerlo plant in Belgium...
and Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
led to vehicles which had twin engines and more than 1000 hp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(750 kW). Later Tatra
Tatra (car)
Tatra is a vehicle manufacturer in Kopřivnice, Czech Republic. The company was founded in 1850 as Schustala & Company later renamed Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft, a wagon and carriage manufacturer, and in 1897 produced the first motor car in central Europe, the Präsident. In 1918, it...
, and Kamaz
Kamaz
KAMAZ is a Russian truck manufacturer located in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russian Federation. KAMAZ opened their doors in 1976...
took the race up. After 2000, renewed competition started in the truck class between DAF
DAF Trucks
DAF Trucks NV is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of PACCAR. Its headquarters and main plant are in Eindhoven. Cabs and axle assemblies are produced at its Westerlo plant in Belgium...
, Tatra
Tatra (car)
Tatra is a vehicle manufacturer in Kopřivnice, Czech Republic. The company was founded in 1850 as Schustala & Company later renamed Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft, a wagon and carriage manufacturer, and in 1897 produced the first motor car in central Europe, the Präsident. In 1918, it...
, Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
and Kamaz
Kamaz
KAMAZ is a Russian truck manufacturer located in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russian Federation. KAMAZ opened their doors in 1976...
.