Land Rover scored Rally Dakar gold with their Range Rovers twice – in the very first race in 1979 and two years after that. It will be making a comeback next year, but only as a support vehicle provider.
Sponsored by Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the British team of Prodrive will take part in the rally for the first time. Its T1-class racer, the Prodrive BRX (Bahrain Raid Xtreme), will be piloted by Nani Roma and Sebastien Loeb. Two Land Rover Defender 110 P400 MHEV will support the vehicle, carrying repair equipment and crew throughout the 13-day long challenge.
Both cars use 3.0-liter inline-six petrol engines and electric motors for 400 PS (394 hp / 294 kW) and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) total. A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission sends the momentum to all four wheels thanks to a permanent AWD system. The equipment list also mentions adaptive shocks, air-ride suspension, a two-speed transfer case, differential locks, and the Terrain Response 2 system.
Rounding off the list of mods is the Explorer Pack, which you can learn more about in the video. It includes a snorkel pipe, an expedition rack, plastic fenders, an access ladder, and a side-mounted utility box. Each car can carry up to 900 kilograms (2,000 lbs) of added weight, including 168 kg (370 lbs) on the roof.