Mini may have taken the 2020 Dakar Rally title, but ever-the-optimist Toyota President Akio Toyoda showered praises for his company’s efforts to complete the world’s toughest endurance race.
True enough, the Hilux may not have stood on the top step of the podium this year, but at least all four Hilux pickup trucks made it to the finish line. The Hilux’s 100 percent finishing record this year (including a second-place finish for last year’s overall winner, Nasser Al Attiyah) is a testament to the durability and reliability of Toyota’s pickup truck.
His biggest praise though is reserved for their entry in the T2.2 Diesel Production Class where the Land Cruiser LC200 finished in first and second place (29th overall). This marks the Land Cruiser’s 7th consecutive class victory.
Despite this, Toyoda isn’t resting on their laurels.
In fact, in a text message sent by Akira Miura in the second-place Land Cruiser, he mentions that the “Land Cruiser LC200 is already at its limits.” With that, Toyoda cheekily replied, “it’s the road that makes the cars,” indicating that the next-generation Land Cruiser (supposedly due this year) will keep its legendary off-road capabilities, and perhaps target a Dakar Rally win once more in the coming years.
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