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Issue #1:January 5, 2025
The Dakar Rally 2025 kicked off on January 3 with a prologue run near Bisha, a town in southwestern Saudi Arabia. The prologue determines the starting positions in Stage 1, and completion times do not count towards the overall results.
TLC is competing in the Production Car category (Stock) with two Land Cruiser 300s and maintained a steady pace throughout this section. Car #500, with Akira Miura (from Toyota Auto Body) and Jean-Michel Polato, finished 129th overall and first in the Stock (Production Car) category. Meanwhile, car #501 with Ronald Basso and Jean-Pierre Garcin, finished just 11 seconds behind in 132nd place, securing second in the category.
The course was a 29 km loop that began 26 km south of the bivouac, reached via a liaison (transfer section). The road surface was primarily sandy off-road terrain. However, parts of the course were roughened up by the vehicles ahead, leaving sections with stones sticking out through the soft sand.
After completing a 22 km liaison (transfer section), the riders returned to the bivouac and proceeded directly to the start ceremony. The TLC team members, who took the podium, firmly shook hands with Toyota Auto Body Operating Officer Kenichi Koyama and Team Representative Atsushi Honda, both of whom have traveled from Japan to offer their support. With their spirits lifted, the team prepared themselves for the full-scale competition set to begin the following day.
A total of 335 vehicles competed in the Prologue, including 134 in the Bike category, 64 in the Ultimate (Modified Car) category, 2 in the Stock (Production Car) category, 52 in the Challenger (Lightweight Prototype Cross-Country) category, 39 in the SSV (Lightweight Production Buggy) category, and 44 in the Truck category. The two entries in the Stock (Production Car) category are the two TLC cars. The team continues to compete in the category and applies the knowledge gained through this grueling rally to make even better Land Cruisers. In this year’s rally, TLC aims to achieve an unprecedented 12th consecutive victory in the Stock (Production Car) category.
The starting point of the 2025 rally is in Bisha, a regional city approximately 600 km south-southeast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia's second-largest city. The event organizers, ASO, have established a massive bivouac known as the "Start Camp" on the outskirts of the city. Administrative procedures, vehicle inspections, and the starting ceremony were all held at this bivouac.
TLC arrived in Bisha in the middle of the night on December 30. The team immediately set up the bivouac and began making final adjustments to the rally cars the following morning. On January 1, the cars underwent a test run on a dedicated course to check performance. On the next day, January 2, the cars passed scrutineering by the organizers without any issues. Finally, the prologue run on January 3 was successfully cleared, and all preparations for the race were complete.
The first stage, scheduled for the 4th, will be a 412 km competition on a loop course from Bisha.
Miura (driver):
The goal is to finish the rally without any “Day Retire” incidents and secure the team's 12th consecutive victory in the Stock (Production Car) category. To achieve this, the vehicle’s suspension has been improved to enhance its performance. During the prologue run, I could feel the difference, especially in the soft sand. This is my first time driving with Polato as my navigator in the Dakar Rally, but we’ve driven together in test runs in the past and have built a strong relationship of trust.
(Note: “Day Retire” is a system that allows participants to continue competing if they fail to complete a stage within the specified time, after receiving a penalty.)
Basso (driver): I’m relieved that we can finally start. There was no point in taking risks today, so I focused on completing the course safely. The full-scale stages begin tomorrow, but because of our late starting position, we will be aiming for the finish line without losing any time so we can avoid having to deal with sunset during our run.