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The Toyota Hilux Dakar with which Fernando Alonso made his debut at the 2020 Dakar Rally, was recently added to the collection of the Fernando Alonso Museum and Racing Track, the sports compound where the professional career of the Asturian pilot can be comprehensively reviewed.
The Hilux Dakar that Fernando Alonso got in his museum, located just outside Oviedo, Asturias, Spain, is not a replica, but the exact car with which the Asturian pilot competed at the 2020 Dakar. He had a great performance after finishing 13rd in the overall ranking and recording some of the best times in many stages, thus becoming the best rookie car in that edition of the toughest rally in the world.
Fernando Alonso personally received the new member in his permanent collection, which also includes other competition prototypes, such as the Toyota TS050 HYBRID with which the pilot won the World Endurance Championship (WEC) during the 2019-2020 super-season, as well as two editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Fernando Alonso Museum and Racing Track is currently being expanded to display all the prototypes with which Fernando Alonso has developed his sports career, from Formula 1 to the WEC and the Dakar Rally.
After receiving the Hilux Dakar in his museum, the Spanish pilot said:
“While F1 is the heart of the museum and of my career, the prototypes such as the Le Mans and Daytona and this one from the Dakar adds value for visitors, who can come and see a bit of all the disciplines in motorsport which has been part of my history in recent years.”
Alonso explained that the Hilux Dakar will be part of his personal collection and is one of the “most important” pieces in the show, a “luxury” for visitors to his museum. The Asturian driver, who described the memories associated with the Toyota Hilux and the Dakar as “very good”, pointed out that he had a “spectacular experience both professionally and on a human level” in the toughest rally in the world, while indicating that “he surely would try again” in reference to a possible second participation in the Dakar race.
Hilux Dakar
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Hilux Dakar with which Alonso competed in the 2020 Dakar, in the T1 category, bears quite a few similarities with the Toyota Hilux any customer can purchase from a dealer, although it is fitted with a more powerful engine, as well as bespoke suspensions, brakes, clutch, and gear box, together with a higher-capacity fuel tank.
The new member in the pilot’s museum collection is driven by a naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine, developing 325 CV at 5,000 rpm, with an impressive 620 Nm torque and a 37mm intake restrictor to meet the regulation requirements. It is equipped with an M-series ECU from specialist MoTeC.
It is fitted with a 6-speed SADEV sequential transmission SADEV and limited slip differential, at the front, back, and centre. The size is slightly smaller than that of the production Hilux, except for the width. More specifically, it is slightly shorter but wider, with a similar height, shorter wheelbase, and higher ground clearance, so that it can effortlessly negotiate large dunes. The weight is clearly lower in the competition version: 1,850 kg – regulation minimum weight – for Hilux Dakar, versus 2,095 kg for the road model.
The setup of the front suspension – double-wishbone – is the same for both Hilux models. In the rear, however, the production model is fitted with a rigid axle leaf spring suspension, whereas the new Hilux Dakar uses a double wishbone. The latter is also equipped with 16-inch wheels with deep-tread tires and dampers from specialist Reiger.
The Hilux Dakar braking system driven by Fernando Alonso includes liquid-cooling six-piston callipers, with a high-volume fuel tank: 520 litres.