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Issue #23:October 19, 2021
In Morocco, Northwest Africa, TLC participated in the 2021 Morocco Rally between October 7-13. The rally was held for the first time in two years. TLC competed with a 2-car formation using the Land Cruiser 200 rally specification AT test vehicles.
Positioning this rally as the last test for the 2022 Dakar Rally, the team set up the rally vehicles with the aim to evaluate driving performance on sandy terrain with the newly developed OPEN COUNTRY M/T-R tires made by TOYO TIRES, which will be used in the upcoming Dakar Rally.
The competition took place from October 8 to 13 over a period of six days. Including stage 0, it comprised a total of six stages. TLC drove a total of approximately 2,300 km from the Zagora base in southern Morocco. On the way, there were some shortened courses, but the rally included sand dune stages and sections with harsh rocky terrain, as well as routes full of changes. The course was characteristic of a cross-country rally.
In this rally, it is the sand dunes that decide the winners. Here, the OPEN COUNTRY M/T-R tires showed their strengths, and the team was able to truly experience the excellent response of the machine’s driving performance more than ever. The team was also able to confirm the rally car settings for the 2022 Dakar Rally.
Driver Akira Miura (Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd.) who competed in the rally commented, “Of course, we were able to confirm the performance of the new tires. During the rally, we were able to work out the best settings, and I felt at one with the car more than ever. I’m eager to start the 2022 Dakar Rally.
At around the end of November, the team plans to put the rally cars through a shakedown. This will be the final confirmation for the Land Cruiser 200 Series, the base cars for the rally vehicles which are competing for the last time, for a 9th consecutive victory in the production car category.
We appreciate and humbly request everyone’s warm and ongoing support.
Rally results
| Miura & Lichtleuchter: | 2nd/22 cars |
| Basso & Polato: | 4th/22 cars |
Both cars competed in the Open class.