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66-527: The length of a rally raid can be as short as 2–3 days to as long as 15 days with marathon rally raids like the Dakar Rally . With skill in navigation being key, the driving skill and endurance of riders, drivers, co-drivers, and machines are put to the test. The total distance covered can be between 600 km to over 5,000 km with terrain ranging from sandy dunes, forest roads, mountain roads, and dry river beds; among others. The Peking-Paris of 1907

132-550: A particularly grueling event. Pierre Lartigue took Citroën's second win in acrimonious circumstances, as Mitsubishi's leading drivers were forced to withdraw from exhaustion after traversing some particularly demanding sand dunes in the Mauritanian desert that the Citroën crews had opted to skip. Peterhansel's did not compete due to a disagreement between Yamaha and the race organizers over the regulations. Edi Orioli claimed

198-399: A rule change paved the way for Mitsubishi to take a fourth victory. Japan's Kenjiro Shinozuka became the first non-European to win the event. Peterhansel equalled Neveu's record of five motorcycle category wins in 1997, before going one better in 1998 , when the event returned to its traditional Paris-Dakar route. 1998, Dakar veteran Jean-Pierre Fontenay posted another win for Mitsubishi in

264-409: A separate category in 1980, is made up of vehicles weighing more than 3,500 kg (7,716 lb). Trucks participating in the competition are subdivided into "Series Production" trucks (T4.1) and "Modified" trucks (T4.2), whilst Group T4.3 (formerly known as T5) trucks are rally support trucks – meaning they travel from bivouac to bivouac to support the competition vehicles. These were introduced to

330-416: A testing ground and an opportunity to show off their vehicles' durability even though most vehicles are heavily modified from their production specification or purpose-built. For the 2005 rally regulations introduced a limit of 450cc for twin cylinder motorbikes. Single cylinder motorbikes were still open class with no capacity limit. As of 2011, the engine displacement limit for all motorbikes competing in

396-564: A third title in the bikes category. The 1995 and 1996 events begin in the Spanish city of Granada , with Lartigue racking up wins for Citroën in both years. Peterhansel returned to take a fourth bikes category win in 1995, but lost to Orioli in 1996 because of refuelling problems. The 1997 rally ran exclusively in Africa for the first time, with the route running from Dakar to Agadez , Niger and back to Dakar. Citroën's withdrawal due to

462-631: Is a recent category built exclusively for vehicles running on renewable energies; such as the Audi RS Q e-tron . T1.1 (4x4) and T1.2 (4x2) are open to vehicles running on petrol and diesel fuels; including the Mini John Cooper Works Buggy , Toyota Hilux , and Peugeot 3008 DKR . Subclass T1.3 is open to vehicles conforming to SCORE regulations. This includes the Hummer H3 buggy and various other buggies. The T2 category

528-431: Is also an "Open" category catering for vehicles conforming to SCORE International regulations. Mini have been the most successful marque in the car category in recent years, thanks to the efforts of the non-factory X-raid team, with limited involvement currently coming from Toyota , Ford and Haval . Several constructors also produce bespoke buggies for the event, most notably SMG and Damen Jefferies. Mitsubishi

594-588: Is awarded to drivers and co-drivers in this class. Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally or simply " The Dakar " ( French : Le Rallye Dakar ou Le Dakar ), formerly known as the " Paris–Dakar Rally " (French: Le Rallye Paris-Dakar ), is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation . Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris , France , to Dakar , Senegal . Security threats in Mauritania led to

660-458: Is historically the most successful manufacturer in the car class, with Volkswagen , Citroën , Peugeot and Porsche having all tasted success in the past with factory teams. Jean-Louis Schlesser has also won the event twice with his Renault -supported buggies. Factory teams from Nissan and SEAT have also won stages, as has BMW , courtesy of the X-raid team. The Truck class, first run as

726-617: Is made up of vehicles weighing more than 3,500 kg (7,716 lb). While originally designated as Group T4; they have recently been solely given the T5 category with the T4 group now referring to Side by Side (UTV) vehicles. Made up of both Prototype and Production Cross-Country Trucks; the class has been dominated by trucks built by Russian manufacturer Kamaz . Other competitors include Iveco , Hino , MAZ , Tatra , LIAZ , Mercedes-Benz Unimog , Renault Kerax , and various others. A FIA World Cup

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792-472: Is not allowed. Competitors have no knowledge of the course until they receive the roadbook and any sort of pre-running is prohibited; which highlights the adventure aspect of rally raid. This is in stark contrast to rallying and desert racing where pre-running or reconnaissance is required or recommended for optimal performance on the course. The roadbook that is used is not as precise as the pacenotes used in stage rally, making navigation just as important as

858-586: Is not based on fastest time, but rather on regularity rally point scoring system. The class feature a reduced entry fee, yet the same rules and fees apply for the assistance. Source: Source: [REDACTED] Pablo Moreno Huete The rally is broadcast on television in more than 190 countries. A live feed of the event and a roundup of each day's race progress is made into a 26-minute programme. This has been commentated on by Toby Moody for ten years, and more recently by Neil Cole . The rally organizers and their television crews provide 20 edit stations along

924-513: Is often called the category for the toughest of the tough, and one for the Dakar purists. KTM has dominated the motorcycle class in recent years, although Honda , Yamaha , Sherco , Husqvarna , and Gas Gas also compete currently. BMW and Cagiva have also enjoyed success in the past. Prior to 2009, Quads were a subdivision of the motorbike category, but they were granted their own separate classification in 2009 and are designated Group 3 in

990-1133: Is open to Series Production Cross-Country Cars; primarily the Toyota Land Cruiser and Nissan Patrol . Other prominent examples in the Car Class included the Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero , the Volkswagen Race Touareg , the Bowler Wildcat 200 , the Mini All4 Racing and the Nissan Navara . While originally a sub-class under the car category and later a combined class; the T3 and T4 classes have been recently separated into their own respective categories. T3 (CHALLENGER) vehicles are officially described as Lightweight Prototype Cross-Country Vehicles and can include purpose-built machines such as

1056-570: Is replete with such terrain, and documents the vehicle's endurance. 182 vehicles took the start of the inaugural rally in Paris , with 74 surviving the 10,000-kilometre (6,200 mi) trip to the Senegalese capital of Dakar . Cyril Neveu was the event's first winner, riding a Yamaha motorcycle. The event rapidly grew in popularity, with 216 vehicles taking the start in 1980 and 291 in 1981 . The privateer spirit of early racers tackling

1122-643: The 2007 killing of four French tourists . Chile and Argentina offered to host subsequent events, which were later accepted by the ASO for the 2009 event . From a legal standpoint, the ASO held all entries for a rescheduled and relocated race, the Central Europe Rally , held in Hungary and Romania . It was intended to be part of a series known as the Dakar Series . The seven-stage rally-raid

1188-509: The 2012 rally , the X-raid team came to the fore, now using Minis in lieu of BMWs. Peterhansel had joined the team in 2010 after Mitsubishi's departure, but had been unable to challenge the Volkswagen drivers. Following Volkswagen's withdrawal, Peterhansel was able to secure his fourth win in the car category and his tenth in total, his main opposition coming from within his own team. Peterhansel successfully defended his title in 2013 as

1254-728: The Africa Eco Race and Silk Way Rally . For amateurs the Budapest-Bamako has been considered the world's largest amateur rally raid spanning two continents and 9,000 km. The first African rally raid run was the Côte-Côte Rally, first held in December 1976. Navigation is primarily accomplished using a paper or digital roadbook in conjunction with a digital odometer to measure distance. The use of GPS or GPS-enabled devices, in contrast with desert racing ,

1320-441: The Audi RS Q e-tron E2 , debuted in 2022. A slightly updated version of the vehicle won the 2024 Dakar Rally . It was mentioned as an unnamed prototype during the 2020-12-11 announcement of Q Motorsport becoming Audi factory team. The Dakar 2022 RS Q e-tron includes: The car is described as brutal to drive, because of the sharp acceleration of its electric engine and the rigidity of its seats. Stéphane Peterhansel described

1386-477: The C-130 Hercules ) search plane spotted their white Peugeot 504 some 50 kilometres (31 mi) off course. Thatcher, Verney, and the mechanic were all unharmed. Audi RS Q e-tron The Audi RS Q e-tron is an off-road competition car, built by Audi under the e-tron battery electric sub-brand. Unveiled in 2021, it is specially designed for competing in rally raids . An upgraded model, dubbed

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1452-565: The Red Bull OT3 and PH-Sport Zephyr while also allowing modified variations of vehicles built and sold by Polaris , Kawasaki , Yamaha , and Can-Am . The T4(SSV)category is for Modified Production Cross-Country Side-by-Side (SSV) vehicles; such as those built by Polaris and Can-Am , but built closer to production standards. Both categories must weigh no more than 3500 kg and are eligible for their own respective FIA World Cups. The Truck class, also known as "Camions" or "Lorries"

1518-443: The 1990s. Hino , DAF , Perlini , and Mercedes-Benz have also been among the winners in the past. The utility task vehicle (UTV) category was introduced in 2017. Before this, UTVs ran under the car category as the T3 class. The class rapidly gained in popularity, and in 2021 the class was further subdivided into separate T3 light prototypes category, and T4 SSVs, which are based on production vehicles. A new Dakar Classic class

1584-555: The Dakar Rally is 450cc. Engines may be either single or twin cylinder. Riders are divided into two groups, RallyGP and Rally2. A subcategory is the "Original by Motul " category (formerly named "Malle Moto" due to the only piece of luggage competitors were allowed to take with them was a "malle", a French term for box or trunk.), which refers to motorbikes and quads competing without any kind assistance. The organization provides assistance for this category with 4 people dedicated to

1650-476: The Dakar in 2025 due to declining manufacturer support. The car class is made up of vehicles weighing less than 3,500 kg (7,716 lb), which are subdivided into several categories. T1 is made up of "Improved Cross-Country Vehicles", subdivided according to engine type (petrol or diesel) and drive type (two-wheel or four-wheel drive), while T2 is made up of "Cross-Country Series Production Vehicles", which are subdivided into petrol and diesel categories. There

1716-522: The Dakar. The class for quads was originally a sub-class for the larger moto-class, but has been given more prominence in recent years. The class also has World Cup status within the FIM . The car class is made up of vehicles weighing less than 3,500 kg (7,716 lb) and subdivided into several categories. The T1 Group is made up of Prototype Cross-Country Cars and is subdivided into four primary categories: T1.U, T1.1, T1.2, and T1.3. T1.U (T1 Ultimate)

1782-522: The Damen Jefferies buggies of Sainz and Al-Attiyah failed to last the distance. Despres also racked up a further two wins for KTM in the bikes class in 2012 and 2013, bringing his tally to five, aided by Coma's absence due to injury in the latter year. Coma struck back on his return to the Dakar in 2014 , taking a comfortable fourth title and a 13th in succession for KTM, whilst Nani Roma emulated Auriol and Peterhansel by taking his maiden title in

1848-553: The German X-raid team proved thorns in the side of the big budget works teams. The 2004 route was from Clermont-Ferrand to Dakar, and was the year Peterhansel emulated Hubert Auriol's feat of winning the rally on both two wheels and four. The Frenchman defended his title in 2005, when the rally began for the first time in Barcelona . In the bikes category, KTM continued their success with Nani Roma in 2004, who switched to

1914-501: The KTM works team rider, Australian Toby Price, take his first Dakar victory, winning his second title in 2019. Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner won the 2017 and 2018 edition also for the team from Mattighofen (18 overall victories as in 2019). Following ASO's increasingly deteriorating relationships with South American governments, which culminated in the controversial 2019 disqualification of Bolivian quad rider Juan Carlos Salvatierra,

1980-511: The bikes category since 1985. Schlesser and Sainct both successfully defended their titles in 2000 , traversing the route from Dakar to the Egyptian capital of Cairo . 2001 was the final time that the rally used the familiar Paris-Dakar route, and was notable for Mitsubishi's Jutta Kleinschmidt , as she was the first woman to win the rally – albeit only after Schlesser was penalised one hour for unsportsmanlike conduct. Fabrizio Meoni took

2046-556: The cancellation of the 2008 rally , and events from 2009 to 2019 were held in South America . Since 2020, the rally has been held in Saudi Arabia . The event is open to amateur and professional entries, professionals typically making up about eighty percent of the participants. The rally is an off-road endurance event. The terrain that the competitors traverse is much tougher than that used in conventional rallying , and

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2112-563: The car category for Mitsubishi after a close contest with Alphand after the increasingly competitive Volkswagens retired with mechanical problems. In what would be the final African event of the Dakar, Despres took his second title in the bikes category, having conceded victory in 2006 to Marc Coma after suffering an injury. The 2008 event , due to start in Lisbon, was cancelled on 4 January 2008 amid fears of attacks in Mauritania following

2178-409: The car category the following year, and Cyril Despres in 2005. The 2006 event moved to Lisbon . Nissan pulled out having failed to provide effective opposition to Mitsubishi, who took a sixth consecutive victory, this time with former skiing champion Luc Alphand after Peterhansel committed a series of errors late in the rally. Peterhansel made amends in 2007 , however, taking his third title in

2244-487: The car class went to the Marreau brothers, driving a privately entered Renault 20 . Auriol captured his second bikes class victory in 1983, the first year that Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi competed in the rally, beginning an association that would last until 2009. At the behest of 1983 car class winner Jacky Ickx, Porsche entered the Dakar in 1984 , with the total number of entries now at 427. The German marque won

2310-463: The car class. 1999 started in Granada and a maiden success for erstwhile Formula One and sports car driver Jean-Louis Schlesser , who had been constructing his own buggies since 1992. With the help of Renault backing, Schlesser overcame the works Mitsubishi and Nissan crews to win, whilst Peterhansel's decision to switch to the car category allowed Richard Sainct to take BMW's first title in

2376-509: The car. On 23 July 2021, Audi unveiled the RS Q e-tron, an offroad racer intended to compete in the 2022 Dakar Rally . The car was quick but navigation errors from all 3 crews meant they lost hours of time on the first day. They even had many mechanical issues. Still, all 3 drivers won a stage, with Sainz winning SS11 as well making it 4 stage wins on debut. At the 2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge , Peterhansel and Boulanger made history by winning

2442-400: The cars class a decade on from his victory on two wheels – albeit only after team orders by X-raid slowed Peterhansel. Peugeot returned for the 2015 event with an all-new, diesel-powered, two-wheel drive contender, but failed to make an impact as X-raid's Minis once more dominated. Al-Attiyah won the event in his second year for the team, while Coma racked up a fifth title in the bikes after

2508-516: The challenges of Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret in a Mitsubishi Pajero, who finished second by 2:01 after the seven stages. The 2009 event , the first held in South America with a respectable 501 competitors, saw Volkswagen take its first win in the Dakar as a works entrant courtesy of Giniel de Villiers . Initially, teammate and former WRC champion Carlos Sainz led the race comfortably until crashing out, but went on to win

2574-411: The contract with the country was only exclusive for the first year. However, the effects of COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and 2022 prevented such expansion from happening. The five competitive groups in the Dakar are the motorcycles , quads , the cars class (which ranges from buggies to small SUVs ), UTVs , and the trucks class. Many vehicle manufacturers use the rally's harsh environment as both

2640-527: The current regulations. They are divided into two subgroups – Group 3.1, which features two-wheel drive quads with a single cylinder engine with a maximum displacement of 750cc, and Group 3.2, which permits four-wheel drive quads with a maximum engine displacement of 900cc, in either single or twin cylinder layout. Yamaha went unbeaten in the Quad category as an official class, with their main opposition coming courtesy of Honda and Can-Am . Quads were dropped from

2706-496: The defection of long-time rival Despres to the car class and Peugeot. Peugeot did however see success in 2016 with Peterhansel behind the wheel, racking up his 6th win in the car category, and again in 2017 and 2018 until Peugeot decide to officially leave the competition. In 2019 , which was the first Dakar Rally to be held in just one country (Peru), Toyota won for the first time with Nasser Al-Attiyah (in his third victory with three different manufacturers). The bike category saw

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2772-550: The desert would be a good location for a regular rally, on the lines of the 1974 London–Sahara–Munich World Cup Rally , the first automobile race to cross the Sahara Desert twice. In 1971, ex- Cream drummer Ginger Baker used the unproven Range Rover to drive from Algeria to Lagos, Nigeria to set up a recording studio and jam with Fela Kuti . Predating the Paris-Dakar Rally the subsequent documentary

2838-450: The driving as "A boxing match from start to finish" during the 2023 Dakar Rally , raising fear of concussion for crews. On 30 November 2020, Audi announced their intent to compete in the Dakar Rally , and during the announcement on 11 December, in which Q Motorsport became Audi's factory team. Three crews of Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz , Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger and Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist would drive

2904-447: The driving. Bike and quad riders also have to navigate on their own while riding their vehicle; making concentration key during a rally raid event. Rally raid is made of various different categories and classes of vehicles. Regulations from the ASO , FIA , and FIM define the rules for each category. The Moto class is divided between three groups: RallyGP, Rally2, and Rally3. RallyGP is

2970-404: The event at their first attempt courtesy of René Metge , who had previously won in the car category in 1981, whilst Ickx finished sixth. Gaston Rahier meanwhile continued BMW's success in the motorcycle category with back-to-back wins in 1984 and 1985 , the year of Mitsubishi's first victory of 12 in the car category, Patrick Zaniroli taking the spoils. The 1986 event , won by Metge and Neveu,

3036-516: The event in 2010 . After a poor showing in 2009, Mitsubishi withdrew from the competition and left Volkswagen as the sole works entrant. The German marque won the race for a third time in 2011 , this time with Nasser Al-Attiyah , before they withdrew to focus on their upcoming WRC entry and leaving the Dakar with no factory participants in the car class. In the bikes, Despres and Coma stretched KTM's incredible unbroken run of success. Both tied on three victories apiece after Coma's third win in 2011. In

3102-427: The event with limited resources encouraged such entrants as Thierry de Montcorgé in a Rolls-Royce and Formula 1 driver Jacky Ickx with actor Claude Brasseur in a Citroën CX , in the 1981 race won by two-time winner Hubert Auriol . In 1982 , there were 382 racers, more than double the number that took the start in 1979. Neveu won the event for a third time, this time riding a Honda motorcycle, while victory in

3168-516: The event, victory instead going to compatriot and teammate Juha Kankkunen . Peugeot and Vatanen returned to winning ways in 1989 and 1990 , the latter marking Peugeot's final year of rally competition before switching to the World Sportscar Championship . Sister brand Citroën took Peugeot's place, Vatanen taking a third consecutive victory in 1991 . The 1991 event also saw Stéphane Peterhansel take his first title in

3234-499: The first Dakar win for Austrian manufacturer KTM , beginning a winning streak that lasted through 2019. The 2002 began in the French town of Arras and long-time Dakar participant Hiroshi Masuoka won the event for Mitsubishi (Masouka had led for much of the previous year's rally.) The 2003 rally featured an unorthodox route from Marseille to Sharm El Sheikh . Masuoka defend his title after teammate and long-time leader Peterhansel

3300-598: The motorcycle category with Yamaha, marking the beginning of an era of domination by the Frenchman. For the 1992 event , the finish line moved to Cape Town , South Africa in a bid to combat a declining number of competitors, where GPS technology was used for the first time. Auriol became the first person to win in multiple classes after taking Mitsubishi's second victory in the car class, while Peterhansel successfully defended his motorcycle category title. The 1993 rally entry list slumped to 153 competitors, around half of

3366-400: The motorcycle category, the former taking his fifth victory after Auriol was forced to drop out of the rally after breaking both ankles in a fall. The 1988 event reached its zenith in terms of entry numbers, with 603 starters. Vatanen's title defence was derailed when his Peugeot was stolen from the service area at Bamako . Though it was later found, Vatanen was subsequently disqualified from

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3432-448: The preceding year's figure and around a quarter of that of 1988. The event was the last to be organised by Gilbert Sabine and the Amaury Sport Organisation took over the following year. With the finish line now back in its traditional location of Dakar, Bruno Saby won a third title for Mitsubishi and Peterhansel took a third straight success in the motorcycle category. The 1994 event returned to Paris after reaching Dakar, resulting in

3498-648: The rally has been held in Saudi Arabia since 2020. Since 2022, the rally has been the season-opening round of the World Rally-Raid Championship jointly sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme . The 2023 event ran from 31 December 2022 to 15 January 2023. The Dakar Rally was intended to also feature other Middle East countries starting from 2021, as

3564-474: The rally in 1998. The truck event was not run in 1989 after it was decided the vehicles, by this stage with twin engines generating in excess of 1000 horsepower, were too dangerous following the death of a DAF crew member in an accident during the 1988 rally. Kamaz has dominated the truck category since the turn of the century, although it has come under increasing pressure from rivals such as Iveco , MAN , Renault , and Tatra , which enjoyed much success in

3630-515: The route for various countries to produce their own programmes about the rally. There are four TV helicopters, six stage cameras, and three bivouac crews to make over 1,000 hours of TV over the two-week period. A 2006 television documentary Race to Dakar described the experiences of a team, including the English actor Charley Boorman , in preparation for and entry into the 2006 Dakar Rally. it:Sport Mediaset In 1982, Mark Thatcher , son of

3696-424: The then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , along with his French co-driver Anne-Charlotte Verney and their mechanic, disappeared for six days. On 9 January, the trio became separated from a convoy of vehicles after they stopped to make repairs to a faulty steering arm . They were declared missing on 12 January. After a large-scale search was instigated, an Algerian military Lockheed L-100 (a version of

3762-745: The top moto class with riders and manufacturers eligible for the World Championship in FIM rankings. This class is only open to the most experienced competitors while Rally2 is available to any rider not considered RallyGP. Rally3 is for moto-enduro machines adapted for rally use. All three have a maximum capacity of 450cc. Rally2 and Rally3 are given World Cup status in the FIM-rankings. Popular motorcycles include those made by KTM , Gas Gas , Honda and Husqvarna because many of their bikes have finished in top positions. BMW motorcycles , Yamaha and Triumph have also been successful in

3828-423: The transportation of the competitors "malle" or boxes between bivouac sites plus any additional equipment or belongings. This includes: 1 trunk, 1 set of wheels, 1 sleeping tent, 1 travel bag, 1 set of tyres, free use of the generators, compressors and tool-boxes, and easy access to race information. Since these competitors are not allowed to receive any outside support, each rider must service their own vehicle. It

3894-522: The vehicles used are typically true off-road vehicles and motorcycles , rather than modified on-road vehicles. Most of the competitive special sections are off-road, crossing dunes, mud, camel grass , rocks, and erg among others. The distances of each stage covered vary from short distances up to 800–900 kilometres (500–560 mi) per day. The rough terrain, driver fatigue, and lack of skill usually results in accidents and serious injuries. The Mediterranean Rally (also known as Algiers-Cape Town Rally )

3960-552: The world championships. Others include the TransAnatolia Rally Raid, Hellas Rally Raid, Dinaric Rally Raid, Borneo Rally Raid, and Raid De Himalaya . National cross-country rally championships are held in Poland , Portugal , Russia , Spain , and South Africa , among others. The most well known marathon rally raid is the Dakar Rally , which can last from 10 to 15 days. Other prominent marathon rallies include

4026-456: Was a trans-Africa rally run in 5 editions between 1951 and 1961. It evolved from the original mixed road and off-road rally to a fully off-road endurance event, during the pioneer years of trans-Africa rallies. The race originated in December 1977, a year after Thierry Sabine got lost in the Ténéré desert whilst competing in the 1975 "Rallye Côte-Côte" between Abidjan and Nice and decided that

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4092-475: Was introduced in 2021 for cars and trucks manufactured before 2000, or new vehicles built to original pre-2000 specification. For the fifth edition in 2025, rules allowed another five years where 2005 became the latest specification year for the class, effectively making the rule 20 years for classification as classics. These vehicles share the same bivouac and the organization but run in a parallel, yet different route, suitable for historic vehicles. The scoreboard

4158-508: Was legally the 2008 edition of the Dakar. David Casteu in a KTM won his first rally-raid race of his career while KTM swept the podium. He defeated Francisco Lopez by 2:58 for what technically was his first Dakar win. Volkswagen dominated the cars category, with Carlos Sainz, Sr. and Michel Périn winning the category in the Race Tourareg 2, and the marque sweeping all seven stages of the race. Despite that, Sainz still had to fend off

4224-442: Was marred by the death of event founder Sabine in a helicopter crash, his father Gilbert taking over organisation of the rally. The 1987 rally marked the start of an era of increased official factory participation in the car category, as French manufacturer Peugeot arrived and won the event with former World Rally champion Ari Vatanen . The 1987 event was also notable for a ferocious head-to-head duel between Neveu and Auriol in

4290-415: Was plagued by mechanical problems in the penultimate stage. Sainct meanwhile took honours in the motorcycle category, the third title for both him and KTM. By 2004 , the entry list had increased to 595, up from 358 in 2001, with a record 688 competitors starting in 2005 . Alongside Mitsubishi and Nissan, Volkswagen now boasted a full factory effort, while Schlesser's Ford -powered buggies and BMWs of

4356-501: Was the first long distance rally raid, the French term of "raid" for an expedition or collective endeavour whose promoters, the newspaper "Le Matin", rather optimistically expected participants to help each other; it was 'won' by Prince Scipione Borghese , Luigi Barzini , and Ettore Guizzardi in an Itala . Well known rally raids include the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and Rallye du Maroc which are included in

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