These brands need to take on the Dakar Rally

Toyota, Ford and Dacia have spent the last two weeks racing across some of the toughest conditions in the world in the 2025 edition of the Dakar Rally.

In 2026 Land Rover will join, albeit in the production class rather than the T1+ outright category, so there will be four factory-backed teams in the world’s toughest off-road race. But we’re greedy and would love to see more brands take it on.

So we’ve chosen five brands that we believe should sign up for next year’s event.

Mitsubishi

Despite not officially competing in Dakar since 2009, the Japanese brand is still the most successful in the event’s history with a staggering 12 outright ‘car’ wins – including a period of seven straight between 2001 and 2007.

Since Audi demonstrated what was possible with a hybrid Dakar vehicle (winning in 2024), the situation is ideal for Mitsubishi to return to the rally with a T1+ class version of either the Triton or Pajero Sport powered by a plug-in hybrid. That would not only help promote the brand’s reputation of reliability but also reaffirm its place as a plug-in hybrid leader.

Porsche

Personally, I’ve always been of the opinion that Porsche missed a huge marketing opportunity to enter the Cayenne into the Dakar when it first launched its controversial SUV. What better way to silence the critics than by showing off how fast and strong the Cayenne is, while also adding to the heritage of the brand’s Dakar wins in the 1980s.

Porsche has clearly never forgotten the marketing value of Dakar, hence the limited edition 911 Dakar that we drove in 2024.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes has a history in the Dakar Rally – but does it have a future? Image: ComGen

Before the G-Wagen was the unofficial SUV of rappers, movie stars and other celebrities, it was a genuinely capable and rugged, Army-approved off-roader. And it was also a Dakar Rally winner, Jacky Ickx won the 1983 edition in a Mercedes 280 GE, helping cement the tough image of the G-Wagen.

Mercedes could take on the Land Rover Defender in the production class, taking their fight from the showroom to the harshest landscape in Saudi Arabia.

Mercedes even has Valtteri Bottas on the books, so why not see if he can follow in the path of Ickx and trade F1 wins for a Dakar victory…

Chevrolet

Ford competing without Chevrolet just doesn’t feel right to us. Especially given how many times these two American icons have fought head-to-head in North American off-road races like the Baja 1000. If Ford can turn the Ranger Raptor into a T1+ prototype, then surely Chevy can do the same with the Raptor-rivaling ZR2 badge it applies to its toughest pickup trucks.

Plus, Cadillac is entering F1 in addition to its LMDh program, so it’s only fair that Chevrolet adds a second global racing program alongside its Corvettes in GT3 competition.

BYD

BYD has the resources to build a Dakar Rally T1+ challenger Image: ComGen

The Chinese brand is becoming a serious global player but in order to take that next step a major image boost is needed. And what better publicity boost than a global racing program, especially in a ‘one-word’ famous event like ‘Dakar.’

BYD could also follow the lead of Audi and enter a hybrid, in keeping with BYD’s “new energy” vehicle mantra. A T1+ version of the Shark 6 racing against the Toyotas and Fords just seems like a golden opportunity for BYD to prove itself against its in-market rivals on the sporting stage.

What brand would you like to see join the Dakar Rally? Let us know in the comments below.