BRX Confirms It Will Participate In The Dakar 2020 Rally

Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) has announced that it is redesigning its off-road vehicle called the Prodrive Hunter to meet the new T1+ regulations announced by FIA. T1+ is a top class of the Dakar 2020 off-road race alongside the T1-E class. BRX notes that it has redesigned the Prodrive Hunter specifically to meet the regulations of the new class.

The Hunter will run on larger tires and have increased suspension travel along the wider track. The tires are 37-inches tall and are fitted to 17-inch rims replacing the 32-inch tires and 16-inch rims on the current model. Suspension travel has increased from 280 millimeters to 350 millimeters while the width of the body increases from 2 meters to 2.3 meters.

The dimension changes required BRX to make some significant changes to the drive train, suspension, and bodywork for the vehicle. The suspension geometry had to be reconfigured utilizing longer wishbones and dampers. Larger brakes were included, thanks to the 17-inch wheels. Adding the significantly larger tires increases the drivetrain load, so the driveshafts and differentials have all been modified.

To accommodate the wider track, almost half of the bodywork was redesigned. The bodywork was also restyled to suit the new regulations while keeping the same distinctive look the Hunter is known for. Thanks to the redesign of the bodywork, a large windscreen was fitted with a new programmable wiper to improve driver visibility.

The onboard jacks were improved by making them lighter and stronger with the ability to lift the car faster. Those jacks also respond to an electric pump for additional reliability. Since the T1 car was redesigned, its first outing was at Baja Aragon. The T1 did very well at the event, with pacesetting times on eight of the 11 sectors of the rally. The first T1+ car is currently being built and will run for the first time in September.