“We will be facing strong rivals”
Crew facts
AM
- Akira Miura is a pure product of the Toyota Auto Body school. The Japanese started on the Dakar as a co-driver, first with Jun Mitsuhashi back in 2007, then with Frenchman Nicolas Gibon with whom he managed his best ever performance, finishing 14th when the rally visited South America for the very first time.
- He then perfectly adapted to the steering wheel as an official Toyota Auto Body driver in 2016, reaching the finish of all his Dakar adventures and clinching the T2 production car title on five occasions including the one conquered last year.
- In January the 42-year-old will be starting his 17th Dakar. The goal will once again be to win the Stock class and to do so he’ll not only need to beat his biggest rival and team mate: Ronald Basso, but also the Defender armada that appears in the category with the likes of Dakar legend Stephane Peterhansel, Rokas Baciuska and Sarah Price.
- At his side, Miura will count on the help of a Jean-Michel Polato with whom he tested the upgraded version of his LandCruiser 300 GR Sport at the Rallye du Maroc. Both men even enjoyed a racing experience in a totally different vehicle: a T1+ Toyota Hilux that they took to 29th place in the Ultimate category at the Safari Rally in South Africa.
Ambition
A.M.
“The last Dakar felt really long. In the first half and the middle stages, we struggled with various troubles, and there were moments when I wondered if we would really have any chance to fight back. But having my teammate—my greatest rival—there helped me maintain a high level of concentration throughout. This event demanded strong mental toughness.The new rally vehicle's improved off-road capabilities have made it significantly faster, and I feel the potential of the Land Cruiser 300 GR SPORT has been further expanded. However, with increased speeds, even a small mistake by us drivers can cause significant damage to the vehicle and potentially determine the outcome. During our tests in Morocco, we focused not only on achieving the development goals for the rally vehicle, but also on finding the optimal pace while working with our navigator to figure out how to manage the Dakar Rally with this vehicle. We gained a lot of experience, particularly in the Baja Morocco and Morocco Rallies. Based on these considerations, we will continue to work out our strategy as a team until the start of Dakar 2026 so that we can make the best possible decision. We will be facing strong rivals, and competing against their fast cars will not be easy”.
“The last Dakar felt really long. In the first half and the middle stages, we struggled with various troubles, and there were moments when I wondered if we would really have any chance to fight back. But having my teammate—my greatest rival—there helped me maintain a high level of concentration throughout. This event demanded strong mental toughness.The new rally vehicle's improved off-road capabilities have made it significantly faster, and I feel the potential of the Land Cruiser 300 GR SPORT has been further expanded. However, with increased speeds, even a small mistake by us drivers can cause significant damage to the vehicle and potentially determine the outcome. During our tests in Morocco, we focused not only on achieving the development goals for the rally vehicle, but also on finding the optimal pace while working with our navigator to figure out how to manage the Dakar Rally with this vehicle. We gained a lot of experience, particularly in the Baja Morocco and Morocco Rallies. Based on these considerations, we will continue to work out our strategy as a team until the start of Dakar 2026 so that we can make the best possible decision. We will be facing strong rivals, and competing against their fast cars will not be easy”.
