The Bahrain Raid Xtreme project launched by Prodrive for the 2021 Dakar

Announced last February, the project made in Prodrive for the Dakar 2021 took a new step this Monday, June 15. The company, known for its commitment to WRC with Subaru in the 1990s and 2000s then the team Aston Martin Racing in Endurance (LM P1 and GTE), tackles the rally-raid with the help of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

We are delighted to bring you Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX), an exciting new team competing in @dakar 2021!

We are a team of ambitious trailblazers, ready to be unleashed

See more here: https://t.co/5qnUVnbeCi#BRX #DakarRally pic.twitter.com/RfAoxfoI5O

- Bahrain Raid Xtreme (@BRaidXtreme) June 15, 2020

The team will be named Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) for close friends) and will enter an example in the premier category, the T1. The vehicle, 4,5 meters long, will be equipped with a 6-liter twin-turbo V3.5 gasoline engine and four-wheel drive. The power developed is expected around 400 horsepower for a weight of 1 kg et un couple de 700 Nm. Cette fiche technique a pour but de rivaliser avec les Toyota Hilux 4×4 à V8 essence. 

“The Dakar Rally is one of the great challenges in motorsport, and one that Prodrive has wanted to undertake for a long time, says Team Principal David Richards, and we were waiting for the right opportunity. The idea came from HRH Prince Salman, who wanted to found a team for Bahrain. This was the birth of BRX.

Our design team has been working on the car for over nine months. We have already evaluated the engine on our transient dyno in Banbury and the first chassis is being assembled in our workshop. Forming a new team is incredibly exciting for everyone involved, and we truly believe we have created a team and a car that is perfect for tackling the Dakar desert. »

On the BRX organizational chart, we find the historic personalities of the Prodrive house. David Richards therefore, but also Paul Howarth as Team Principal and David Lapworth on the Technical part. 

Paul Doe, from the Renault Megane R.S. RX and the Mini Countryman WRC, will take care of the Design part. The experience in rallycross will also be crucial for the Dakar, as evidenced by the presence of Arthur Shaw (creator of the engine of the Megane R.S. RX) to direct engine development and Richard Thompson (formerly of the GCK team in World RX) as Chief Engineer. However, we do not yet know the identity of the pilot and his navigator. The bets are open !