While the Quads were not invited to the 2025 Dakar Rally, there is still a World Rally-Raid Championship up for grabs for the class at the other four events and CFMOTO Thunder Racing Team is keen on snatching it.

Antanas Kanopkinas and Gaëtan Martinez have returned to the team for the 2025 season, wherein CFMOTO plans to do all four races with quads permitted. Both riders will race the new CFMOTO CFORCE G3, which is lighter than the CFORCE 1000 that they raced in recent years.

The CFORCE G3 Racing Edition uses the same engine as the predecessor: a 963cc, V-twin four-stroke engine that is liquid cooled and has a dual overhead camshaft layout. However, it is more powerful with a top speed of 105 horsepower at 8,200 rpm rather than the 90 hp. Similarly, both have the same dimensions of 2.435 meters long by 1.35 m wide and 1.453 m tall, but the G3 weighs 500 kilograms compared to the G2’s 542 kg.

It carries a 55-liter fuel tank, a 1,480-millimeter wheelbase, and 280 mm in minimum ground clearance. The quad has a Bosch electronic fuel injection system along with a continuously variable transmission, and ventilated disc brakes on all four wheels. The front suspension is an A-arm independent system with 230 mm in travel, while the rear’s trailing arm is independent with 236 mm in travel.

“We will start with the completely new and yet untested CFMOTO CFORCE G3 quad,” said Kanopkinas. “One of its most important improvements compared to its predecessor is its weight: it is 10% lighter. We hope this alone will enhance our speed. Additionally, the quad’s suspension travel has been increased, which should make riding over bumps smoother and less physically demanding.

“We don’t know how everything will perform under high temperatures, at high revs, and over long distances. There are still many unknowns that we will have to figure out on-site. No test can fully replicate the pace of a real race, but we hope everything will go smoothly.”

The quad was unveiled in December.

CFMOTO was the lone non-Yamaha team in the Quad class in 2024. The manufacturer scored its maiden W2RC win at the 2024 Rallye du Maroc with Kanopkinas.

The upcoming Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge marks a return to the race where CFMOTO made its W2RC debut, having finished third in class in 2023 with Adomas Gančierius. The team skipped the 2024 race due to the Red Sea crisis impacting vehicle shipping.