To prepare for the 2026 Dakar Rally, Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body will pull double duty in Morocco in October. Akira Miura will race the Land Cruiser 300 GR Sport at the Baja Morocco before he and Ronald Basso compete in the Rallye du Maroc a week later.

The Baja Morocco will be the team’s first non-FIA race since the 2019 Silk Way Rally, which Miura won in T2. That honor would have gone to the Carta Rallye in April, also held in Moroccan, but TLC withdrew after encountering critical mechanical problems during shakedown.

The team’s 300 GR Sport is brand new, intended to conform with 2026 FIA Stock regulations. While they have won the last 12 Dakar Rallies in the Stock class, the new rulebook and incoming debut of Land Rover means they’re facing their stiffest competition in years. Thus, they’ve been hard at work ironing out the kinks.

Toyota Auto Body conducted their annual Moroccan summer test in late May. A second two-day test will run on September 16–17 to test the durability of parts like the tires, brakes, and suspension.

As he usually does, Jean-Michel Polato will serve as Miura’s navigator for both races. Julien Ménard will join Basso in the second Land Cruiser at the Rallye du Maroc.

The Baja Morocco will take place on October 2–6, followed by the Rallye du Maroc on October 10–17.

Featured image credit: Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body