After the 2026 Dakar Rally, Akira Miura will swap his Land Cruiser for a GR DKR Hilux as he graduates to the Ultimate class.

Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body confirmed Friday that Miura will depart the team and the Stock category following January’s race, after which he’ll join Toyota Gazoo Racing and the top flight for the rest of the World Rally-Raid Championship. TGR and TAB are both overseen by the broader Toyota Motor Corporation, though the former is based in Europe while the latter is Japanese.

Miura has been with Toyota Auto Body since 2005, mainly as a member of the company’s public relations office. He made his Dakar debut in 2007 as a navigator for Jun Mitsuhashi, winning the production class twice with Mitsuhashi and Nicolas Gibon.

He switched to the driver’s seat in 2016. While helped by the category being quite barren save for the Land Cruisers, Miura enjoyed much success with five more wins in 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.

Since 2024, he’s also been dabbling in Ultimate with a Hilux from Overdrive Racing. He won the class in his first race at that year’s Baja Greece before placing fourth at the Qatar International Baja.

In May, four months after claiming the Dakar Stock crown for a fifth time, Miura rejoined Overdrive for the W2RC’s South African Safari Rally where he finished 19th. He also did the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal but retired.

As Toyota Auto Body’s lead driver, Miura has been instrumental in developing the team’s 300 GR Sport, especially with the arrivals of new FIA Stock rules and rival Defender Rally. While Miura won’t be helping Toyota try to claim the inaugural W2RC Stock title, his teammate Ronald Basso will do so.

“This new challenge is significant not only for driver Miura but also for our company,” Toyota Auto Body stated. “We believe that the technology and knowledge gained in the W2RC will contribute to the further evolution of the Land Cruiser and to the creation of stronger and safer vehicles. We will support this challenge and utilize the experience gained in our Dakar Rally activities.

“We hope you will follow driver Miura’s final Dakar Rally with TLC in 2026 and his subsequent new challenges. We sincerely look forward to continuing to forge the future of the Land Cruiser together with you, and we ask for your continued support.”

Armand Monleón will serve as Miura’s navigator at TGR. Monleón is working with Toby Price for Dakar.

Featured image credit: Edoardo Bauer / Edophoto / ASO