Hino Motors to Enter Two HINO500 Series Trucks in Dakar Rally 2017

Event

Oct 26, 2016

―Team aims to achieve its 26th straight finish since its first entry, and 8th straight victory in its class―

Hino Motors, Ltd. (hereafter “HINO”), working with Team Sugawara directed by Yoshimasa Sugawara as HINO TEAM SUGAWARA, will be entering two HINO500 Series trucks in Dakar Rally 2017, which is to be hosted by three countries―Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina―from January 2 through 14, 2017. The team aims to achieve its 26th straight finish since its entry in 1991 as the first Japanese truck manufacturer to join the rally, and its eighth straight class victory in the Under 10-litre Class, prizes that it has been racking up since 2010.

Based on the truck that raced in the 2016 rally, Car 1 has been given engine and suspension upgrades and will be piloted by Yoshimasa Sugawara. Car 2, to be piloted by Teruhito Sugawara, is a brand new truck that was built for the 2017 rally, and has also received engine and suspension upgrades. Based on analyses of data acquired in the Silk Way Rally that the team entered for the first time this July, the truck has undergone durability upgrades―without altering its basic construction― including the use of thicker pipes in its rear body frame. In order to keep up with the speed produced by the power line, the performance of which has been improving every year, the team has shifted its design focus to building a robust body, and is thoroughly prepared to take on its European monster truck rivals.

In keeping with tradition, all team mechanics were selected from among applicants from Hino dealerships nationwide, with one mechanic each from Fukushima Hino, Ishikawa Hino, Okayama Hino and Hiroshima Hino. Just as last year, the team will also be joined by one mechanic sub-leader from Hino’s Vehicle Planning & Production Engineering Division.

By continuing to take part in what is known as the most grueling rally on the planet, Hino is committed to honing its truck-building and service capabilities to achieve its corporate mission, which is to make the world a better place to live in by helping people and goods get where they need to go―safely, economically and with environmental responsibility―while focusing on sustainable development.

HINO500 Series truck specifications for Dakar Rally 2017

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	Car 1	Car 2
Length	6,290mm	6,370mm
Width	2,500mm
Height	3,150mm
Wheelbase	3,890mm	3,970mm
Gross weight	7,300kg	7,400kg
Engine model	A09C-TI (with turbo intercooler)
Engine type	Inline 6-cylinder 4-cycle diesel
Total engine displacement	8.866L
Maximum output/rpm	650ps/2,200rpm
Maximum torque/rpm	230kgm/1,200rpm
Fuel tank capacity	700L
Drive type	Part-time four-wheel drive	Full-time four-wheel drive
Transmission	6-speed forward, 1-speed reverse
Transfer	With hi-lo range switching
Tires	XZL 14.00R20

HINO TEAM SUGAWARA Dakar Rally 2017 team members

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Team director and driver of Car 1	Yoshimasa Sugawara (Japan Racing Management)	Navigator	Mitsugu Takahashi (Japan Racing Management)
Driver of Car 2	Teruhito Sugawara (Japan Racing Management)	Navigator	Hiroyuki Sugiura (Japan Racing Management)
Mechanic leader	Seiichi Suzuki (Japan Racing Management)	Mechanic sub-leader	Masaki Nakamura (Vehicle Planning & Production Engineering Div., Hino Motors)
Mechanic	Hiroyuki Azuma (Fukushima Hino Motor)	Mechanic	Koji Nakamura (Ishikawa Hino Motor)
Mechanic	Junya Inoue (Okayama Hino Motor)	Mechanic	Kenji Kunimoto (Hiroshima Hino Motor)

Image 1: The HINO500 Series trucks to take on Dakar Rally 2017
Image 2: HINO TEAM SUGAWARA Dakar Rally 2017 team members