Dakar Race Trucks: The Weight, Travel and Torque Behind the Spectacle

Hero photograph: Vladimir Chagin’s number 500 Kamaz at Dakar 2011 near Copiapó, Chile. This archive action photograph predates the current rules discussed below. Photo: Kamaz 43269, Dakar 2011 Copiapó by Daniel Peppes Gauer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. None; original photograph displayed at responsive dimensions.

A Dakar race truck makes its size obvious the first time it crests a dune. The less obvious part is how tightly the engineering is bounded. These machines have enormous diesel torque, a limited suspension-travel allowance and enough mass that carrying speed depends on much more than the throttle.

For an off-road fan, the useful questions are straightforward: how much truck is being moved, how much wheel movement is available, and what keeps the whole package working after another day of rough ground? The current FIA rules and two manufacturers’ 2026 race specifications give those questions some real numbers.

The weight rule has two branches

The June 2026 version of FIA Appendix J, Article 287 sets the prototype Group TRUCK minimum at 8,760 kg for engines over 10 liters, with 4,400 kg on the front wheels. For engines of 10 liters or less, the figures are 6,760 kg and 3,550 kg. These are scrutineering minima under Article 4.2, without the crew and their equipment, with required spares and specified fluid conditions.

The same rules permit rigid axles or independent suspension, prohibit active suspension and generally prohibit cockpit adjustment of springs or dampers. A defined exception covers original ride-height adjustment on independently suspended trucks. Vertical suspension travel is limited to 300 mm, measured by the method specified for each suspension type. Front and rear travel straps are compulsory.

Those figures describe the current prototype category. They are not specifications for every historical Dakar truck, and an event’s supplementary regulations still need to be checked.

300 mm puts the suspension in perspective

That travel allowance is about 11.8 inches. The calculation helps explain why a Dakar truck’s huge tires and tall body can be misleading when judging suspension movement from a video. Tire size, ground clearance and wheel travel describe different things.

Watch the truck’s attitude over a sequence of bumps, rather than only the biggest jump. Does the cab settle before the next crest? Is the driver carrying a consistent pace, or repeatedly braking to recover the chassis? Those observations cannot identify an exact damper setting, but they make the footage more informative than a single airborne frame.

Two diesel approaches, two sets of numbers

Hino’s published 2026 HINO600 specification lists an 8.866-liter inline-six, 609 kW (828 PS), 2,520 Nm of torque and a vehicle weight of 8,365 kg. It also lists full-time four-wheel drive, an automatic transmission and an 800-liter fuel tank. Hino’s own description emphasizes maneuverability in its competition with larger-displacement trucks.

For the 2026 Iveco Powerstar, FPT lists its 12.88-liter Cursor 13 at a maximum rated 1,000 hp and 5,000 Nm. The stated 1,150 kg dry weight belongs to the engine, not the truck. FPT also describes how stage data, especially engine temperatures, is reviewed at the end of the day to guide preparation for the next stage; it explicitly distinguishes that process from prohibited live data transmission.

These are manufacturer-published figures for specific 2026 packages. They should not be treated as a standardized head-to-head test. Hino’s published vehicle weight and the FIA’s minimum-weight test also have different stated contexts, so subtracting one from the other would not establish the amount of ballast or spare capacity in the truck.

The smaller truck still needs the whole crew

Hino’s opening 2026 race report identifies Teruhito Sugawara as driver, Hirokazu Somemiya as navigator and Yuji Mochizuki as the onboard mechanic. It also separates trucks entered purely to race from those entered for assistance. A truck number on a Dakar entry list does not, by itself, tell you which job that crew is there to do.

That distinction changes how the class is worth following. Alongside stage times, look for what a team says about repairs, navigation and preparation between stages. A performance story can be hiding in a workshop update: a recurring failure removed, a repair made easier or a driver able to hold a steadier pace.

Hino’s next step is a useful example

In its August 31 announcement for Dakar 2027, Hino says it will develop the 2026 HINO600 further. Its stated priority includes refining the suspension upgrades, stabilizing the truck on rough terrain and giving the driver confidence to maintain the throttle. The team is also bringing three selected dealership mechanics into its support group.

That is a concrete development plan to follow into the next Dakar. The worthwhile comparison will be how well the truck sustains its pace and finishes the work each day. Peak torque gives the story scale; the suspension and crew explain how a team tries to use it.

Technical overview based on the linked FIA regulations and manufacturer publications checked in October 2026. All photographs are explicitly labeled archival images. The pictured 2011 and 2018 trucks are not presented as the vehicles in the 2026 specification examples.