You know what the drill is: Bigger tires, stiffer suspension

Bahrain Raid Xtreme presented a wild off-roader that Prodrive built with significant input from Ian Callum, the legendary designer. The Hunter was a vehicle that was designed to conquer the Dakar Rally. However, it did not meet all expectations. Prodrive updated the T1+ regulations for the T1 Class and added some upgrades to make the Hunter T1+, which can be seen here.

The most significant change to the current version is the switch from 17-inch wheels with 37-inch tires to 17-inch ones. The 16-inch wheels of Hunter were fitted with 32-inch tires. That proved to be a problem for BRX at the 2021 rally. Sebastian Loeb, rally legend, was behind the wheel. However, there were several punctures to the tires and a broken suspension arm that resulted in a DNF. Nani Roma drove a second BRX Hunter and finished fifth.

Larger tires mean more suspension travel. The Hunter T1+ has 70 millimeters (2.75 in) more travel. It goes from 280 mm up to 350 mm. Prodrive installs differentials and driveshafts to handle this extra strain. Naturally, the body is also modified to accommodate it. Callum was needed to make a number of adjustments that would have required the removal of approximately half of Hunter’s body panels. Although it is now slightly wider and taller than the original, it retains the aggressive, distinctive appearance that attracted so much attention when it was first introduced.

Gus Beteli, BRX Team Principal, stated that “we are very happy the organizers have addressed this disparity between the buggies & the four-wheel drive T1 cars” and said that larger tires were an advantage over more difficult terrain. “We have learned a lot on our debut and have invested all that learning into improving our car. We believe our Hunter T1+ is an important step forward.”

Loeb, Roma and the Hunter T1+ will be back as drivers for the 2022 Dakar Rallyin Jan 2022.