The Dakar is a punishing and gruelling event regardless of the vehicle used; even the dedicated racers from manufacturers like Peugeot and Mini can struggle. Now imagine tackling the rally in a Fiat Panda, a car that can't rank highly on many people's Dakar off-roader list.
That didn't deter Giulio Verzeletti though, who became the first man to get an Italian car to the finish when his PanDakar came home in 55th on this year's event. The Panda was also the first non-prototype city car to reach the finish. It's the fourth time a Panda has entered the event, with three previous DNFs.
The PanDakar team swapped the standard 1.3-litre diesel for a burlier 2.0-litre lump, to ensure it has the power at high altitude. There's also Sachs suspension, additional radiators, Sparco seats and belts, BF Goodrich off-road tyres and OZ wheels. Verzeletti says around 2,000 hours have work went into the Panda, which is probably more than has even been spent on a Panda before! Of his humble steed, Verzeletti said "The biggest limit is just its size. The suspension travel is so small that it takes a real pounding all day. You certainly feel it by the evening!" Quite some effort.
Here's a video of the PanDakar in testing looking, well, busy across the lumps and bumps. How this was driven for weeks on end is a mystery. All the best for next year Team PanDakar!