I took Fords £2m Dakar racer into the forest – its like a WRC car on stilts

LET’S go back to July when it was warm and sunny.

Not big coat weather, like now.

You, in a beer garden somewhere. Me, in a £2million Dakar racer in a private forest.

OMG, Ford.

What a day.

WHAT A DAY!

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Only three people outside of M-Sport have been trusted with the toughest “Built Tough” Ford.

F1 star Carlos Sainz Jr, son of rally and Dakar legend Carlos Sainz. Some other bloke. And me.

And no, I didn’t bend it. Thank God. I haven’t said anything about it until now becausethat’dbejust weird.

Like singing Auld Lang Syne atGlasto.

Dakar is January motorsport.

Sonow’sthe time to get excited.

The 2026 race starts on Saturday and consists of 13 marathon speed tests, surfing sand dunes the size of tower blocks.

There are always crashes.

Each day is the equivalent of a WRC round.Essentially, theentire WRC season in two weeks.

The beating heart of this Raptor T1+ is anaturally-aspirated5-litre Coyote V8 that sends 360hp to all four wheels, via a six-speed sequential gearbox and three diffs.

For two nights, the crews will sleep by their vehicles in standard-issue tents and eat ration packs for meals.

Ford Racing has sent EIGHT cars to Saudi to try to win its first Dakar.

The testing and preparation neverstops. Hence my day with M-Sport at Greystoke Forest in Penrith.

‘A dream to drive’

The beating heart of this Raptor T1+ is anaturally-aspirated5-litre Coyote V8 that sends 360hp to all four wheels, via a six-speed sequential gearbox and three diffs.

No turbos. No electrical assistance. Just a glorious set of lungs you can hear miles before you need to take cover.

The suspension travel is hilarious.

The fuel tank is 500 litres — ten times bigger than a family car.

There are more wires and software codes in here than a SpaceX rocket.

The wheels don’t just look heavy, they are heavy. Like 48kg heavy.

Swapping tyres in soft sand in 34C is like a Hyrox workout. Only harder.

But do you know what? M-Sport has created an engineering masterpiece that’s highly adjustable and easy to drive fast.

Despite its obvious size and width, it handles and changes direction like a WRC Fiesta on stilts.

It’s tremendous fun.

DAKAR GOD

THIS guy is Dakar god Nani Roma – one of only three competitors to have won the legendary race on a motorbike and in a car.

2004 – KTM

2014 – Mini X-Raid

He’s now preparing for his 29th start, spearheading Ford’s attack alongside four-time winner, Carlos Sainz Sr.

Roma, 53, said: “We’ve worked hard on the suspension and weight distribution and made the step up to a faster car.

“We have good equipment and we can fight for the win.”

Brake as late as you dare for a corner, shifting the weight over the front axle, turn left a little to turn right, and exit the corner with crowd-pleasing oversteer. Charge up through the gears and repeat.

The trick Fox dampers — four coilovers, four external bypass — mop up any lumps and jumps, like landing on a bed of pillows.

The driving position is spot on. There’s a flight deck of controls at your fingertips and a hydraulic handbrake to make the rear axle dance on demand.

Honestly, this car is a dream to drive and surprisingly comfy.

Until nature calls.

Some speed tests are 450km-plus on the Dakar and there’s no time to stop. So if you need a pee, you’ll have to sit in it.

Ford has an amazing trophy collection, having won F1, WRC, NASCAR, Le Mans and more.

Can it topple Toyota, Dacia and others and conquer Dakar at only its second attempt?

We’re about to find out . . .