Dakar Classic 2027: Raišys to defend his title in a Land Rover

Lithuania's Karolis Raišys will return to the 2027 Dakar Classic to defend his title, 131 Off-Road reports. Winner in 2026 at the wheel of a 1978 Land Rover Series III, he is aiming for a second consecutive win, which would make him one of only two multiple winners of the category, alongside Spain's Carlos Santaolalla.

A win that ended the Land Cruiser streak

Raišys finished third overall in 2025, then won in 2026 with France's Christophe Marques as co-driver. His victory ended four consecutive overall wins for the Toyota Land Cruiser. His Land Rover was the oldest car in the field in both 2025 and 2026, which gives his achievement a special flavour in a category reserved for period vehicles.

Winning in Africa, the new challenge

According to 131 Off-Road, the driver says he has won the Classic in Saudi Arabia and now wants to try to win in Africa, while noting that the move is not yet official. The site says the ASO is expected to announce that the Dakar will move to Europe and Morocco because of the war in the Middle East, which would make the 2027 edition very different. The Classic is run in January, but no exact dates or route are confirmed. In March 2026, Raišys said he would return but wanted to try something different.

The Dakar Classic in brief

Created in 2021, the Dakar Classic was announced by the ASO in June 2020. It is reserved for older vehicles: only those produced up to 2005 are allowed, against 1999 for the first four editions.

• 2021: Marc Douton (Sunhill Buggy);
• 2022: Serge Mogno (Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ80);
• 2023: Juan Morera (Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ80);
• 2024 and 2025: Carlos Santaolalla (Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ80);
• 2026: Karolis Raišys (Land Rover Series III 109).

The Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ80 had therefore dominated the Classic from 2022 to 2025, until Raišys's Land Rover changed the picture in 2026. If the Lithuanian manages to defend his title, he will join Santaolalla among the category's two-time winners.