The Nissan Navara to be driven by the popular Portuguese driver Carlos Sousa is the machine used by the Nissan works team in the 2005 Dakar. With certified speed and reliability, this will be a vehicle to watch. Japan’s great hope, Jun Mitsuhashi, will be behind the wheel of a Nissan Pickup 2003, the 2003 works car. A Super Production class vehicle like last year’s X-Trail, this is a prototype powered by a front midship-mounted VQ35DE engine in a pipe frame chassis. Speed- and handling–wise, it is said to be in a different class altogether.

Kenjiro Shinozuka, who has publicly announced that this will be his last Dakar, will be in a Super Production spec 2006 model Pathfinder assembled by Technosports of Italy. With his wealth of experience, he should manage to pilot this machine safely over the Dakar finish line. In addition, Marc Blazquez, fully supported by Nissan Espana, will be driving a Super Production spec Nissan Navara. A completely different machine to Souza’s, this was put together by the Tot Cruces Nissan preparation team. In addition, numbers of Patrols, Pathfinders, and other T2 Production spec machines are also entered. Of the 177 four-wheel vehicles in the race, 27 are Nissans.