This year’s Baja Portalegre, the final event in the European Baja Cup, will be the first race appearance of the 2005 Nissan Pickup. Participation in the Baja Portalegre represents a shakedown for both the car and the team before the Dakar.

At first sight, the 2005 version does not look very different from the 2004 car, as the bodywork is identical and only the rear wing has been removed. Although the outside might seem identical, 80% of the car is actually brand-new. Only the central cockpit area of the 2004 Pickup has been retained, as it was the starting point for the design of the 2005 car. It has been an immense achievement to put the new car together in just eight months.

To create this new Pickup, the Nissan Rally Raid team called on a number of first-class partners. The gearbox and transmission section was entrusted to Sadev. The chassis was jointly designed by Don Foster and the Nissan Rally Raid Team. The engine preparation was undertaken by Solution F (which also provides office and workshop space for the team in its facilities in Venelles (France)). Finally, UGS PLM Solutions provided the CAD material for the design team.

The Pickup 2005 will have a new engine, the V6 3.5-litre model having been replaced by a 4-litre engine. This change means increased torque for the car, as well as better driving properties. The mass has also been re-centred, the suspensions redefined and the transmission has been made more reliable.

During two intense test sessions in Tunisia and Morocco in July and September, the team concentrated on two essential areas : reliability and performance.

It will therefore be a new car and new team that will take the start of this Baja Portalegre 500. For the first time, Team Manager Gilles Martineau will have on-site backup from Technical Director Christophe Chapelain and Coordination Director Brice Fabry.

Colin McRae will have the privilege of driving the new Pickup in race conditions for the very first time. The Scottish driver has put considerable time and effort into the development of the car in recent months, and has already covered plenty of kilometres behind the wheel. He will once more be accompanied by Tina Thörner, his Swedish co-driver during the Dakar and the Desert Challenge.

A Baja is a relatively short event as far as distances are concerned, but it is very intense, making it an ideal test session for the Nissan Rally Raid Team, on both the technical and human fronts.