Tatra launches T 162 Karel project

For 20 years, Karel Loprais was one of many prime truck racers on the Paris–Dakar Rally as he received the class six instances in his Tatra 815. In his honour, Tatra Vehicles introduced Tuesday that they’ve began Projekt T 162 “Karel”, an effort to construct the Tatra T 162.

The Tatra T 162 was conceived in 1988, the identical yr that Loprais received the Dakar for the primary time, as a heavy dump truck supposed to interchange the 815. Naturally, the producer additionally hoped to convey it to the Dakar Rally with Loprais. Though a prototype was created, it by no means entered manufacturing and was changed by the T 163 Jamal.

The Karel, named in tribute to Loprais, is a rally raid model of the 162, that includes a twelve-cylinder engine on the rear; this was designed to assist Tatra preserve tempo with different truck powerhouses on the Dakar just like the twin-engined DAF. Nevertheless, will probably be modernised to accommodate for technological advances within the 4 many years since.

Whereas guardian Tatra Vehicles a.s. is greenlighting the trouble, it’s nonetheless a facet mission for workers, which the corporate analogises to Components Pupil programmes at universities. The analysis and growth and technical departments will lead the mission. Over two dozen workers are concerned.

Loprais, who labored for Tatra rising up, received the Paris–Dakar Rally in 1988, 1994 to 1994, 1998 to 1999, and 2001. His closing Dakar was in 2006 earlier than retiring, and he handed away in December 2021 on the age of 72. His nephew Aleš Loprais can also be a rally raider who completed runner-up within the 2024 Dakar Rally’s Truck class, although he drives a Praga.