Racing is a very exciting competition. A truck rally is an event that needs to be seen at least once in a lifetime. The most prestigious such world marathon are the stages of the Dakar rally. Many year after year, the amazing Russian "car" is striking - let's get to know it better!
KamAZ "flying"
Model 4911 Extreme - this is the legendary KamAZ participating in the Paris-Dakar rally, as well as in the Silk Road. This “graduate” of the Kama automobile plant, located in Naberezhnye Chelny (Tatarstan), is not only a sports truck. It is designed to urgently deliver goods, following routes with an axial load of up to 78 kN, along dirt roads and rough terrain. The machine can be operated in various climatic zones at a temperature of +50 ... -30 ° .
Why was KamAZ from Dakar nicknamed by fans "flying"? The car is amazingly easy and gracefully lifted off the ground, like a giant bird. By changing the frame, the design of the springs, updating the fragrances, the truck gently lands on the wheels when jumping even from a great height without damage to the crew.
The first race of the “flying” truck took place in 2003. Then, at the Telefonika-Dakar rally, the car took first and third place. More than once, KamAZ 4911 Extreme became the winner of Cappadocia, the Khazar steppes, Desert Challenge, the championship and the Cup of the Russian Federation. And after the Dakar races, the modernization and refinement of the machine always followed.
The French company "Eligor" and the Russian plant "Electron" (Kazan) produce models of scale 1:43 of this model of a sports KamAZ.
Dakarovsky KamAZ: technical specifications
We present in the table the technical characteristics of the heavy truck.
| Parameters |
| Full mass | 11.5 thousand kg |
| Curb weight | 10.5 thousand kg |
| Wheel formula | 4x4 |
| Wheelbase | 4.2 m |
| Front / rear track | 2.15 m |
| Length | 7.3 m |
| Height | 3,5 m |
| Width | 2.5 m |
| Engine |
| Kind of model | YaMZ-7E846 |
| A type | Turbocharged diesel engine |
| Power at 2500 rpm | 552 kW / 750 h.p. |
| Engine location | V-shaped |
| Number of cylinders | 8 |
| Engine capacity | 17.2 L |
| Tires and wheels |
| Tire type | Pneumatic using pressure control |
| Type of wheels | Disk |
| Tire size | 425/85 R21 |
| Transmission |
| Variety | 16-speed manual |
| Cabin |
| Type | Placed above the engine |
| Common feature set |
| Top speed | 165 km / h |
| Outside Turn Radius | 11.3 m |
| Climbing angle | No less than 36% |
| Fuel consumption per 100 km under full load, following off-road at an average speed of 120 km / h | 100 l |
| Layout | AWD, front-wheel drive |
| Years of production | from 2002 to the present |
| Class | T-4, sports truck |
After we learned the technical characteristics of KamAZ from Dakar, we will get acquainted with the team performing in this rally car.
Team "KamAZ-master"
KAMAZ-master is a Russian team of racing drivers whose specialization is participation in rally raids. Serves only on KamAZ trucks. Regular participant in the Dakar rally (formerly called the Paris-Dakar rally) - 14 times the Russians became its winners!
The birthday of the team is July 17, 1988. Its composition, one might say, is stellar - eight masters of sports of the international category, five owners of the World Cup. KAMAZ-master is rightfully considered the strongest team in its class. Like a great KamAZ car from Dakar.
The permanent leader and mentor of the team is Semyon Yakubov, a master of sports of international class. In the period 1996-2002. the pilot of the KamAZ-master was a famous Vladimir Chagin. He has won seven victories in the Dakar races, two World Cups, the title "The Best Russian Racer - 2003". The team’s sponsor is also serious - VTB Bank.
The results of the rally "Dakar-2017"
The last Dakar took place in Bolivia. Many participants recognized it as the hardest in the history of the rally. But the fault was landslides, rains, sat down. But this did not prevent KAMAZ in Dakar-2017 from showing its best. The KamAZ-master team returned from the competition, as in many past years, as the champion:
- The first among the sports trucks was the crew of E. Nikolaev, E. Yakovlev, V. Rybakov.
- The second to finish came KamAZ D. Sotnikova, I. Leonov, R. Akhmadeev.
“Gold” and “silver” - KamAZ awards in the “Dakar” of the current year. Both the sports truck itself and its legendary team reaffirmed the title of best in the world rally-raid. However, racing is not the only path of a "flying" car. Among other things, it can be used for emergency delivery of goods - a car, jumping on springs, will be swept along the road with an arrow.