About the X-raid Team

The Dakar Rally is one of the toughest tests of endurance – technically, logistically, physically, and mentally. Vehicles, drivers, and the entire X-raid team constantly work to their limits. The team from Trebur near Frankfurt am Main has been tackling this challenge for over 23 years: battling through deserts, over rocky tracks, and at high altitudes, braving extreme temperature fluctuations, rain, and mud.

Six Dakar victories and countless successes in cross-country rallies around the world are testament to the passion and team spirit of each individual. But X-raid is more than just a motorsport team: Vehicles such as the BMW X3 CC, the MINI ALL4 Racing, the MINI John Cooper Works Rally, and the buggy were developed in cooperation with long-standing partners and assembled at the company headquarters.

The Dakar Rally as a teacher

X-raid draws on a wealth of experience from numerous participations in the legendary desert rally – not only in the preparation of the rally cars. The service fleet, which transports the team members from bivouac to bivouac, also clocks up thousands of kilometers under sometimes the most adverse conditions. X-raid first fielded the MINI Countryman in 2010 and has consistently adapted it to meet its specific requirements over the years.

Although the service vehicles mostly travel on public roads, their condition is often poor, especially in South America: potholes and gravel sections are part of everyday life. To prevent damage and improve drivability, the team increased the ground clearance of the MINI Countryman.

During the Andes crossings between Argentina and Chile during the Dakar Rally from 2012 to 2016, the service vehicles had to cover hundreds of kilometers on gravel with sharp-edged rocks. Tire damage was the result, and changing tires at over 4,000 meters is literally breathtaking. X-raid brought this problem under control with more robust tires and rims.

The MINI Countryman powered by X-raid was also an integral part of the X-raid Team Service fleet at the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia from 2020 to 2023.

The X-raid team is managed and operated by X-raid GmbH. X-raid Motorsport GmbH operates this online shop and is an independent company specializing in marketing, including products related to the racing team, the Dakar collection, and X-raid Team merchandising items.