GWM's Mass-Produced Off-Road Fleet Takes on China's Largest Desert Rally

Associated Press

2 days ago

XINJIANG, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 1 June 2025 - As engines roared across the vast desert skies, the 2025 Taklimakan Rally—dubbed the 'Asian Dakar"—roared to life in China's largest desert. This FIA-certified premier event stretches 4,500 kilometers across Xinjiang, including 2,350 kilometers of grueling special stages through the infamous 'Sea of Death,' Gobi deserts, and dramatic Yardang landforms—terrain long revered as the ultimate test of man and machine. Marking its boldest return yet, GWM enters the fray with its complete lineup of mass-produced vehicles, unshaken by the challenges that lie ahead.
GWM's Mass-Produced Off-Road Fleet Takes on China's Largest Desert Rally
Early Dominance Proves Production-Level Excellence
GWM has already made a powerful impression, with its unmodified production vehicles dominating key categories. In the T2.1 fuel class, the HAVAL H9 diesel—equipped with a factory-spec 2.4T engine and triple-locking differential—has claimed multiple stage victories, including the punishing SS5 stretch across Moyu's Red and White Mountains. Its confident navigation of shifting dunes and rugged Gobi terrain highlights the brand's expertise in diesel technology and all-terrain engineering.
In the hybrid T2E category, the GWM TANK 300 Hi4-T has emerged as a standout contender. Drivers Yao Weiqiang and Zhou Renbin clinched stage wins in SS2, SS6, and SS7, powered by the model's stock Hi4-T system—a 2.0T engine paired with a P2 motor and 9HAT transmission. The setup's seamless torque delivery and rapid responsiveness in intense sandstorms and steep dune climbs reinforce GWM's new energy off-road platform as both powerful and efficient.
Stock Cars, Extreme Terrain: GWM's Factory Off-Roaders Hold Their Ground
The Taklimakan Rally, recognized globally as a proving ground for endurance, draws elite teams with its unforgiving terrain and rigorous FIA standards. For GWM, the event is more than a competition—it's a bold assertion of technological independence. The brand's three flagship lines—HAVAL, GWM TANK, and POER—are all in the spotlight. Every participating vehicle, from the HAVAL MENGLONG (gasoline) and HAVAL H9 (diesel) to the GWM TANK300 Hi4-T, GWM TANK400 Hi4-T, GWM TANK500 Hi4-Z, and the POER V6, runs with factory-standard engines and transmissions, modified only for safety. No race-tuned upgrades, no compromises—what conquers the desert is exactly what customers can drive off the lot.
Built to Last: GWM's Factory Engineering Faces the Desert Head-On
'We chose to compete in the T2 production class to further validate our production vehicles under extreme conditions,' said GWM CTO Nicole Wu. 'Our goal is to bring the same models designed for our users into the heart of the Taklimakan Rally.'
Throughout the grueling 4,500-kilometer course, every component faces relentless testing—each shock absorbed by the suspension, every spike in engine temperature, every grain of sand in the drivetrain becomes proof of GWM's 'Intelligent Off-Road' capability.
As the rally continues, GWM's message is unmistakable: reliability isn't engineered in laboratories—it's forged in the field. By pushing production vehicles through some of the planet's harshest terrain, GWM is redefining what 'Made in China' means—one sand-covered, stage-winning machine at a time.
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