Giniel's Dakar Hilux stars at Goodwood

.

Giniel de Villiers surfing the dunes on the Dakar.

Star of the show on the Toyota stand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, on this week in the Earl of March's backyard, is the South African-built four-litre V8-powered Toyota Hilux bakkie that took Giniel de Villiers to third place in this year's Dakar Rally in South America.

The Boykie from the Boland has also been invited to demonstrate the formidable Hilux's capabilities on the Festival's renowned forest rally stage - do they know what they're letting themselves in for?

Unlikely; it's the first time a South African-developed and built current racing vehicle has been unleashed at Goodwood.

HILLCLIMB STARS

Among the range of current and historic road, race and rally cars will be several different versions of the new 86 coupé, which will be making its UK debut at the festival, on display and in action on the famous Goodwood Hillclimb.

Also starring on the Hill will be the surviving Toyota TS030 Hybrid sports car, following its competition debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this month - Anthony Davidson having comprehensively written off the team's No.1 car - as well as Gazoo Racing's Lexus LFA and 86 coupé, each of which won its class in this year's Nurburgring 24 Hours race.

The Gazoo Racing Lexus LFA won its class at the 2012 Nurburgring 24 Hours.

.

Gazoo Racing is also showing, for the first time anywhere in the world, its Sports FR Concept, a "twin-charged" version of the 86 that adds both a supercharger and turbocharger to the two-litre flat-four engine, boosting power to 196 kW, with revised suspension, bigger brakes and a full sports body kit to match.

UNOBTANIUM

Then there's JDM (Domestic Market only - not available outside Japan) exotica at its very best in the shape of the 82kW GRMN-supercharged iQ, first seen at the Tokyo Auto Salon at the beginning of the year and due for release - in very small numbers, only in Japan - in the third quarter of this year. This one will, however, be seen in action on the Hill.

Completing Toyota's official line-up of cars running on the hillclimb are another 86 with a full set of TRD styling and performance accessories, a road-going version of the Lexus LFA supercar, and Rod Millen's extraordinary Pike's Peak Tacoma, at one time a record holder on the famed Colorado mountain climb.

The rally stage at the Festival of Speed will host the greatest cars from Toyota's sporting history - including all the World Championship Celica models as well as the all-conquering Group B TA64 King of Africa that took a clean sweep of Safari and Ivory Coast rallies between 1984 and 1986. The Celica ST185 and ST 205 GT-Four cars will be joined by the last works Toyota, the WRC Corolla, and by Midgley Motorsport's rare TE27 Corolla Levin from the 1970s.

Motoring newsletter - click here to keep up to speed with the best in motoring