Buggyra Racing is ending its decade-long reliance on Tatra technology in the truck category, launching a multi-year development project built around the Mercedes-Benz Zetros for the 2027 Rally Dakar. The Czech team officially unveiled its new cross-country program on September 26, 2026, at the Bugatti circuit during the 24 Heures Camions race weekend in Le Mans, according to official team announcements reported by Buggyra and iDNES.cz.
The transition marks a distinct break from Buggyra’s previous truck lineup. At the 2026 Rally Dakar, Martin Šoltys competed in a newly built Buggyra Invictus on a Tatra chassis, while Karel Poslední drove a Tatra Buggyra EVO3. Under the new program, Buggyra is building two Mercedes-Benz Zetros racing specials entirely in-house with support from Mercedes-Benz and its regional structures, though detailed technical specifications such as engine output and transmissions have not yet been released.
Logistics and Testing Schedule for Dakar 2027
Building two trucks directly addresses the demanding logistical turnaround required by modern cross-country rally schedules. Following the January 2027 Rally Dakar, Buggyra plans to enter the Africa Eco Race, necessitating two vehicles so the team can deploy equipment to Africa while Dakar machinery is still in transit back to Europe. The team stated that building two units does not automatically mean both will start the Dakar itself, with the final driver lineup for the 2027 race scheduled for an official announcement in mid-November.
Driver Lineup and Technical Leadership
Martin Šoltys assumes a dual role as the central figure of the new project. The eight-time Dakar participant steps into the position of technical director for Buggyra’s truck section alongside his driving duties, bringing cumulative experience from past long-distance endurance events to the Zetros development process. Téo Calvet joins the driving roster after competing in four French truck racing championships and serving as an ambassador for Daimler Truck France within the Buggyra France Academy. Calvet made his Dakar debut earlier in 2026. Aliyyah Koloc rounds out the testing program as the official test and reserve driver, bringing prior Dakar experience in the T3 and T1+ categories.
Wider Field Shifts and Tatra Presence
Personnel shifts across the service parks accompanied the vehicle change. Karel Poslední, who raced with Buggyra through the 2025 and 2026 Dakars, departed the team during the summer to join Martin Macík’s MM Technology client program, where he is preparing an MMT EVO5 for the 2027 rally. Meanwhile, Tatra machinery remains active in the category through the Czech team Fesh Fesh, which tested its new Tatra FF8 4×4 ahead of the 2027 Dakar entry list.
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