Desert Storm

The side-by-side class for utility task vehicles (UTVs) has proven to be hugely popular on the Dakar in recent years. Racecar took a close look at what’s become the buggy of choice in the category, the Can-Am Maverick X3 x RS, to find out why

- Leigh O'Gorman

When a class for UTVs (utility task vehicles) was added to Dakar competition in 2017, few would have envisaged that a single-vehicle would become dominant in just a couple of years – especially one that was not then even on the entry list.

But then Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) entered the fray with the Can-Am Maverick X3 x RS in 2018, and this changed everything. While the field was only slightly up to 11 – from eight in 2017 when it comprised a mix of Yamaha and Polaris UTVs – the bar had been raised substantially, as success was immediate for the North American brand, with Reinaldo Varela taking victory in the Can-Am machine on its debut.

The 2019 result was even more emphatic, with the Maverick X3 x RS locking out the top 17 positions in the side-by-side class. Indeed, such has been the popularity of the vehicle that 24 out of the 30 side-by-side entries for the Peruvian-based event were Mavericks.

Side arm

Can-Am, while better known as the name of a sportscar series of the ’60s and ’70s to many in motorsport, is actually the off-road division of BRP, and it looked long and hard at what was needed before it finally opted on the philosophy for its Maverick racer, explains Olivier Camus, director of global marketing with BRP. ‘We looked not only at the side-by-side category, but also at other segments including rally cars, pick-up trucks – all extreme vehicles – and we took the best technology of them all. We also tried to gather the maximum feedback from our customers to make sure that we were not only answering their needs, but also exceeding their needs.