When somebody says that behind the KAMAZ-master Team there is the whole "KAMAZ" plant – it is not just words. Most enterprises of the plant are anyhow related to the execution of orders placed here. Development of each part for a sports car - almost always a kind of know-how, this work requires manufacturers of special creativity.
In September 1988 at the rally Jelcz KAMAZ sportsmen debuted on serial four-wheel drive vehicles KAMAZ-4310. Already in the early 90s, in close collaboration with the plant designers and test persons, the team created their own sports trucks: KAMAZ-49250 and KAMAZ-49251. The most advanced at that time machines of Kama Automobile Plant - military tractors of "Mustang" series were the basis for these machines, on the first car - KAMAZ engine was installed, on the second - American Cummins engine.
In 1995, the team participated in rally on the vehicle with strongly pronounced sports characteristics, which is fundamentally different from conventional trucks - KAMAZ- 49252. The engine of 750 horsepower was mounted on this truck; the vehicle had mid-engine arrangement and large 25-inch wheels. Beveled SUV platform, designed to reduce aerodynamic drag - the original stage of sports truck design. One year later, three sports trucks of new generation will lead KAMAZ crews to the winning podium of automarathon "Paris - Moscow - Beijing."
A few months later, in January 1996, the team for the first time will be the winner of the legendary rally-marathon "Dakar". Experiments on machines were sometimes a little too bold. For example, sports KAMAZ- 49255 had a twelve-cylinder engine with capacity of 1050 horsepower. Its hyper powerful heart was breaking transmission, such situation happened on "Dakar" in 1998. Very often cars were produced in a very short time. In 2002, the FIA imposed a veto upon trucks with a mid-engine arrangement providing good weight distribution and stability for the participation in "Dakar". But the biggest challenge was the fact that these innovations became known only six months before the start of the rally. Within a short time the sports truck KAMAZ- 49256 with engine capacity of 830 horsepower was created. As a result, the car passed this challenge, having brought to KAMAZ team the next gold of Dakar.
A year later, the KAMAZ-master Team has made a new qualitative leap, creating a new model of sports car. KAMAZ- 4911 EXTREME became a sports truck that has no analogues on passability, maneuverability and dynamics. For a unique technical and operational quality it was called as "flying truck". With the 850 horsepower’s engine the truck accelerates from 0 to100 km per hour in 10 seconds. Since 1999, Desert Challenge rally in United Arab Emirates, which conditions are close to Dakar conditions has become the traditional testing ground for technological innovations. Team started a regular work on vehicle mass reduction, increase of travelling comfort and solution of many other important tasks on machines improvement.
In 2007, the organizers of "Lisbon - Dakar 2008" rally changed once again the technical requirements for trucks participating in the race, significantly softening them. So, it was again authorized to competitors participating in this class to create sport cars with no absolute reference to conventional serial trucks. In particular, to move the engine in a certain distance from the cabin. The KAMAZ-master Team took this opportunity, improving weight distribution and maneuverability, as well as increasing the travelling comfort. But new requirements for serialization were imposed. If earlier in order that the truck passes homologation, it was enough to release from the conveyor fifteen such cars, now it was required – fifty within two years. So once again, the car produced by Kama Auto Giant for the army was taken as a basis of a new model.
At the end of 2007 KAMAZ-4326 was manufactured. The new sports KAMAZ truck the first passed homologation in its class. This model embodies all the best technical practices of the team showed its potential in the hardest conditions of Dakar rally-marathon and Silk Way Rally. In 2011, on the basis of this truck modified KAMAZ- 43269 was created. At the wheel of this truck Vladimir Chagin won the 10th anniversary victory of the team on Dakar.
The team continues to use for participation in various competition different modifications of well proven truck KAMAZ-4326 constantly upgrading it. For 2013 some technical innovations are introduced and developed on all cars. For example, all cars got improved brake pneumatic equipment with electronic control.
In 2014, the organizers of "Dakar" rally severely tightened requirements for engine smoke, besides new regulations limit the engine volume to 16.5 liters that will be imposed in 2016. In this regard, only two KAMAZes on the Dakar 2014 were equipped with trusty Yaroslav engine, and on three other race trucks the new engine developed with Liebherr was installed. As well as other racing teams, "KAMAZ-master" continues to work on optimizing the weight of trucks. To reduce the weight of the car the set of lighting technology is improved, for better weight distribution the arrangement of fuel tank is changed.
