The Peking to Paris Motor Challenge is back, testing endurance rally drivers across 37 days and some 14,000 kilometres – two years running.
The most recent Peking to Paris was held five years ago, but the wait for the next won’t be anywhere near as long. Interest has been so high that it’s going to be held in 2025, too.
Entrants will be tasked with reaching Paris from the Peking starts in five weeks, kicking off on 18 May 2024. The terrain will be everything from desert to mountain ranges, Tarmac to pothole-ridden gravel.
Cars made before 1975 are eligible, split in three classes: A – Pioneer up to December 1920, B – Vintage & Vintageant from January 1921 up to December 1947 and C – Classic from January 1948 to December 1975.
The event has been years in the making for HERO-ERA, thanks to closed borders and world shutdowns, but the reconnaissance trips have been worth it. Roads not even found on maps have been traced, impassable routes have been beaten – and competitors will have to follow in those wheeltracks.
From Peking the 100 or so teams will take dirt tracks to Hohhot and on to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia through the Gobi desert. Into Kazakhstan, across country to Baku in Azerbaijan, Tbilisi in Georgia and Turkey follows before reaching Greece, Italy and the final run to Paris. Numerous regularities and hillclimbs will be scheduled, plus stops at various automotive meccas.
