The Fiat PanDAKAR, which memorably tackled the Dakar Rally a year and a half ago, will be taking on the roughest terrain once again later this month as one of the tiny machines has been entered in the gruelling HunGarian Baja 2008.

The Fiat PanDAKAR, which memorably tackled the rigours of the North African desert Dakar Rally a year and a half ago, will be taking on the roughest of off-road terrains once again later this month as one of the tiny rally machines has been entered in the gruelling HunGarian Baja 2008, which is set to be held between 21-24 August.

The diminutive Fiat Panda, always designed as a highly compact city runabout, was entered by Fiat on the 2007-edition of the world-famous Dakar Rally, in a bold ploy that would see the A-segment 5-door car thrown into the toughest of motor sports arenas. And it was by far the smallest car to test itself on a legendary event that attracts tough vehicles specially built to withstand the harsh terrain.

Virtually showroom standard, and with the 1.3-litre 16v Mutijet engine only mildly tweaked by Fiat Powertrain Technologies, two factory-run PanDAKARS turned up at the startline of the North African desert rally, one piloted by Italian former FIA World Rally Champion Miki Biasion with the other in the hands of French veteran Bruno Saby, a previous Dakar winner.

However the Panda's bold challenge swiftly faded in the desert heat, and with Fiat reorganising its rally competitions under the Abarth brand name, the three converted PanDAKARs were sold off to a private Italian rally-raid team.

The Orobica Raid team will enter a PanDAKAR on the HunGarian Baja this month. Due to the performance and the size of the vehicle, the PanDAKAR was considered to be a curiosity on the Dakar, and this statement will be true for this year’s HunGarian Baja as well. The rally organisers' are keen to see what this car, weighing only 1,400 kilograms and equipped with its 1.3 litre turbodiesel engine, will be up for on the tracks near Veszprém.

Entries have been continuously arriving from teams confirming their participation in the HunGarian Baja. One favourite will be the Portuguese champion of 2004, Rui Sousa, who, along with his navigator Carlos Silvaand, will be driving an Isuzu D-Max 3.0 TD, which will be a real novelty in Hungary. The pair will fight for the Baja cup in the T2 group. The HunGarian Baja will not only be part of the international Baja series, but will also qualify as one of the races in the Hungarian Cross Country Rally Championship.