The Patagonia Challenge – time to get ready!

Two thousand kilometres. Seven days. Cars that carry the soul of another era. And a landscape that makes you feel very small — in the best possible way.

In November 2025, twelve Argentine Baquets returned to the open road for the inaugural edition of the Patagonia Challenge. These simple, open machines — inspired by the stripped-down racing cars that shaped Argentina’s early motorsport culture — travelled nearly 2,000 kilometres from the vineyards of Mendoza to the lakes of Bariloche.

The Baquet holds a special place in Argentine automotive history. Emerging from the Fuerza Libre and early Turismo Carretera traditions of the 1930s, these lightweight cars were defined by mechanical honesty: exposed wheels, minimal bodywork and engines that communicate directly with the driver. There is little insulation from the outside world. Wind, dust, temperature and terrain are all part of the experience.

The Patagonia Challenge embraces that spirit.

The route follows the legendary Ruta 40 southward through some of Argentina’s most remote landscapes. Participants cross volcanic plateaus, dry Patagonian steppe, river canyons and the foothills of the Andes before reaching the forests and lakes of the Andean lake district.

But the Patagonia Challenge is not a race, and it is not a rally in the competitive sense.

It is a journey.

Progress is measured less by speed than by persistence. Gravel roads test every bolt and bracket, weather can change within hours, and mechanical improvisation often becomes part of the daily routine. Yet these challenges are precisely what make the experience meaningful.

Long stretches of road invite reflection. Conversations continue during carefully planned roadside stops and shared moments along the route. Small breaks to stretch, check the cars or enjoy a quick snack become part of the rhythm of the journey.

And always there is the landscape.

Patagonia has a way of placing things in perspective. The horizons are vast, the roads long, and the sky seems impossibly large. In moments when the engine settles into rhythm and the road stretches toward the mountains, the modern world feels very far away.

A friend once said: life is more beautiful from the seat of a Baquet.

After a week on the open roads of Patagonia, it is difficult to disagree.

The next edition of the Patagonia Challenge will take place 9–16 November 2026, following a revised route through new regions of Patagonia while preserving the spirit of long-distance driving that defines the event.

Participation is kept intentionally limited in order to maintain the character and pace of the journey.