A Catch Up On 2017’s MVA Winners

How are Dan & Dave (Chatteris to Tokyo) getting on nowadays?

Last year, Dan and Dave claimed the Smart Motoring’s Motor-Vision Awards cash prize of up to £20,000 by pitching their idea of driving from Chatteris to Tokyo in a single Toyota Yaris.

We thought that their idea was so inspiring and ambitious that they deserved to be the winners of the 2017 Motor-Vision Awards. Today, the two of them have almost finished making all of the preparations necessary to begin their expedition and the fun is about to begin!

Here’s a recap on all of the details you need to know about this incredible event so we’re all up to speed and ready to follow Dan and Dave on their once in a lifetime trip.

Who are Dan & Dave?

On the left is Dave, a 36-year-old lover-of-tea and on the right is Dan is a 29-year-old tattoo enthusiast. Both of them work at a Toyota and Lexus tuning parts specialist called Fensport, dealing in the very best performance parts as well as offering maintenance, repair and upgrade services at their workshop.

So, with their extensive skills and experience with working on a wide range of new and old Toyota cars, it’s clear as to why they chose a Yaris for their ‘round the world trip. In the event that anything goes wrong with the car, which it almost 100% will, Dan and Dave will be there ready to put their expertise to good use.

Just how challenging is this journey?

The crazy pair will be traversing to the other side of the world in just one car. This will take them through 20 different countries, across 12,500 miles of road and all of this will happen over the short course of just 9 weeks (if all goes to plan, that is).

Although they may be good friends now, it could all change after they spend 9 weeks of constant road tripping with each other. It will be a great mental and physical strain on the both of them as they spend each day navigating through unfamiliar lands with nothing but each other and a Toyota Yaris to rely on.

It may look easily done on Top Gear, but what they don’t show is all of the extensive planning required for a trip like this. Visas, borders, fuel stations, terrain, outdated maps, camping, food supply, budget, local garages, lack of phone signal and a limited amount of Fajitas and tea are all factors that Dan and Dave need to consider, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

What are their roles during the trip

Travelling around the world as a pair is no small feat and all the responsibilities, which would normally be handled by a much larger team, will have to be divvied down to just the two of them.

Dave will be the leader of mechanical responsibilities, which probably entails making sure they bring all the right tools, spare parts and also ensuring that the car is in peak mechanical condition before they set off. He’s also in charge of day-to-day living which would include their food and water supply and where and what they’ll sleep on.

Dan, on the other hand, will be responsible for the route they will take across these 20 countries, making sure they are taking the most direct, safest and most accessible route possible. He’ll also be in control of the social media to keep us all up to date as to where they are on their travels. Not only that, but Dan will also be the one in charge of sweet talking the locals into hopefully getting discounts, gossip and good directions.

How did Dan & Dave win 2017’s Motor-Vision Awards?

Their idea to drive to Tokyo in a Yaris is not just incredibly cool, it also has purpose. Their main goal is to raise as much money as they can for BBC Children In Need, a noble charity which aims to help disadvantaged children and young people in general in the UK.

A cool, original and ambitious idea is all it takes to be in for a chance of winning this year’s Motor-Vision Awards, so what are you waiting for? Enter today!

What’s the status on their UK to Tokyo road trip?

At the moment, the two of them are still very busy planning the trip. The route is coming on nicely, but as you can imagine it will be double and triple checked before they set off.

Sponsorships have been coming in at a good pace as well as they’ve already been given a nice set of wheels, two lovely sports seats, a solar charging device, dash cams, energy drinks, extra funding and much more. All of which was given to them by sponsors including Monster Energy and Toyota themselves! Not to mention us at Motor-Vision as well, for making this incredible vision a reality.

For the time being, you can expect Dan and Dave to keep us updated on all the modifications they make to their little Yaris, along with any other exciting developments. The duo plan to leave from Chatteris on August 12th (or some time around then), where they will spend the next 9 weeks travelling through Europe and Asia in their trusty Japanese hatchback.

So, there’s a bit about Dan & Dave that you may not have known. Stay tuned for more info on the two adventurers and all things Smart Motoring related.

Dan & Dave pitching their Chatteris to Tokyo 12,000 mile road trip.