Volkswagen’s Race Touareg took first place in the 2009 and 2010 Dakar rallies, and the brand hopes to bring home a third straight trophy with a revised truck for the 2011 rally. The off-road race takes place in Chile and Argentina next January and, like every year, will cover about 5000 miles.
Admittedly, the Race Touareg 3 isn’t much like the Touareg you’ll find at your local Volkswagen dealership. It’s built on a steel space frame with carbon-fiber and Kevlar body panels. The interior is all business, with race seats and rally navigation equipment sharing space with several rows of toggle switches and fuses. Power comes from a twin-turbocharged, 2.5-liter diesel engine good for 296 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. The transmission is a five-speed sequential unit fitted with a triple-plate ceramic clutch. Volkswagen says this Touareg can accomplish 0–62 mph in 6.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 117 mph.
Because the Dakar route crosses everything from deserts and sand dunes to gravel roads 15,000 feet above sea level, the truck also needs a serious chassis. It rides on two springs and shock absorbers at each corner and special 16-inch BFGoodrich tires measuring 9.25-inches wide. The keen-eyed may also note the Race Touareg 3 has a slightly updated look, with new LED lights, wheels, a new grille, and revised roof cooling scoops. It’s already covered 10,000 kilometers of shakedown runs in anticipation of its Dakar torture test.
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- 2011 Volkswagen Touareg – Official Photos and Info
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