Home » News » Volkswagen » Volkswagen Race Touareg at Dakar Rally

Volkswagen will bring five Race Touaregs at the 31st Dakar Rally that will take place across the South American continent for the second consecutive year.

Each of the five teams will be tested to the limits behind the wheel of the Volkswagen Race Touareg, as 9,000 Km will have to be covered through the Atacama desert in the north of Chile and back, at altitudes that exceed 4,700 m above sea-level. 

On the same terrain in 2009 Volkswagen won 10 out of the 13 possible stages with the diesel powered Race Touaregs, that developed 280 PS thanks to the 2.5-litre TDI units.

The 2010 Dakar Rally starts on January 1st from Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Volkswagen press release :

Volkswagen will field five Race Touaregs as the team bids to defend one of the most challenging international motorsport events, the Dakar Rally.

Taking place across the South American continent for the second consecutive year, the 31st ‘Dakar’ Rally will see the five Volkswagen teams encountering some of the most demanding terrain on the planet.

The 2010 ‘Dakar’ Rally course starts from Buenos Aires in Argentina on 1 January.  The five teams will be tested to the limits, travelling 9,000 kilometres (5,625 miles) across the Andes, through the Atacama desert’s demanding dune fields in the

north of Chile and back, with altitudes exceeding 4,700 metres above sea-level.  It was over this terrain that Volkswagen made history in 2009 with the Race Touareg becoming the first diesel-powered vehicle to win the legendary event.

The Race Touaregs, powered by a 2.5-litre TDI developing 280 PS, won ten out of a possible 13 stage wins on the way to clinching a famous one-two victory.

Last year’s winning pairing of Giniel de Villiers (ZA) / Dirk von Zitzewitz (D) return to the Race Touareg cockpit, alongside fellow Dakar Rally veterans Carlos Sainz (E) / Lucas Cruz (E) and Mark Miller (USA) / Ralph Pitchford (ZA).  They are joined by Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q) / Timo Gottschalk (D) and the most recent addition to the Volkswagen Motorsport driver line-up Brazilian partnership Mauricio Neves and Clécio Maestrelli.

Neves brings a wealth of experience to the Volkswagen Motorsport team, as the most successful Brazilian driver in cross-country rally racing.  He made his competition debut in the Race Touareg prototype earlier this year at the Rallye dos Sertões, nicknamed ‘Little Dakar’, clinching a class podium and overall sixth place.

Volkswagen Motorsport Director, Kris Nissen explains ‘At the 2009 Dakar Rally, we showed that the Race Touareg is not only the most reliable but also the fastest cross-country rally vehicle in the world and that the Volkswagen Group’s TDI technology is superior to other diesel power concepts.  We have put together a powerful driver’s squad and we want to successfully defend our title at the upcoming ‘Dakar’.’

Tools
Add this page to your online bookmark site:

Related Articles

Leave a Comment

Fields marked with * are required
Name *:
Email *:
Comment *:
Code *:
  CAPTCHA
  • Email
  • YouTube
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • facebook
  • feedburner

Related Specs

  1. 2005 Volkswagen EcoRacer Concept

    Engine: TDI Inline-4, Power: 100.0 kw / 134.1 bhpN/A
  2. 2007 Volkswagen Passat R36

    Engine: 15 Degree Cast Iron V6, Power: 223.7 kw / 300 bhpN/A
  3. 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss

    Engine: 90 Degree AMG V8 w/Dry Sump Lubrication, Power: 484.7 kw / 650 bhp @ 6500 rpm, Torque: 820 nm / 604.8 ft lbs @ 4000 rpm
  4. 2010 Ford Mustang

    Engine: V8, Power: 315 hp @ 6000 rpm, Torque: 325 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm
  5. 2009 Nissan 370Z

    Engine: VQ37VHR Variable Valve Timing NA V6, Power: 332 bhp @ 7000 rpm, Torque: 270 lb-ft. @ 5200 rpm

New Vehicles

Mitsubishi i-MiEV European spec
The European spec version Mitsubishi i-MiEV is scheduled to debut at this year's edition Paris Motor Show, and this new version will be part of 12 vehicles ...

Concept Cars

Nissan Ellure concept announced
The Japanese company has announced its vehicle lineup for the 2010 Los Angeles Motor Show which will include three world debuts. The 2010 L.A. Motor Show ...

Custom Cars

Vorsteiner Porsche 911 Turbo
The North American tuner has launched their latest aerodynamic upgrades for the Porsche 911 Turbo which are offered inside a kit called the V-RT. The ...

Green Autos

Infiniti M Hybrid and IPL G Coupe
Nissan has also announced the new Infiniti models that will premiere at the 2010 Los Angeles Motor Show in November. On November 18th, visitors will get ...

Future Cars

2012 Mazda6 info
More news coming from the British press, this time referring to the 2012 Mazda6 which will come with many new features if comparing to the current generation. ...

Market News

Volkswagen Touran UK price
The German automaker is announcing the 2011 Volkswagen Touran price for UK as the newly launched MPV is now available for order to customers in Britain. ...

Gadgets

EDAG Light Car - Concept for Geneva
Edag - the German design firm, has just prepared an all new concept packed with new technologies for the 79th Geneva Motor Show edition. It is called ...

Various News

Top Gear the Video Game
According to a recent news that surfaced the web, BBC is preparing to star Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May on platforms like mobile phones, ...

Videos

Video: Skoda Fabia VRS review
Autocar has taken the small, yet pretty powerful Czech hatch, the Skoda Fabia VRS for a test drive, and as usual posted their review video online. Powered ...