Monday 23rd August 2010

Race Touareg 3: VW's 2011 Dakar Racer Unveiled

For the toughest school run ever...

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Volkswagen has revealed its 2011 Dakar challenger, the Race Touareg 3. As the name rather implies, this is the third iteration of VW's Touareg rally-raid off-roader.

The new car is the successor to the Race Touareg 2 (No kidding - Ed), which won the Dakar Rally in 2009 and 2010 - the first diesel-powered vehicle ever to win the event.

VW says that the Race Touareg 3 will be faster and more efficient while retaining the immense strength and durability of the outgoing car. Jolly good.

And if you're wondering why we're covering a diesel-powered school-run off-roader on PH, then think on this: the 2.5-litre diesel gets two turbos, giving it 296bhp and 442lb ft of torque, which it will then employ at up to 15,000 feet above sea level - over almost any ground - to sprint from 0-62mph in 6.1secs on the way to a 117mph top end.

There are also no fewer than through three limited-slip differentials, an upgraded five-speed sequential gearbox and a ZF-Sachs three-plate ceramic clutch.

Wind tunnel testing has led to tweaks to the carbon fibre and Kevlar bodywork - especially the cooling systems around the roof of the vehicle - to reduce disruption to the airflow at high speeds. A new version of the Touareg means some visual changes, including new LED lights, a new grille, window line, rear clamshell and wheels.

Beneath the composite bodywork, there is very little in common with the Touareg road car. Race Touareg 3 has a high-strength steel spaceframe chassis with a pair of springs and damper units fitted to every corner. A set of bespoke BF Goodrich 235/85 R16 tyres provide the grip, and a spare pair of wheels and tyres are carried by the vehicle at all times.

Not quite your average soft-roader...

 

 

[groomi]

Although I love these types of machines, I wish the manufacturers didn't pretend they are anything other than purpose built competition vehicles.

This has about as much to do with the Touareg as my left nostril.

[XitUp]

Does it have plenty of storage space for smuggling coke?

[dylan39]

I suppose its just a billboard that happens to be in the shape of a Toureg.

Its because the public are 'victims' of their own imagination when it comes to advertising that manufacturers bother to do it... At no point do the manufacturers actually claim any similarity!

I worked on the Bentley Le-mans car of 2001 and until a couple of months b4 it raced we didn't know what VAG brand it was going to be... (It actually has more fiat parts - Well the windscreen wiper mech was off an Uno) Then at the 11th hour we machined 'Bentley' into the cam covers and painted it as it appears and hey-presto! - A 'Bentley'

[crmcatee]

Let's hope they can keep them on the ground based on the last time I saw them in action.

UAE Desert Challenge 2008.






And yes - it's just a purpose built race car with a badge on the back saying Towrag.

[ultegra]

I thought the headlights were shared with the road car.

Until I looked more closely......

Shame VAG don't have the bottle to compete in F1.

Edited by ultegra on Saturday 21st August 09:43

[soad]

XitUp said:

Does it have plenty of storage space for smuggling coke?

I doubt it.

Those people only managed to hide a bit more than 800kg of cocaine hidden in a fake Dakar Rally truck last time round.

[crmcatee]

Drill into the roll cage and you'll get heaps in there..

[TheRoadWarrior]

ultegra said:

I thought the headlights were shared with the road car.

Until I looked more closely......

Shame VAG don't have the bottle to compete in F1.

Edited by ultegra on Saturday 21st August 09:43

I thought that was strange.. they seem to have made an effort to make the lights look as much like the road car lights as possible... yet they are obviously not the same units?

[Mr.Jimbo]

That looks the absolute fking tits! Drug capacity/actual model reference can suck my tits, thats cool.


Disclaimer: I may be quite drunk still think its fking cool.

[Jetset Rich]

I love the rear end of the Dakar model with all its bits on show - wishbones, diff, suspenders, oops got confused there...

[ZesPak]

Calling this a Touareg is like Honda calling their F1 car the Honda Accord.
Bonkers machine though...

[B10]

Who actually engineered and made this vehicle?

[chuntington101]

Is this a mid enged car? just thinking there are ALOT of rads/coolers at the front, but then what looks like a massive intercooler vent on top as well as vents to feed the trubos!

Also whats the reason for only a 2.5ltr deisel?

Chris.

[margerison]

crmcatee said:

Let's hope they can keep them on the ground based on the last time I saw them in action.

UAE Desert Challenge 2008.

That's what happens when your co-driver/ballast it too heavy ;-p

Does anyone else think the Touareg and Cayenne are looking more like similar jelly out of the same mould?

[GT Kodiak]

chuntington101 said:

Is this a mid enged car? just thinking there are ALOT of rads/coolers at the front, but then what looks like a massive intercooler vent on top as well as vents to feed the trubos!

Also whats the reason for only a 2.5ltr deisel?

Chris.

The Vent on the roof could just be to supply less sandy air to the cockpit, at 15,000ft above sea level and at that temprature I'm not thinking that being in the passenger seat is going to be... "comfortable".

As for the 2.5ltr Diesel... Economy (Less wieght in fuel)?

[marcosgt]

ultegra said:

I thought the headlights were shared with the road car.

Until I looked more closely......

Shame VAG have more sense than to compete in F1.

EFA.

Pretty sure it's Front Engined - Usually nothing but a pile of spare wheels when you lift the back on a Dakar prototype

M.

Edited by marcosgt on Monday 23 August 16:11

[bobberz]

margerison said:

crmcatee said:

Let's hope they can keep them on the ground based on the last time I saw them in action.

UAE Desert Challenge 2008.

That's what happens when your co-driver/ballast it too heavy ;-p

Does anyone else think the Touareg and Cayenne are looking more like similar jelly out of the same mould?

Yes. That's because they are.

Any chance of that engine in a road car? I wonder how the economy is on it? Looks awesome!

[willE36]

marcosgt said:

ultegra said:

I thought the headlights were shared with the road car.

Until I looked more closely......

Shame VAG have more sense than to compete in F1.

EFA.

Pretty sure it's Front Engined - Usually nothing but a pile of spare wheels when you lift the back on a Dakar prototype

M.

Edited by marcosgt on Monday 23 August 16:11

IIRC, I read a while back that there were plans for a world engine for F1. The NA 2.2l V8 was to be dropped in favour of a 4 pot 1.5l turbo charged engine, to be supplied by VW, starting from 2012 or 2013. 

marcosgt said:

ultegra said:

I thought the headlights were shared with the road car.

Until I looked more closely......

Shame VAG have more sense than to compete in F1.

EFA.

Pretty sure it's Front Engined - Usually nothing but a pile of spare wheels when you lift the back on a Dakar prototype

M.

Edited by marcosgt on Monday 23 August 16:11

IIRC, I read a while back that there were plans for a world engine for F1. The NA 2.2l V8 was to be dropped in favour of a 4 pot 1.5l turbo charged engine, to be supplied by VW, starting from 2011 or 2013. 
Not sure how that's going though, and can't remember where I read that...

= )
Not sure how that's going though, and can't remember where I read that...

= )

Edited by willE36 on Monday 23 August 21:17

[Hereward]

margerison said:

Does anyone else think the Touareg and Cayenne are looking more like similar jelly out of the same mould?

"...The Touareg (internally designated Typ 7L) was a joint venture project developed by Volkswagen Group, who also include Audi, and Porsche, who were also looking to add a luxury-type SUV to its lineup, as a cost-sharing initiative. The goal was to create an off-road vehicle that could handle like a sports car. The team, with over 300 people, was led by Klaus-Gerhard Wolpert, and was based in Weissach im Tal, Germany. The result of the joint project is that the Porsche Cayenne shares the Touareg's Porsche Volkswagen Group PL71 platform, although there are styling, equipment, and technical differences between the two vehicles.[citation needed]

The Volkswagen Touareg is built in Bratislava, Slovakia. The manufacturing plant shares production with Touareg-cousins, the Porsche Cayenne, and the Audi Q7. Due to the demand, and the exchange rates of euros against the US dollar, as well as different pricing and environmental policies in the USA, the V6 and V8 engine variants make up most of Volkswagen's American Touareg offering. However, a limited number of the V10 Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) diesel engines were available in the 2004 model year (before being pulled for environmental reasons). They were brought back to the United States for the 2006 as a "Tier I emissions concept (43 state emissions)..."

[chuntington101]

GT Kodiak said:

chuntington101 said:

Is this a mid enged car? just thinking there are ALOT of rads/coolers at the front, but then what looks like a massive intercooler vent on top as well as vents to feed the trubos!

Also whats the reason for only a 2.5ltr deisel?

Chris.

The Vent on the roof could just be to supply less sandy air to the cockpit, at 15,000ft above sea level and at that temprature I'm not thinking that being in the passenger seat is going to be... "comfortable".

As for the 2.5ltr Diesel... Economy (Less wieght in fuel)?

Yeah looking at the pics a little closer it looks like its front engined. i agree about the lowr weight for both engine and fuel.

Chris.