Posts Tagged ‘Touareg TDI’

VW Touareg 3 TDI Dakar Challenger

Touareg 3 TDI
Replacing the Race Touareg 2, twice winner in 2009 and 2010 of the gruelling Dakar Rally and the first diesel-powered vehicle ever to win the event, the new Race Touareg 3 promises to be faster and more efficient while retaining the immense strength and durability of the outgoing car.

Wind tunnel testing has led to changes being made to the carbon fibre and Kevlar bodywork with particular attention to improving the cooling systems around the roof of the vehicle while minimising disruption to the airflow at high speeds. At the same time the changes have meant the Touareg has adopted a fresh look with new LED lights, a new grille, window line, rear clamshell and wheels.

Beneath the bodywork the twin-turbocharged 2.5-litre TDI engine has been optimised to allow greater economy while still producing 300 PS and 442 lbs ft of torque. It has also been revised to cope with the severe altitude changes incurred on the Dakar with the vehicle climbing to heights of over 15,000 feet above sea level. The Race Touareg 3 can now adapt to these conditions, meaning the performance doesn’t suffer despite the thinner air encountered at such altitudes.

The 2.5-litre engine channels its drive through three limited slip differentials via a newly upgraded five-speed sequential gearbox and a ZF-Sachs three-plate ceramic clutch.

The result is the ability to accelerate to 62 mph in 6.1 seconds before reaching a top speed of 117 mph in nearly any conditions.

In order to maintain these speeds in extreme off-road conditions the Race Touareg 3 needs to be able to withstand the rigours passing over sand dunes, through deep mud, and across gravel and broken tarmac roads. As a result the Race Touareg 3 is based on a high-strength steel spaceframe chassis with a pair of springs and damper units fitted to every corner in order to protect the vehicle against severe impacts. A set of specially developed BF Goodrich 235/85 R16 tyres provide the grip while a pair of wheels and tyres are carried by the vehicle at all times.

The new Race Touareg 3 has already undergone shakedown tests comprising 10,000 kilometres of simulated special stages ahead of the 2011 Dakar Rally. This equates to twice the length of the Rally itself and a greater distance than Formula 1 cars cover in an entire season.

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Posted in Diesel News, TDI Owners

LIGHTER, CLEANER AND READY FOR ALL CONDITIONS: THE NEW TOUAREG

The all-new Touareg has been unveiled – a car which is up to 200 kg lighter and up to 20 per cent more fuel efficient than the model it replaces. It’s sharper, cleaner and yet, in Hybrid form, able to out-accelerate many hot hatches while returning 34 mpg on the combined cycle. The new vehicle maintains all the same virtues of space, comfort, refinement and off-road and towing ability that have led the original Touareg to build up a loyal following since its launch in 2003.

Clean new styling which draws inspiration from the design direction established by the Golf Mk VI, the new Polo and the New Compact Coupé concept lends the new Touareg greater presence and a lower drag coefficient without sacrificing the functional requirements of short front and rear overhangs for off-roading.

The overall length and wheelbase of the Touareg have each grown by 40 mm to measure 4,758 mm and 2,900 mm respectively. The width of the new Touareg remains as before at 1,928 mm while overall height drops by 20 mm to 1,724 mm.

The changes over the outgoing model extend far beyond new styling. Standard examples of the new Touareg will feature an eight-speed transmission as well as, on the majority of models, Start/Stop technology, touchscreen satellite navigation and leather upholstery. In addition, a choice of advanced new options can be specified including High Beam Assist that automatically dips the headlights when it senses oncoming traffic, Side Assist to warn of vehicles occupying blind spots, adaptive roll compensation air suspension and air conditioned, massaging seats.

At the heart of the new Touareg is a range of highly efficient petrol and diesel engines and, for the first time, a Hybrid.

The new Touareg Hybrid brings together a 3.3-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine producing 333 PS and 265 lbs ft of torque and an electric motor generating 47 PS, resulting in a total output of 380 PS and 428 lbs ft of torque. The electric motor can operate independently of the combustion engine making the new Touareg a full hybrid. On electric power alone the new Touareg is capable of travelling at speeds of up to 30 mph. Alternatively the electric motor can supplement the V6 engine to provide a useful boost during overtaking manoeuvres and allows the Touareg Hybrid to accelerate from rest to 62 mph in 6.5 seconds before reaching a top speed of 149 mph.

The entry-level engine and the likely volume seller is a powerful and refined 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine generating 240 PS and 405 lbs ft of torque while returning 38.1 mpg and emitting 195 g/km of CO2 to place it in VED band J.

A new 4.2-litre TDI V8 engine producing 340 PS and 590 lbs ft of torque sits at the top of the new Touareg range. Despite its substantial power and torque outputs the new engine is still capable of achieving 31 mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 239 g/km of CO2.

The new Touareg range will extend to four versions in the UK: SE, Altitude, Hybrid and Escape. The Escape model, available with the V6 TDI engine, features a system called 4XMOTION which comprises reduction gearing, centre and rear differentials that can each be fully locked for off-road applications and five stage control for the four wheel drive system. The first stage is for on-road applications, the second is for off-road use and activates automatic control for the mechanical differential locks, stage three engages the low-range gearbox with revised mapping of the gearbox to raise the shift points and switches off the automatic upshift in manual mode. Stage four applies the centre differential lock, stage five adds the rear differential lock.

The greater refinement afforded by the new drivetrain is matched by an all-new interior featuring a subtle mix of leather, wood and aluminium highlights and more space than ever before thanks to the longer wheelbase on which the new Touareg sits. Though the Touareg remains a five-seater, legroom in the rear has grown significantly due to the new sliding rear bench and reclining backrests while the boot measures from 580 litres to 1,642 litres depending on the seating arrangement.

Production of the new Touareg for the UK market starts in June before first deliveries commence in August. Prices and specifications will be announced nearer this time.

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Posted in Diesel News, TDI Owners, VAG Topics

VOLKSWAGEN DEFENDS DAKAR RALLY TITLE WITH ONE-TWO-THREE

Volkswagen has won the legendary Dakar Rally for the second time in succession. The Volkswagen duos and their TDI powered Race Touareg prototypes celebrated a one-two-three podium lockout at the finish of the toughest challenge in motorsport. In the process, Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz (E/E) triumphed by only 2 minutes 12 seconds ahead of team mates Nasser Al-Attiyah / Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) in a thrilling finale on the closing 202 kilometre sprint on the 14th and final rally day. Mark Miller / Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) claimed third position while last year’s winners Giniel de Villiers / Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) finished seventh.

‘I’m incredibly proud of our team. It’s stunning what the drivers, co-drivers and the entire team have achieved on every single day of the Dakar Rally. With this one-two-three triumph Volkswagen Motorsport even surpassed its own lofty goals,’ says Dr. rer. pol. h. c. Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz, Member of the Board of Management at Volkswagen AG for procurement, at the finish of the final stage.

Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen explains: ‘Three weeks ago a highly motivated Volkswagen team came with the goal of successfully defending the Dakar title won last year. Volkswagen has achieved something historical with this one-two-three. We are not only unbeaten in South America, we are also the only manufacturer to have won the world’s hardest rally up to now with diesel technology. The Volkswagen drivers fought amongst themselves for victory all the way to the chequered flag – sometimes by hard but fair means. This is exactly how we imagine motorsport to be. My congratulations therefore go to every Volkswagen duo who would all have been worthy winners.’

The Wolfsburg based brand remains the only manufacturer to have won the car category of the Dakar Rally with diesel power. TDI technology was already dominant in 2009 in Argentina and Chile. In addition to the efficiency of the Volkswagen Group’s diesel direct injection technology the Race Touareg’s reliability was the key to the 2010 Dakar victory. Despite the extreme demands, the powerful 300 hp Race Touareg proved to be not only the most robust, but also the fastest vehicle recording seven of a 14 possible stage victories and eleven days in the lead credited to the four-wheel drive racers from Wolfsburg.

The result of the rally kept observers and fans alike on tenterhooks up to the finish line. Sainz / Cruz, Al-Attiyah / Gottschalk and Miller / Pitchford led in this order since the fifth Dakar Rally stage. However, at no point did any driver duo have an unassailable lead. In a strong final burst Al-Attiyah / Gottschalk edged ever closer, repeatedly taking seconds from their Volkswagen team mates Sainz / Cruz and, in doing so, staged an open and hard duel for the leading position. The Qatari / German duo made up ground specifically in the dune sections – which once again formed one of the Dakar’s core elements – while the Spanish pairing of Sainz / Cruz controlled proceedings on the fast, twisty gravel sections.

As varied as the fight in the overall standings was – two stage wins went to Sainz / Cruz, four to Al-Attiyah / Gottschalk, one to Miller / Pitchford – so challenging proved the 32nd running of the Dakar Rally. In addition to the varied stages across soft, powder-like sand and through towering and endless dune fields of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, there were also gravel sections and tracks through enormous boulder fields on the agenda. The multi-faceted acid test with its terrain changing several times a day, two Andes crossings, passages through the world’s driest desert, as well as parts of the legendary Pampa was mastered brilliantly by the Volkswagen Race Touareg. One Race Touareg was always found in the top-three of each stage at the finish, 27 of a possible 42 top-three positions on the 14 stages went to Wolfsburg.

For the new Dakar champions, Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, a winning streak continued in front of millions of fans lining the daily stages in Argentina and Chile. As newly formed duo in the Volkswagen Race Touareg the Spanish pair remained unbeaten in their third competition together and secured a new record in Dakar history. Never before have two Spaniards won the legendary desert rally’s automobile category. Sainz / Cruz had previously won the Rallye dos Sertões in June and July 2009 as well as the Silk Way Rally in September 2009.

The Volkswagen statistics in cross country rallying make for equally impressive reading – unbeaten since January 2009 and with its second Dakar triumph since 2009 continues the Volkswagen Group’s success story with TDI technology. After Audi’s Le Mans victories between 2006 and 2008 and winning the World Touring Car Championship with SEAT in 2008 and 2009, Volkswagen has been successful at the Dakar in 2009 and 2010 thanks to TDI Power.

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Posted in Diesel News, TDI Owners

VOLKSWAGEN TO DEFEND DAKAR HONOUR WITH FIVE RACE TOUAREGS

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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’.’

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Posted in Diesel News