Is it me? Or does the Dakar Rally seem to come around quicker each year? I only ask as Biglorryblog is already being bombarded with pre-race news, not least from Volkswagen, who tell me that this year's event (which is even longer than before) "Promises to be the toughest yet for the Volkswagen works team and its squad of TDI-powered Race Touaregs."
For the 30th running of the world's toughest motorsport event a special stage distance has been lengthened by a third over last year, to 5,736 km (3,562 miles), with the treacherous sand dunes of Mauritania set to provide much of the drama during the 16-day trek from Lisbon, Portugal, to the Senegalese capital of Dakar. Not that this Touareg seems to be bothered by that--it's decided to fly!
Click through for more pix of The Touareg in action and it's off-road special spec!
Volkswagen is field no less than four works vehicles - for Spaniard Carlos Sainz, South African Giniel de Villiers, Germany's Dieter Depping and American Mark Miller - while a fifth Race Touareg will be run by customer team Lagos and driven by Portugal's Carlos Sousa.
VW adds that it's "...bidding to become the first manufacturer to win the legendary classic with a diesel car" (well it looks more like a diesel 4x4 to BLB but I quibble)....
Meanwhile, each Touareg is powered by 2.5-litre TDI engines delivering 280hp, and in case you're interested, the five-pot diesel, complete two-stage supercharging system with turbochargers and intercooler, is located longitudinally behind the front suspension. It also sports a five-speed sequential race gearbox plus permanent four-wheel drive with three mechanical differentials with viscous locking clutch.
And to soak up all the bumps and thumps there are now less than two ZF Sachs dampers with springs per wheel on the double wishbone suspension fore and aft. Last but not least the steel space frame has a two-door carbon-fibre composite body on it.
No doubt BLB will be blogging on the Dakar rally over the coming weeks--not least if there's a Moggie involved!
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