Volkswagen Touareg set to defend ‘Dakar’ title
November 10, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Volkswagen will field not one but five race-spec Touaregs early next year 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 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.
Last year Volkswagen’s race-spec Touaregs, powered by 2.5-litre TDI engines, won 10 out of a possible 13 stage wins on the way to clinching a famous one-two victory.
Print it: 
This car has as much in common to the Touareg as Toyotas Nascar has with the Camry!’
Go the Pajero!
The Toureg sounds like a real contender to the Pajero. Winning 10 of 13 stages, thats impressive.
What’s your point? None of these vehicles resemble real world cars thaty the average Joe can buy.
That 2.5 TDi is an absolute ripper <3
Dude, of course they dont have much in common with their donor cars, but does the Pajero either?
No, but not as extensively as the VW. I want the Pajero to win again after losing out last year!
Umm the Pajero isn’t as highly modified as the Tourag???? In what way??? Last time I looked at a Pari Pajero it’s grill looked similar to the factory car….Nothing else was even close… That’s not saying the Tourag is more genuine as neither are..
You are deluded, my friend.
The Pajero is just as far away from a production vehicle as the Touareg.
Now I know you are kidding, right?
I find the truck fascinating to watch. I’ve seen quite a few Tatras on the road recently, guess they have some cred from this race. When are they going to change the name of the rally seeing as its not in Africa anymore?
I was watching a show the other night about the Cold War, the deployment of Russia’s missiles pointing to western Europe was countered by similar Allied weaponry. These missiles were mounted on the back of 8 wheeler Tatras or similar vehicles, and they were just ploughing through bogs up to their windscreens without seeming to notice……just awsome.
I enjoy the trucks as well. I’m not sure some of the car competitors enjoy them, though, when they come barreling through a bunch of lost cars at full tilt :)
Yeah the trucks certainly can make it ‘interesting’ for other competitors in cars/buggies or on bikes. Getting stuck behind one in the dust looks pretty frustrating.
There is no better offroad truck than a Tatra, the aircooled V8, the Torque tube structure, independent half axes (with adjustable ride height when fitted with airbags) and various diff locks or rear steer combinations make other trucks look poverty stricken. It has been copied by others like Oshkosh but with live axles.
The Unimog with Portal axles is about the next best invention to the Tatra. IMO
Hey Swampdawg
Speaking of Russian trucks do you remember the episode of Long way down where Ewan & Charlie were traveling the road of bones and they needed to cross a river.
So the Russian guys helping them just put everything including the Pajero in the back of one of those big ol trucks and drove straight across.
I’m pretty they used a Kamaz but yeah they do seem like great trucks with awesome offroad ability.
DOH…make that “Long way round”
Hi Captian,
I haven’t seen Long Way Round as yet, I better find it, thanks for reminding me as I forgot it existed. The truck had the regulation Port and starboard makers lamps right? ;)
Doesn’t matter if VW win [again…. what matters is that a fleet of Toyota Prados and Skoda Superbs will be used as support vehicles….
Therefore; they will be the real winners…. won’t they Tomas?