The new Race Touareg 3 promises to be faster and more efficient than the outgoing car. The Race Touareg 2 was twice winner of the Dakar Rally in 2009 and 2010 and the first diesel-powered vehicle ever to win the event.
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. The Touareg also has 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 300hp and 600Nm of torque. It has also been revised to cope with the severe altitude changes incurred on the Dakar with the route climbing to heights of over 15,000 feet above sea level.
The 2.5-litre engine channels its drive through a newly upgraded five-speed sequential gearbox and a ZF-Sachs three-plate ceramic clutch, along with three limited slip differentials.
The result is the ability to accelerate to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds before reaching a top speed of 188km/h on nearly any surface.
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 spring and damper units fitted to each 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 spare 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.