Concept cars are usually designed and built to showcase future technology and design directions. However, to celebrate Volkswagen's third consecutive win of the Dakar Rally earlier this month, the Wolfsburg manufacturer has brought a road-going concept of its race winner to the first Qatar Motor Show.
The Race Touareg Qatar is a modified and slightly tamer version of the off-road racer - and it's road legal. Power comes from a 2.5-litre twin-turbo diesel (which will propel it from 0-100km/h in under six seconds), while revised bodywork and wheels that have grown from 16-inches to (gold painted BBS) 18-inchers featuring super-chunky BF Goodrich tyres ensure it stands out.
Inside is where most of the tweaking and reworking has been done though: only the safety cage remains the same, with the focus on ergonomics and accessible controls. The seats are Recaro racing buckets featuring Nubuck leather on the side bolsters and perforated Nappa hide in the centre panels. The roll cage is coated in "Serpentino Grey Metallic" and most other trim elements are in Matt Carbon. VW calls this the "stealth look" and from the pictures it appears to be very well executed, looking both utilitarian and appealing at the same time. We particularly like the suede covered steering rim with centre marker.
A vehicle such as this would be well suited to oil-rich Middle Eastern countries with desert and dunes to play in. Even after recent fuel price increases, a litre of diesel in Qatar still only works out at roughly 20 cents at the time of writing. Yes, 20 cents... You can see why it's not called the Race Touareg Ireland...