VW Race Touareg 2

Testing for the challenge

Volkswagen are busy preparing for defending their Dakar Rally title. During two weeks of testing in Morocco, in mid-August, the four Dakar pairings of the Wolfsburg based car manufacturer tested in the region around the cities of M’hamid and Erfoud. The long-runs were contested by the driver/co-driver pairings Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz, Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zizewitz, Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford and Nasser Al-Attiya/Timo Gottschalk. During the tests on simulated special stages, the squad covered a total mileage of 7,000 trouble-free kilometres.

The tests were executed with two Volkswagen Race Touareg powered by 280bhp engines that previously had proven their potential on the Spiess Motorenbau GmbH’s dynamic test benches.

“Morocco is an ideal location for preparing for the Dakar Rally,” said Volkswagen Motorsport-Director Kris Nissen. “Here, you can perfectly simulate the gruelling conditions we will have to cope with in Northern Chile’s Atacama Desert.”