For several years now, Volkswagen has been running diesel-powered Touaregs in a variety of off-road series around the world, including the Dakar Rally, and in the last couple of years, they have won their classes at the Baja 500 and Pikes Peak Hill Climb. The versions used so far have run either a 2.5L five-cylinder engine or the 5.0L V10. Arciero-Miller Racing announced at last year's SEMA show that it was building a new Touareg to compete in the SCORE Trophy Truck Open Production – Unlimited Class. During the inaugural Jetta TDI Cup race last weekend, VW of America PR boss Steve Keyes revealed that the new truck would be powered by the 6.0L V12 TDI diesel that is going into the Audi Q7 TDI V12. That's also the same engine that propels the Audi R8 TDI concept. The tube frame Touareg Trophy Truck will be covered with body work developed by VW that looks vaguely like a Touareg while being a foot longer. The automaker hasn't announced were it will unveil the new off-road racer this fall, but it is scheduled to run in the Baja 1000 this November.
In yet another move demonstrating that Porsche is capitulating to the greener crowd, an industry newsletter is reporting that the German automaker's executives have overcome their long-time reservations about diesel powerplants and are considering such a vehicle for their lineup by 2010.
Reportedly, Porsche is studying a diesel engine for its upscale Cayenne SUV. This would be the second non-gasoline engine for the Cayenne, as the Cayenne Hybrid is expected to turn up in 2010 as well. The diesel would be borrowed from Volkswagen, a company Porsche has significant stake in. The platform-sharing Volkswagen Touareg has offered a diesel in the States since 2006 (you know, it's the one that pulls 747s).
December 28 is the "día de los Inocentes" in Spain, which is basically equivalent to our April Fool's Day. Bogus media stories are part of the fun, and it looks like businesses get in on the action, too. Case in point: Volkswagen.
There, you're given three links: Acabados (trim levels), Motores (engines), and Galería (gallery). Clicking on any of them lets you know it's all a joke, and allows you to forward the gag to a friend. If you do that, your buddy will receive this email message, which "introduces" the reader the ragtop Touareg and directs him or her to the website. Tomorrow, it'll probably all be gone. Go through the motions yourselves starting here. If you miss it on 12/28, no worries. We've screen-captured all the elements in the attached gallery.
Automakers around the world are grappling with the question of what to do with SUVs. While the segment is shrinking, there is still a substantial customer-base that wants an SUV's utility and off-road capabilities, and the Touareg has those traits in spades. Unfortunately the largest VW is also heavy and thirsty, and skyrocketing fuel prices make changes to the big ute a necessity.
The scribes over at Auto Express claim to have the scoop on the forthcoming 2010 Touareg, and fuel economy seems to have been central to VW's plans. First, nearly 700 lbs. has been shaved off of the SUV through the use of light-weight materials like aluminum. The 3.6-liter V6 is rumored to be replaced with a more efficient 3.2-liter powerplant with direct injection, and the hefty diesel V10 will be replaced by three smaller oil burners with displacements of 2.7-liter, 3.0-liter, and 4.0-liter. A hybrid powertrain is also in the works for 2012. The Touareg's rather staid, but nice styling will also be addressed, as more cues will be taken from the Tiguan.
With gas prices rising by the day, we're all for any diesel tech that reaches our shores. With a strong lineup of diesels across the pond and a few destined for the States, VW has plenty of ammunition to improve both the Touareg and its overall position in the US market. Lets hope the German automaker can deliver the goods while also bringing down prices.
Click the image above for a gallery of high-res pics of the Touareg R50.
After releasing a teaser last week, Volkswagen finally let loose official details about the Touareg R50 before its debut at the Sydney Motor Show this Sunday. VW tweaked the ECU to huff extra boost into the twin-turbo'd 5.0-liter V10 TDI, which now produces 350 HP at 3,500 RPM and peak torque of 627 lb.-ft. at 2,000 RPM. That allows the bespoke blue behemoth to sprint to 62 in 6.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 146 MPH.
The Touareg's R-treatment isn't limited to the extra grunt, as VW's Individual group equipped the R50 with 21-inch rollers wrapped in 295mm gumballs that frame blue-painted brake calipers. The front clip gets a revised bumper and a grille coated in a matte finish, while flared wheel arches and new side skirts give the R50 a more planted persona. The inside gets swathed in Nappa leather complete with the "R50" logo stitched into the seats and engraved into the doorsills.
When the Touareg R50 goes on sale this November, consumers will have their choice of five color combos: Biscay Blue, Campanella White, Reflex Silver, Black Magic and Atacam Gray.
Volkswagen's press release is posted after the jump.
Volkswagen is taking its R-series of hopped-up rides to the next extreme with the release of the Touareg R50 next week at the Australian International Motor Show. V-Dub claims that the R50 will be one of the most powerful SUVs on the market, producing a "generous" increase in power over the 313 HP and 553 lb.-ft. of torque from its retuned V10 TDI. The R-treatment also includes upgraded wheels wrapped in high performance rubber, a revised suspension, some VW Individual aero bits and a restyled interior.
VW's scant press release is posted after the jump, and expect more to follow once the AIMS gets underway next week.
Audi's first diesel and hybrid powertrains in the US will be launched in the Q7 next year. The power units will likely trickle down to other vehicles in Audi's range, but they're not yet offering up any details on how prolific this hardware will be. Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have been working collaboratively to develop the parallel hybrid system, which makes the choice of the Q7 logical, as all three brands share a flavor of the architecture. Hybrid Q7s will be able to power around on the electric motor up to 31 mph, and the system will also shut down the engine during cruise conditions at speeds up to 75 mph. The total weight of the system adds 300 pounds, most of which is in the 288-volt NiMH battery pack.
The modular hybrid system will be easy to integrate with different powertrains once Audi starts propagating the system throughout the rest of their models, and terming it "modular" denotes that the basic pieces will be very adaptable. When Porsche and Volkswagen get their versions of the hybrid gear, we'd expect the engines to differ from the Q7's 3.6 liter 280 horsepower unit. Audi's claiming a 23 percent mileage improvement versus the conventional Q-ship. As for the oil burner, it will be a 3-liter V6 that is 50-state compliant while quietly thumping out 230 horsepower and 400 ft-lb of torque. Diesel torque delivery can be often be described as "electric-motor like," but we wonder if the Hybrid, with its actual electric motors, will laugh at the diesel's effort as it gets the hole shot.
Coinciding with the launch of the new Bourne Ultimatum movie, Volkswagen has launched an interactive stunt simulator that allows fans to play out their own stunts online as many times as they want. Users can maneuver any of six different VW models through different explosions, while altering vehicle speeds, props, sound effects and camera angles to make that perfect scene.
Product placement in the movie has several VW vehicles making an appearance, including the Touareg 2 SUV and Golf GTI, a smart move seeing that The Bourne Ultimatum has grossed more than $70 million in its first weekend. That's a hell of lot of viewers seeing VW's new models up on the big screen.
As if pronouncing the name of its SUV wasn't enough of an adventure, VW wants Touareg owners to experience what their cars can do off road. So they're hosting three day sessions of trail rides for Touareg drivers to see what it feels like to head off the paved path and get their tires dirty.
The adventures are being held in Moab, Utah, and the itinerary reads like an upper-class off-road getaway should. Cocktails and gourmet meals at Sorrel River Ranch follow three to eight hours of traversing trails "packed with exciting obstacles that test driver and machine," according to the Touareg Adventures Web site. The site also says participants can expect an off-road guide for every two drivers and a "trail toilet" available whenever needed. Is "trail toilet" a fancy way of say "bushes"?
If you're interested, it'll cost you $2,000 per person for the three days of fun, but that includes all meals and drinks. A family member can join all the action for $1,500, or just stay at the ranch with food for $500. The first three sessions are sold out, but there are nine more opportunities through the end of October.
To the victors go the spoils, and with Porsche currently holding majority ownership of the drastically larger VW, the folks from Stuttgart get to call the product plan timing shots. The Touareg and Cayenne were launched together in late 2002 and refreshed for the 2008 model year, but Porsche wants the redesign of their best-selling product to arrive early in 2010, many months ahead of the Touareg. The problem, however, is that the two products are competitors.
If it doesn't seem like a VW and Porsche could ever compete head to head, this is the one obvious exception. Of course, both vehicles sit on the same platform, but the two SUVs also share a V6 engine, and the diesel Touareg can cost you over $75,000, which is definitely Porsche territory. AutoWeek quotes one executive as saying that if the situation doesn't get ironed out, the CEOs would have to "hammer this out." We don't find it surprising that VW is feeling a bit slighted here, because six or seven months can feel like a lifetime in product development, and the two SUVs already have an abnormally-long first generation lifespan. It'll be interesting to see who wins out in this battle.
For several years now, Volkswagen has been running diesel-powered Touaregs in a variety of off-road series around the world, including the Dakar Rally, and in the last couple of years, they have won their classes at the Baja 500 and Pikes Peak Hill Climb. The versions used so far have run either a 2.5L five-cylinder engine or the 5.0L V10. Arciero-Miller Racing announced at last year's SEMA show that it was building a new Touareg to compete in the SCORE Trophy Truck Open Production – Unlimited Class. During the inaugural Jetta TDI Cup race last weekend, VW of America PR boss Steve Keyes revealed that the new truck would be powered by the 6.0L V12 TDI diesel that is going into the Audi Q7 TDI V12. That's also the same engine that propels the Audi R8 TDI concept. The tube frame Touareg Trophy Truck will be covered with body work developed by VW that looks vaguely like a Touareg while being a foot longer. The automaker hasn't announced were it will unveil the new off-road racer this fall, but it is scheduled to run in the Baja 1000 this November.
Automakers around the world are grappling with the question of what to do with SUVs. While the segment is shrinking, there is still a substantial customer-base that wants an SUV's utility and off-road capabilities, and the 
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