Baja Race Touareg TDI getting ready to race according to VW Motorsports Manager Clark Campell
Posted by direct inject on 14. September 2008 |
The Baja Race Touareg TDI, the next generation in off-road, WILL BE at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19, 2008, before the 2008 Baja 1000. This project has been a “great learning experience”, Clark Campbell, Volkswagen of America Motorsport Manager said. “Right now, the motor-chassis-suspension has been completed. The body is being done at our VW design center in Santa Monica.” No testing has been completed yet. “The motor produces 750 hp and 1100 pound/ft of torque.” The new VW Baja Race Touareg is limited to 65 gallons of fuel. The other classes have 100 gallon limits. At the 2007 Baja 500, the race Touaregs ran past the other classes that had to refuel. “Even with only nine inches of wheel travel, we were only 50 minutes behind the first trophy trucks across the line.” The VW didn’t have to stop for fuel.” Pistol Pete called them “the little blue speed bumps”, those have now morphed into the next Trophy Truck eating nightmares that will ruin Petes baja fun, among others. Campbell also pointed out the differences between with the stock Cayennes and the Touaregs. “The Cayenne is a road vehicle. The Touareg is designed for the dirt.” Its heritage is off-road and we’ll see that in this years Baja 1000″.
Proving the new Trophy Touaregs, two have been produced, for the first time will be tested in less than a month. Clark Campbell, VW motorsports manager USA, confirmed recently. The vision in the new design from Don Teebe and Willie Valdez Junior, will be a scheme of silver, blue, red and yellow. An additional racing vehicle, an upgraded twin of the first, is in progress. The other will be released in the 2009 racing season. The knights of the desert, pilots-races chosen by Campbell to man the new units, are Mark Miller and Ryan Arciero, but the other vehicles will have two surprises at the wheel, Southafrican Dakar racer Giniel De Villers and the spaniard 2 times ex rally world champ Carlos Sainz.
The tests of the Trophy Truck Touaregs will be at different location in the deserts from California and Arizona, but Campbell assured that VW will also come to Baja California, San Felipe, before the 1000, to prove the racing trucks, as well as the routes, since the plan of Volkswagen is to not just race, but, to win the race. The November Baja 1000 will be the first race for the new trophies.
More VW Turbo Diesel Trophy Truck information and videos inclusive testing videos you can find on Diesel Racer here…..
How it all began - the initial announcement by SCORE: Volkswagen announced that it will build and race a competition Touareg TDI race vehicle in the 2008 SCORE International Racing Series. Competing in the SCORE Trophy Truck Open Production - Unlimited Class, the vehicle will be introduced in late 2008. The Touareg TDI race vehicle will be driven by multiple Baja winners, Mark Miller, a longtime Volkswagen Factory driver, and Ryan Arciero. Miller set the record for best finishing time in a diesel vehicle at the 2007 Baja 500. Arciero set a world record at the 2007 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in July with the fastest time in the alternative fuel diesel truck high performance showroom stock division.