VW Touareg 2

Race fans, this is not a test—Volkswagen Motorsports is already in Baja and will be racing their Touareg 2 rally-cars at the 2007 Tecate SCORE Baja 500.  We first reported the exciting news in early May [click here for story], and this weekend we had the opportunity to see and experience first hand the awesome power of the VW diesel powered Touareg 2.

Our day started with a meeting in sunny San Diego, CA where we departed in production VW Touaregs.  A convey of four V10 TDI Touaregs made its way across the Mexican border.  Driving in a VW diesel powered Touareg was very impressive.  It was an awakening to the power of the VW TDI diesel engine.  It also gave us the opportunity to experience the Touareg both on and off-road.

VW Touareg V10 TDIs we drove from San Diego, CA to Baja, Mexico

We drove down the pacific coast of Baja California, to the town of Ensenada, MX.  There we re-grouped, and headed south about another 40 miles, where we met with the VW Motorsports team.  Upon our arrival, we were greeted by VW personnel, VW Motorsports technicians, and a group of highly talented off-road racers.  Baja 500 and Baja 1000 winner Mark Miller was there ready to do some pre-running in the #81i VW Touareg 2 rally-car.  Miller is the only American on the VW Motorsports team, and is the person responsible for getting VW involved with SCORE off-road racing.

Sal Fish and Oscar Ramos from SCORE International came out for the event

Among some of the other people there from the VW Motorsports team were Ralph Pitchford, Miller’s co-driver; Giniel de Villiers, #83i driver; Dirk von Zitzewitz, Villiers co-driver.  Sal Fish, President of SCORE International, was also there for the occasion.  Sal Fish is very excited about VW’s decision to enter the SCORE Baja 500, and is even more excited about diesel technology as a buyable race power. 

The VW Touareg 2

#81i VW Touareg 2 driven by Mark Miller and co-driver Ralph Pitchford

The Touareg 2 rally-car is an extremely advanced race vehicle.  It has a fully enclosed cockpit which provides clean air inside.  The car body, doors, and panels are made of carbon fiber—an extremely light and strong material.  The roll cage, seats, and safety equipment are all built to FIA specs.  It is powered by a 2.5-liter 5-cylinder VW two-stage intercooled turbo-charged diesel engine that pumps out 285 hp and 440 ft. lbs. of torque.  The race vehicle can carry 4 spare tires, and is capable of doing 500 miles on a single tank of diesel.

The Touareg 2 can carry up to 4-spare tires, and can easily travel 500 miles with a single tank of diesel. It's also street legal in Deutschland.

VW Touareg 2 Technical Data

Source: VW Motorsports

BFGoodrich tires mounted on some 16-inch BBS racing wheels

Double wishbone, two ZF Sachs spring/damper units per wheel

The Ride

Mark Miller prepares to do some pre-runing in the VW Touareg 2

I had the “once in a lifetime” opportunity to jump into the co-driver seat with Mark Miller in the VW Touareg 2 ralley car. The 5-cylinder TDI diesel engine fired up, and you could hear the turbos spooling.  The engine of the VW TDI was mesmerizing; it had a jet like sound to it.  The VW TDI engine is matted to a 6-speed sequential transmission, which delivers power to a center differential.  From there the power is delivered to all four wheels.  This is an AWD race vehicle.

After being professionally buckled in by the Volkswagen Motorsports support team, we were off.  Miller took me out for a 5-mile loop, which was made up of sections of the Baja 500 route turned into a loop.  The course delivered tight and technical areas, steep and rocky climbs, and various whoop sections ranging anywhere from 1 to 6ft in depth.  The straight-aways allowed the Touareg 2 to really stretch its legs, hitting speeds in excess of 100mph.

The VW Touareg 2 is scarry fast, and Miller plans on using it at the Baja 500

Miller is very much in tune with the Touareg 2, he rallied around the corners pushing the Touareg to the edge.  As a Pro Rally driver, Miller has refined his off-road racing skills. He is in great shape, both mentally and physically.  Miller has the potential to give VW Motorsports the win at the Baja 500.

The VW Touareg 2 works good through the rough sections, even if it only has 10-inches of travel

The #83i VW Motorsports team made up of driver Giniel de Villiers, and co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz is humbled by Baja.  This is their first trip to Baja California, MX.  They have been here for a few days now, and have been pre-running sections of the course, trying to learn as much as possible before the big race.  Dirk von Zitzewitz is putting together a roadbook for the race.  He is drawing up notes and images of every km of the race.  Although GPS is allowed in SCORE, Zitzewitz prefers to work of off his notes and the tripmaster—a device that helps measure distance in km.  They are going to race the Baja 500 using rally style navigation, similar to what they use in Dakar.  Both Villiers and Zitzewitz feel confident in the Touareg, but are definitely studying the best way to tackle the Baja 500.

The 5-cylinder VW TDI dual stage turbo charged diesel engine can really kick-up some dirt—285 ponies and 440 ft.lb. of torque

There has been some skepticism as to why these cars are racing the Baja 500, and why they have been allowed to start after the SCORE Trophy Trucks, and before the Class 1 cars.  It’s plain and simple, the VW Toureg 2 rally car is in a class of its own, and it has the speed and agility to keep up with the top racers in this traitorous off-road race. The race vehicle is Dakar proven, and has the structural integrity to finish the race. 

The VW Touareg 2 spends most of its time on the ground, which means it is putting more power to wheels and the driver has better control

One thing is for sure, VW’s involvement with SCORE off-road racing is a milestone in off-road racing history.  All eyes will be on the #81i and #83i VW Touareg 2 rally-cars during the 39th Tecate SCORE Baja 500.  It is going to be a very exciting race and Off-Road.com will be following it closely.