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By
EWAN KENNEDY
18 August 2008
How times change, the first time I ever seriously tested a 4WD was
at Oran Park Raceway in Sydney, way back in the early 1980s. But
the testing of the old LandCruiser wasn’t done on the racing
circuit, that simply wouldn’t have made sense. Indeed, to even
consider driving the tough truck around bends would have been a
joke. Instead we used Oran Park’s off-road course, which
consisted of steep muddy slopes, a deep water crossing and some
rough surfaces that stretched the vehicle’s suspension
articulation to the limit.
Yet,
this morning, some 25 years later, I did some serious track work
at Phillip Island Raceway with the latest version of the
Volkswagen Touareg 4WD. Hard driving using not only the main
circuit, but also a fair bit of work on the tight and slippery
skid pan.
Touareg
is one of the newest members of VW's ‘R’ range of
high-performance vehicles. So seriously does Volkswagen take the
Australian market that our country had the privilege of hosting
the world release of the Touareg R50 at the Australian
International Motor Show in Sydney last October. Our market is
rightly seen as a rugged one, and our drivers are amongst the most
demanding on the planet according to the Europeans, hence the
unveiling of the R50 here. Though it went on show last year, the
R50 has only been on sale in Australia for a few weeks.
Fascinatingly,
the Touareg R50 isn’t based on the petrol V8 model, the engine
that would once have seemed to be the only choice. Instead it uses
a diesel engine, but not just any diesel, this is a stunning
5.0-litre V10 twin-turbo diesel with huge performance potential.
Though
diesels are still a relative novelty in the Australia passenger
car scene, they have been accepted in 4WDs for decades. In its
hotted up form the engine develops 350 horsepower, 258 kW. Even
more impressive is the amazing torque output, this engine produces
no less than 850 Nm and has an almost flat torque graph based
around a peak at 2000 rpm.
Diesels
are renowned for their economy, and so good is Volkswagen's
engineering that the engine still retains the same official fuel
consumption rating, at 12.6 litres per hundred kilometres, as the
standard 230 kW / 750 Nm engine. That’s almost something for
nothing in performance terms.
Considerable
work has been done on the suspension and braking systems to create
the Touareg R50, resulting in a two-and-a-half tonne vehicle that
hangs onto the track at speeds that would have seemed all-but
impossible only a few years back. You wouldn’t use the word
nimble to describe the R50, but it’s a lot more agile than you
would anticipate.
Not
many people are going to use this Volkswagen 4WD on track days,
but the added safety of this high-performance package makes it
even more suited to road driving. And the added precision and
response of this R Series is sure to bring a smile to the face of
those who like driving.
From
a styling point of view, the hot Touareg has been uprated by the
fitment of honeycomb-style front grilles with matte-chromed
highlights. At the rear there's a underfloor diffuser flanked by
oval-outlet exhausts and a bolder shape to the bumpers.
Inside,
sports seats are trimmed in nappa leather to give plenty of
support during the aforementioned high-grip handling situations.
Stylised ‘R’ logos are used in several location throughout the
quick Touareg to let others know you’re driving something rather
special.
Touareg
comes only with a six-speed automatic transmission and has a
recommended retail price of $134,990. Note that should the federal
government’s intended increase of the luxury car tax (LCT) not
take place, this price will be reduced to $129,990.
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Marque Publishing Company
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