Volkswagen has unveiled last night the VW Race Touareg 3 their new Dakar fighter. The new VW Race Touareg 3 is powered by a twin turbocharged 2.5 litre TDI engine that develops 300 PS and 442 lbs ft of torque and is coupled with an upgraded five speed sequential gearbox and a ZF Sachs three plate ceramic clutch. The official performance figures of the VW Race Touareg 3 say it can reach a top speed of 117 mph and that it can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 6.1 seconds.

The German carmaker says the VW Race Touareg 3 represents a big step forward in terms of aerodynamics. The roof of the VW Race Touareg 3 has been re designed so it will channel air to the radiator, the damper cooling and the diesel fuel cooling systems. The effect the engineers were looking for is the chimney effect which removes hot air from under the carbon fiber reinforced cladding. The intercooler of the VW Race Touareg 3 is built entirely by the company’s engineers, based on production vehicle parts.

Racing in the desert means you need an extremely good suspension. The VW Race Touareg 3 is fitted with a high strength steel spaceframe chassis with a pair of springs and damper. The VW Race Touareg 3 sits on BF Goodrich 235/85 R16 tires which were especially developed for the Dakar rally car.

By ZerCustoms