Jalopnik: Touareg

DARPA Winner's Victory Lap To End At Smithsonian

Travis Hudson — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EDT

The Volkswagen Touareg that was crowned as the first DARPA Grand Challenge winner in 2005 (the first challenge was in 2004, but no winners were crowned) is making a grand tour that will eventually lead the fully autonomous vehicle to the top dog of museums, the Smithsonian. The Touareg was nicknamed "Stanley" since it's so much easier to pronounce.

Stanley was developed by Stanford University's School of Engineering with input from Volkswagen, MDV-Mohn Davidow Ventures and Intel. It's completely autonomous, meaning it requires no driver, making its completion of the 132-mile Mojave Desert course in a little less than seven hours at an average speed of 19.1 mph all the more impressive. Technology developed for Stanley has helped advance technologies being used by vehicles today, including adaptive cruise control and electronic stabilization.
[Gizmag]

VW Jumps On Dirt Car Art Bandwagon With Touareg Ad

Travis Hudson — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Volkswagen, always being one with the hip kids across the Internet, has jumped on one of the popular Internet trends from a couple years back: dirt car art. When "wash me" was too dull, artists like Scott Wade began taking the dirt-coated windows and creating some pretty spectacular designs and now Volkswagen has done the same (or at least simulated it with Photoshop wizardry) with the latest ad for the Touareg.

This ad jumps on the whole Touareg as a off-road and ourdoorsy kind of a vehicle by having a dirt and mud design that looks like a forest scene with mountain backdrop. Not too shabby, VW advertising firm, not too shabby. let's just hope no one hits the rear wiper button and starts a mudslide. [Neatorama]

VW Touareg Gets Military Makeover

Wes Siler — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:45:00 EST

It looks like the German military have adopted the Volkswagen Touareg as a light reconnaissance vehicle. Our second favorite part, after the machine gun, is the matte green paint and blacked out fascia. It looks so good VW should offer this as an option. [Via CarScoop]

Wild Russian SUV Has Identity Crisis

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST

We've seen questionable Porsche Cayennes out of Ruskie tuning shops before, but this one takes the cake - especially since we're pretty sure it's a VW Touareg. This abomination with a split personality comes once again from English Russia and between the mildly interesting front end and the horror show that is the back, we wouldn't be heartbroken if it ended up in the shredder. But what makes us suspicious of this wayward SUV's progeny? As you can see after the jump, it's all in the windows.

We're willing to fall on either side of this divide. Is it a Cayenne with a replacement window? Maybe. Is it a batshit crazy VW Touareg trying to pass itself off as more than it is? Perhaps. We just know it's further evidence that taste is extraordinarily subjective. (h/t to Thethinggoesbing)

VW Touareg R50 Looking To Take On Porsche Cayenne?

Ray Wert — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 08:15:00 EDT

Volkswagen just announced plans to release the new Touareg R50 — the third in VW's series of R-labeled vehicles — at the Australian Motor Show next week. We're told it'll come with a retuned V10 TDI capable of producing more than 313 HP and 553 lb-ft of torque. Although VW hasn't yet released specific power details, they do confirm power will be increased over the regular version. The words they're using? How about "a generous increase." Yeah, that's not so descriptive, is it? In addition to a power boost the R50 also will come complete with larger wheels with road focused tyres, stiffer suspension and a new aero kit. Sorry, we guess that's all we can expect to hear until it's officially unveiled on October 11th in Sydney. Full non-descriptive press release after the jump.

In another world premiere for the Australian International Motor Show, Volkswagen has announced it will unveil its new Touareg R50 in Sydney next week (11 October). Developed by a team of specialists at Volkswagen Individual GmbH, the Touareg R50 is one of the most powerful SUVs in the world. While Volkswagen has yet to announce detailed specifications, it promises the R50 boasts "generous" increases on the 230kW of power and 750Nm of torque produced by the current V10 TDi model on which it is based. Bigger wheels and tyres and tweaked suspension complete the high-performance package. Volkswagen Individual GmbH has also designed new exterior and interior features to reflect the R philosophy.
The R50 is the third model to appear under Volkswagen's sporty R label, following in the footsteps of the Golf R32 and the new Passat R36 - which was launched last month at the Frankfurt motor show. All three models have 4MOTION all-wheel drive to guarantee optimal traction.

Matt Damon Takes On Touareg 2 In New "Bourne Ultimatum" Commercial From VW

Ray Wert — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:30:00 EDT

Seems like VW's merging their ~~involvement with~~ product placement in the new Jason Bourne movie with their "Safe Happens" ad campaign. The result is — umm — err — interesting? Our only question is if the "fourth wall" is the imaginary invisible wall at the front of the stage, which wall is this breaking if it's between the movie and a commercial?

Confirmed: Volkswagen Building R Touareg

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 14:56:50 EST

According to Holland's AutoTelegraaf, an overzealous media employee spilled the beans on a closely guarded secret among V-dub brass. That is, the company is building an R edition of its Touareg SUV. Not a mere R Line appearance package, like the Touareg above, this is a real R-spec performance truck, with a tweaked version of the 4.9-liter V10 TDI diesel. No word on performance numbers, but we're betting something in the 400-hp range and torque in the uprooting-an-elm range. – Mike Spinelli

VW confirms R-Touareg in the works [Motor Authority]

Related:
R Line: Accessory Packages for Euro V-Dubs [internal]

Clobberin' TIme: VW Touareg to Be First Among VW Hybrids

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:18:44 EST

At the Frankfurt auto show in 2005, in between shots of espresso and facefulls of the Official Media Center Vegetable Soup, we heard from Porsche that the company was working on a hybrid-drive system for its Cayenne SUV and those that share its platform — that's Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7. It was a five-year plan, with the first such models arriving in 2010. Now, According to German magazine Automobilewoche (that's automobile week to you, sparky) the Touareg will be the first VW to be powered by the gas-electric powerplant, a nod toward the available margin in the SUV's price structure to accommodate the system's $2,000+ premium. No word on the off-roadability of such a vehicle, but we'd imagine mudders will be hamstrung by the persnickety electric motor, unless VW comes up with a more hardcore system. – Mike Spinelli

Touareg to be VW's first hybrid [Motor Authority]

Related:
Porsche Looking to Build Hybrid Cayenne [internal]

Tugging The Heavy Stuff: More on the Touareg 747 Tow

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:45:00 EST

Turns out that Fifth Gear was in on Volkwagen's 747-towing stunt at Dunsfold airfield that we mentioned a while back. 155 tons, in a basically bone-stock vehicle. We don't care if it was a PR stunt by VW, we still think it's pretty rad. Now we wanna see someone try it with a Rabbit diesel pickup. – Davey G. Johnson

R Line: Accessory Packages for Euro V-Dubs

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 08:09:07 EST

Volkswagen Individual, the company's in-house accessories shop for European tweakers, revealed its R line models at the Essen show last week, with such packages planned for the Golf, Touran minivan, Passat and Touareg SUV. Some might say the company is irreparably diluting its R performance brand (whither the new R32 in the US, huh?) by associating it with mainly cosmetic treatments, just as Audi does with its S line packs. But VW cares not for such talk, and will move ahead with the R line models for Europe in 2007. They'll include alloy wheels, body kits and interior upgrades, but no engine tuning. We hear the company's plotting something similar for the US market, but no word yet. – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

In a world premiere Volkswagen Individual GmbH is presenting in Essen newly designed R line packages for the Golf, Touran, Passat and Touareg model ranges. They will first be coming out in Germany in 2007.

So far "R" has exclusively stood for high-performance cars such as the Golf R32 (250 hp), or the new Passat R36 (300 hp), which is also being shown in a world premiere in Essen. Thanks to the new R line models now for the first time exterior and interior equipment can be exclusively customized for sportiness, for the most part independently from the type of engine. The idea behind it: all R line products take up on the characteristic design elements that also distinguish the Golf R32 or the Passat R36. The entry into the world of sporty Volkswagens is becoming significantly more economical. In their implementation the differentiation to these top-notch athletes is however large enough that the independence and exclusivity of each model is maintained.

R line for the Golf

Volkswagen Individual has designed three different R line options for the Golf. For the first upgrade stage starting with the Golf Trendline an R line package is available consisting of sporty 17-inch alloy wheels (of type "Omanyt") with wide tires, a sport leather steering wheel (three spokes, perforated leather, R32-style steering wheel clip), parking brake lever and gearshift knob in leather, R-style pedals, door trims and an identifying R logo on the outside of the car.

Volkswagen put together the "Plus" R line package for the next upgrade level. In addition to the features in the first package, here top sport seats in front ("Monte Carlo" fabric with R embossed headrests) refine the interior. The "Plus" package also enters the scene with its own "Engine Spin dark" d cor.
New car buyers can order the "Exterior" R line package separately from these two packages. The package adds a dynamic look to the already powerfully designed Golf. And these are the ingredients: the protective radiator grill in dual fin design with a matte chrome surface familiar from the R32, air inlets in slatted look, 17-inch alloy wheels (of type "Omanyt"), roof edge spoiler, painted spoiler lower sections (front and back), a black diffusor, R logos on the sides of the front fenders and interior door trim.

For all Golf R line packages Volkswagen Individual offers optional 18-inch alloy wheels including sport chassis. "Vienna" leather equipment and a sporty dark rooflining can also be added to the "Plus" package.

These three R line packages - with some car-specific variations - are also being offered by Volkswagen Individual for the Touran (Trendline and Highline), Passat and Passat Variant (Sportline and Highline) and Touareg model series. All of them are also related, among other things, by the R line "Omanyt" wheels, developed for different sizes (up to 20 inches for the Touareg) and loads. R line versions for other Volkswagen models are also entirely conceivable. The R line equipment packages for the Touran, Passat and Touareg in detail:

R line for the Touran

Volkswagen Individual is showing an R line equipment program for the latest generation Touran just now introduced at the Essen Motor Show. Similar to the Golf, new car buyers can also directly customize the Touran (in Trendline and Highline versions) with the R line package. This is available for all engine types (with the exception of the Touran EcoFuel and Touran TDI with 66 kW).

With the R line package the Touran is enhanced with 18-inch alloy wheels (of type Omanyt), a sport chassis, multifunctional leather steering wheel (with R line logo in the vertical spoke), R pedals, R design door trim and matching R line logo on the outside. In addition the package includes an R line front section with painted bumper and radiator grill (also chrome dual fins) and a rear bumper that is also painted. R line logos on the right and left fenders designate this equipment line.

R line for the Passat

The Passat is among the most successful cars in the world. This Volkswagen (as a sedan and Variant) will also be available with the new R line package in the course of the coming year. Passat buyers choosing the "Sportline" and "Highline" equipment lines can also go for an "Interior" or "Exterior" package (available for all engine types).

The "Interior" R line package includes top sport seats (front) with electric 12-way adjustment including electrically adjustable lumbar support and a memory function on the driver's side ("Monte Carlo" fabric design, black on seating strip with R logo in the backrests of the front seats, "Highline" in leather equipment). Also included in this package are d cor inlays in "Engine Spin dark" style, a multifunctional leather steering wheel with R logo and control buttons for the optional DSG direct shift gearbox, the Plus multifunctional display, a gearshift knob in leather and R design pedal caps. As with all other models this equipment also includes R line door trims and 17-inch alloy wheels (of type "Omanyt").

The "Exterior" R line package, available separately or additionally, includes custom bumpers (completely in car color plus black diffusor in back), crest radiator grill with dual fin design, sport chassis, R line interior door trim and 17-inch alloy wheels (of type "Omanyt"), developed independently for the R line versions. The V6 versions come standard equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels of the same type (optionally available for all other Passat R line versions).

R line for the Touareg

The new Touareg generation will be offered with three R line packages in the future. They can be ordered for all engine versions starting from 165 kW (V6 TDI). In the first upgrade stage here the R line program offers extras including 20-inch alloy wheels (of type "Omanyt"), sport chassis, a four-spoke leather steering wheel, selector lever with R line logo, interior door trim in front with R line logo and pedal caps in R line design. Volkswagen offers "Casablanca" 20-inch alloy wheels as an alternative.

The "Plus" R line package provides an even higher degree of customization. It additionally includes a sport seating system in leather ("Nappa") with R line logos in the front headrests as well as very high-quality R line "Engine Spin dark" interior applications.

The "Exterior" R line package is also available for the Touareg. Included in this program of refinement are a matte chrome finish radiator grill with dual fins, custom bumpers also with front transverse web and rear diffusor in chrome (matte) design, special side running board and interior door trim as well as 20-inch alloy wheels of type "Omanyt".

Related:
Volkswagen Passat R36 Shots Leaked [internal]

Ad Watch: The Touareg Side Mirrors Are Good For Looking At Hot Ass

Ray Wert — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 07:52:33 EST

Here's a new ad by the folks over at Crispin Porter + Crashsky for VDub's hard-to-pronounce SUV — featuring not only how to use its retractable mirrors, but the only reason we can think of for why a woman would want to sleep with the guy in the commercial. I mean, who wouldn't want to sleep with a guy who can move his mirrors in and out with the greatest of ease? – Ray Wert

UPDATE: Yes, it's a year old — so sue us, ok? She's still got a foine-looking trunk.

Related:
Ad Watch: Holy Safe! Sh*t Happens. [internal]

Bruce Allows For Super Towing Potential: Touareg Pulls 747

Davey G. Johnson — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 14:15:00 EST

Oh, it's always fun combining our petty little memes. But we will not be using "Hibernigasm" or "Teutonogasm," or even "Rudolfdieselgasm" in this post. You know that 747 that the Stig and stars in reasonably priced Lacettis and Lianas blow past at Dunsfold Airfield during on-track segments of Top Gear? Yes? Yeah, they towed that 155,000-kg beast with a lowly TDI Touareg. In second gear. And nothing broke. We're waiting for the An-124 vs. Polo challenge. [Thanks to Sean for the tip.] – Davey G. Johnson

Touareg pulls off heavy-duty tow-job [Motoring.co.za]

Prodigal Diesel: Volkswagen's TDI Touareg Returns

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 10:25:21 EDT

With low-sulfur diesel finally taking hold in the US — as of last week — VW is back-dating a bunch of 2006 V10 TDI-powered Touaregs for stateside importation. With their particulate filters in place, the Touaregs meet 2006 emissions standards, making them legal for sale. Now, Americans who'd lamented the loss of the 310-hp, 553 lbs-ft trailmonsters, and who can float the $67,750 sticker are in luck. Volkswagen's hoping for plenty of overlap in those two groups. – Mike Spinelli

Volkswagen Individual Builds Touareg Pickup Show Truck

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 07:00:00 EDT

Last year Automobile reported Volkswagen was considering a pickup to face off against the spectre of a similar Mercedes based on the M-Class platform. While neither cars have been confirmed by their respective companies, VW's gone and fired the first shot by creating a Touareg pickup show truck, under the banner of its Individual factory-custom program.

[Thanks to Dave for the tip.]

Related:
The VW Pickup Lives! We Didn't Know! [internal]

Paris Auto Show Preview: 2007 Volkswagen Touareg

Ray Wert — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:14:47 EDT

Say it with us now — Twoor...ahg. Toor...ahg. No — Twoor...ahg. Toor...ahg. No! Whatever, forget it — it doesn't matter. It's only how you say the VW SUV's name with the new face. That's right, the new for 2007 Volkswagen Touareg sports a pretty new look, and although it goes live next week at the Paris Auto Show, we've got first shots of what the new V-Dub SUV'll look like. So feast your eyes on the new grille, bonnet, front wings and bumper — plus the new headlights and mirrors. The butt-end's also gotten an upgraded treatment, but you'll have to come back next week and follow our coverage to see it when we do. In the meantime, we've got more info in the release below the jump.

NEW TOUAREG BREAKS COVER AHEAD OF WORLD DEBUT AT PARIS SHOW

Volkswagen has revealed the first photographs of its new Touareg luxury 4x4, ahead of its world public debut at the Paris Motor Show next week.
Sporting a new 'face', revised rear styling, updated interior and seats as well as the Dynaudio sound system as an option, the new Touareg will go on sale in the UK at the end of January 2007.

At the front, the new Touareg features a new grille, bonnet, front wings and bumper, plus new headlights and mirrors. The rear lights, spoiler, bumper and exhaust pipes have also been modified to freshen the 4x4's appearance.

The new Touareg will feature new and revised technology, including ABSPlus and additional ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme) features. ABSPlus has been developed and patented by Volkswagen and is a world first. The system shortens the braking distance by up to 20% on loose driving surfaces. New features have been added to the ESP, these include Active Rollover Protection (ARP), rain brake support, fading brake support and understeer control logic, which improves the turning behaviour in the event of understeer.

The UK line-up will remain as before with three trim levels - Touareg, SE and Altitude - all of which boast high levels of standard specification and trim.

Four engines will be available: one petrol and three diesel. These are a 3.6-litre V6 280 PS petrol; 2.5-litre TDI 174 PS with DPF (diesel particulate filter); 3.0-litre V6 TDI 225 PS with or without DPF; and the range-topping 5.0-litre V10 TDI with 313 PS and DPF. The 2.5-litre TDI will be available as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox and optional Tiptronic automatic transmission. All other engines will be mated to the six speed Tiptronic automatic transmission.

The current Touareg model went on sale in the UK in May 2003. The car is designed to deliver class-leading performance both on and off the road. Features such as permanent four-wheel drive, low and high gear ratios, electronic traction control linked to an auto-locking centre differential, hill start and descent assist and short front and rear overhangs all contribute to class-leading capability when venturing off the beaten track. Extremely steep slope angles are within the Touareg's capability, and versions with air suspension can ford depths of up to 580 mm.

Since launch, over 10,500 Touaregs have been sold in the UK.

Breaking Records! VW Announces August Sales, Up 1.5%

Ray Wert — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 12:47:59 EDT

Go, Fast, go! Volkswagen announced August sales this morning, and they're just continuing on the roll they've been on all year, announcing a 1.5% increase over August of last year. That puts the automaker all about representin' Deutscheland with year-on-year sales up 14.7% ahead of 2005. VW's pegging the increase directly onto the less-speedy-than-the-GTI hot-hatch, the newly re-named Rabbit — which snapped up sales of 1,983 units over the 946 for the Golf predecessor. That's probably good — especially considering almost every other model — sales are down — like the SUV Touareg, which saw a 50% decrease from August of last year.

Spy Photos: Still More on the 2007 Volkswagen Touareg, More I Tell You

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 08:11:20 EDT

Tell me what you don't like about yourself, Mr. Touareg. Your eyes? Yeah, we can make you look just like your sister Eos. What are we on about? More shots from a recent spy dossier have been published, this time on AutoExpress, ahead of the new SUV review at the Paris show in September. They show the extent of the new Touareg's nips and tucks. Under skin, word is a new load-management system will help the porker rearrange its bulk while under duress. Let's hope the attention carries over into the quality-control realm, which made the otherwise stellar Mr. T a service-department queen.

VW Touareg spruced up [AutoExpress via The German Car Blog]

Spy Photos: More on the 2007 Volkswagen Touareg

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:13:54 EDT

Here it is, ladies and gents. Put your hands together for the, uh, Volkswagen Touareg. It's not scheduled for any radical changes, other than a couple of nips and tucks, a pop-up nav system, and some interior tweaks — so don't expect an extra eye or additional limbs when you click through. Most significantly, it's losing the 3.2-liter base V6 in favor of V-dub's new, 3.6-liter mill, and the V10 TDI version is coming back in this fall, but will be withdrawn from five states with newly stringent emissions requirements for 2007 after the first of the year. (Selling cars is hard.) Edmunds's Straightline blog has the skinny on this particular fatty.

Spy photos: 2007 Volkswagen Touareg [Edmunds Straightline Blog]

Related:
Spy Photos: 2007 Volkswagen Touareg [internal]

PBS's "Nova" to Feature DARPA Grand Challenge Tonight

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 10:10:19 EST

Prop-heads set your Tivos on stun. PBS's "Nova" tonight will feature a look at last October's DARPA Grand Challenge autonomous vehicle race, on a episode it calls "The Great Robot Race." The program will follow contestants in the lead-up to the race followed by the competition, in which a Volkswagen Touareg named Stanley, built by the team of Stanford University and Volkswagen Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL) won by completing the 132-mile desert course in six hours and 35 minutes. Geek rating: A[sum(X[j]*Y[j], j=1,10)]+.

Related:
Four Entrants Finish DARPA Grand Challenge [internal]

Spy Photos: 2007 Volkswagen Touareg

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 07:05:23 EST

The Volkswagen side of the redesigned Cayenne/Touareg SUV equation just got a dose of elucidation. (Nothing a round of penicillin couldn't clear up.) World Car Fans posted shots of the 2007 Touareg in a hotel parking lot in Northern Scandinavia, where engineers were giving it a cold-weather flogging. Don't expect a radical change. The new model will, however, meet new European safety standards that require carmakers to design vehicles' fronts to protect errant pedestrians by safely depositing them in Ibiza.

VW Touareg Major Facelift Spy Photos [internal]

Related:
Spy Photos: 2007 Porsche Cayenne [internal]

Volkswagen Launches 450hp Touareg Sport

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 10:39:03 EST

Excuse me, is this the express bus? Volkswagen, perhaps inspired by the crop of tuner Touaregs hitting the autobahn lately, just launched the 450hp, W12 version of its Touareg SUV it had announced earlier this year. The Touareg Special Edition sports the same 6.0-liter 12-zylinder mill as the VW Phaeton, but tweaked to produce an additional 30hp, tying it with the Porsche Cayenne turbo as the most powerful stock SUV, and 443 ft-lbs. of torque. The Tiptronic-enabled SUV rides on 20" rims, and zero to 62 mph takes 5.9 seconds. (Top speed is, of course, nanny-blocked at 155 mph.) It's available now in Germany for the equivalent of around $114,000.

Related:
Tuner Touareg: JE Design s Dream Diesel [internal]

Volkswagen's R-GT Concepts Confuse SEMA

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 07:00:10 EST

"WTF!? Those cars aren't Japanese," SEMA said under its breath, as Volkswagen unveiled its Passat, Jetta and Touareg R-GT tuners yesterday. As legend has it, VW holed up its project team in a California hotel room and wouldn't let them leave until they'd mastered the vagaries of the Japanese-American small-car scene. Then, they sent them over to Canada's HPA-Motorsports, which transformed their narrow-angle V6s into 500+hp monsters using twin-turbos, twin-intercoolers and performance exhausts based on the Los Angeles subway system. The result? You're looking at them.

More at VW Vortex.

Related:
VW Launches New Passat Worldwide [internal]

Volkswagen Touareg to Appear in King Kong

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 07:44:57 EDT

Volkswagen and Universal Studios will carve yet another notch in their media synergy six-guns later this year, when VW's Touareg appears in Universal's "King Kong," directed by Peter Jackson. The off-roader won't likely reprise the role of Sedan Chair Carried by Indigenous Servants, from the original, 1933 release, but rather interpret the part to include lots of casual traipsing through rainy, forrest-y terrain. Also expect the angry ape to probably not step directly on any of the Touaregs, or at least offer to exchange insurance information if it does. [Update: Ok, ok, the Touareg won't actually appear in King Kong, which will be set in the 1930s, but it will be part of an extensive tie-in campaign that plays on the Touareg's sutability for both back-lot and jungle duty. Plus, VW will show off a Kong-themed Touareg at the Frankfurt motor show next week (Thanks, Thomas)]