Some concept cars merely glisten in the pinpoint spotlights, others could handle serious business if only some auto exec would get drunk enough to let it loose. Volkswagen's Race Touareg 3 Qatar concept is the latter, minus the drunk exec.
VW calls the Race Touareg 3 Qatar concept a genuine rally motorsport vehicle, much like its entry in the Dakar Rally earlier this month. It's street legal and can get from 0-62 in under six seconds. It's clad in 18" BBS wheels and painted in a goldish white "Magic Morning," which as far as we know is not a euphemism.
It accelerates to 62 mph in 6.1 seconds before reaching a top speed of 117 mph.
The 2011 Dakar-winning Race Touareg is powered by a 2.5-liter TDI producing 296 hp and 442 lb.-ft, sent through three limited-slip diffs via a 5-speed sequential gearbox and a ZF-Sachs three-plate ceramic clutch. Presumably, the concept has that going on as well.
The safety cage is still there, but the interior's been uprated to luxury-sport spec, with Recaro racing buckets seats and controls VW says were influenced by the Stealth bomber. There's naturally matte carbon trim, along with a roll cage in the very dramatic-sounding "Serpentino Grey Metallic." Seat side supports and door trim are of the exotic-sounding Nubuck leather (buffed on the grain side. Thanks, Google), though the center seat panels are made from perforated full-grain Nappa leather.
Actually, It's not a bad update on the Rambo Lambo. We give it two flaccid penises up.