|
| |
Touareg V10 Tdi Will Once Again “Race To The Clouds”
Volkswagen of America, Inc. has announced that the Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI
will again “Race to the Clouds” at the 85th running of the Pikes Peak
International Hill Climb. On July 21, 2007, professional drivers Ryan Arciero,
Chris Blais and Mark Miller will set out to showcase high-performance Volkswagen
diesel technology and precise German engineering with a powerful V10 TDI engine
challenging the unique mountain driving conditions and reaching the finish line
at the 14,100 foot summit.
The grueling, 12.4 mile Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a test of both
the vehicle and the driver’s racing ability, with 4,700 feet of elevation gain
and 156 hairpin turns on terrain that alternates between pavement and
gravel—mostly without guardrails.
This year the Touareg V10 TDIs are entered in the High Performance Showroom
Stock division, hoping to gain another division win to add to their 2006 Race to
the Clouds success.
Already this year, off-road champion Mark Miller has had strong showings in a
factory sponsored Volkswagen Touareg at the 2007 Dakar Rally and the 2007 SCORE
Baja 500, posting top finishes for diesel-powered vehicles in both events.
Miller has a successful record in off-road racing, including two Baja 500 and
two Baja 1000 wins, and he set the fastest time (14 minutes, 8 seconds) in a
Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI at last year’s Pikes Peak event.
Chris Blais will participate in his first Pikes Peak race. Blais is a factory
motorcycle racer and a three-time Top 10 Dakar Rally finisher, recently placing
third overall and becoming the top American finisher in the 2007 rally.
Ryan Arciero has 40 career wins, including three Baja 1000 and multiple Baja 500
championships, a Nevada 2000 Trophy Truck championship and a USAC “Rookie of the
Year” title. This will be Arciero’s second trip to Pikes Peak with Volkswagen,
having competed in a Touareg at Pikes Peak in 2006.
“This is a unique and extremely tough race,” said Miller. “However, the Touareg
is expertly engineered to navigate the ever-changing terrain and to perform
under the harshest of conditions the mountain can dish out.”
Many of the standard Touareg traction control functions will carry over into
these race vehicles. The Touareg still will offer its 4XMotion all-wheel drive
system, which provides superior traction control – a must-have on the
challenging surfaces of Pikes Peak. Additional equipment includes Anti-slip
Regulation, Electronic Differential Lock, Engine Braking Assist, Electronic
Brake-pressure Distribution, Electronic Stabilization Program with brake assist,
and Hill Climb Assist.
The three Touareg V10 TDIs once again will be powered by ultra-low sulfur
diesel (ULSD) at Pikes Peak. This clean diesel fuel reduces emissions of sulfur
compounds and permits the use of advanced emission control systems. In another
display of innovation, the Touareg was the first light-duty vehicle in the U.S.
to include a particulate filter that further reduces emissions.
“The Touareg is a great vehicle, fit for this tough race,” said Chris Blais. “I
am really looking forward to my first Pikes Peak race and putting the Touareg
through its paces.”
“Last year we proved that a stock Touareg was fully-capable as a multi-terrain
vehicle, setting some impressive times,” said Arciero. “This year, we’re coming
back with a Touareg that has been modified specifically for this event, so were
confident that we’ll post even faster results.”
Volkswagen will race the Touareg at Pikes Peak with support from Red Bull,
Castrol, Nitto Tires, Oakley, EOS Estate Winery and Arciero Miller Racing.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America,
Inc. is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is a subsidiary of
Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the
world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker.
Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI,
Passat, Passat wagon, Eos, and Touareg through approximately 600 independent
U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at
www.vw.com.
|
