VW swabs deck with Touareg "North Sails" design study
Click above for a high-res gallery of the VW Touareg North Sails
Volkswagen has treaded carefully down the path first blazed by the largely ignored Mercury Villager Nautica with a sailing-themed Touareg concept that has debuted at the famous Travemünder Woche, which we're told is the second largest annual race week for sailing in Germany. Teaming up with a company called North Sails, which actually sells boat sails unlike Mercury's branding partner, Nautica, which sells polo shirts, VW has added a new ground effects kit, a yellow rub strip, watery-blue reflectors, and 19-inch wheels. Stepping aboard, occupants will find a cabin decked out with teak flooring, LED lighting accents, white leather seats with aquamarine stitching, and an alcantara headliner. We think we've seen that window tint color on our beloved Matchbox SuperFast cars from the early 1980s, too. North Sails branding shows up in the form of logos on the B-pillar and stainless steel sill plates. The instrument panel gets a compass, and there's also a pair of binoculars in the center console so you can make sure that it's your team rounding the pin and raising the chute for the long run to the finish line. Once docked, there's even a North Sails bicycle so you can cruise the marina in style. Spiffy, but we doubt it'd float, unlike the original Beetle.
Gallery: North Sails Touareg
[Source: World Car Fans]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
P.V. 11:36AM (7/21/2008)
Wasn't there an article a few months ago about an Audi Q7 "Yacht Edition" (or something like that)?
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-2008-audi-q7-coastline-concept-its-got-shore-power/
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Torrent 1:31PM (7/21/2008)
Yeah.... and?
BlackCanary 11:42AM (7/21/2008)
A nice updated Villager Nautica could be a good competitor to the Mazda 5.
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jaykay 11:47AM (7/21/2008)
Such a great opportunity to market this car to a group that can actually afford to own/drive one and they fall short. Why not borrow more design cues from a SWAN or other sailboat that N/S designs for?
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Jim in Tampa 11:49AM (7/21/2008)
Oh lordy that's ugly!
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geo.stewart 12:20PM (7/21/2008)
I like the body kit, but not the silver lettering on the side.
Seriously, boat numbers on the side. thats silly to the extreme.
maybe on an 80s buick or oldsmobile, something that handles like a boat.
Stone 11:51AM (7/21/2008)
Even though its rather cheesy (binocular holders, compass) the body kit, LEDs and wood accents are rather slick.
If I won the Powerball I would pick one up for the wifey.
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BlackCanary 11:58AM (7/21/2008)
I agree 100% I like the wood floor and LEDs.
Disgruntled Goat 11:54AM (7/21/2008)
Way to reinforce the image that VWs are not chick cars.
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Richard 12:11PM (7/21/2008)
North Sails doesn't sell boats.
They are a sail maker: arguably the world leader in sail technology.
Not much promotional power to the brand outside a very focused market - I wouldn't expect, though.
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Mike F. 12:20PM (7/21/2008)
I know of at least a couple sailers that would buy these. (they have more money than they know what to do with and they like novelty stuff like this) If nothing else, it might get a few of them to look at VW as a contender for their luxury vehicle dollars
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TJ 12:27PM (7/21/2008)
How is the Touareg still relevant?
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MM 12:31PM (7/21/2008)
Since its North Sails and not Jenneau, it should have the North 3DL Kevlar/Mylar for floor mats instead of wood. But even as an avid sailor, there in no way I would be caught dead driving that. But I'm sure it will age nicely along side the Coach Edition Lexus, the Givenchy or Cartier Edition Lincolns, and the Joseph Abboud Buick Regal.
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Richard 12:50PM (7/21/2008)
You're kidding right?
If one of my crew stepped on one of my ga-zillion dollar kevlar/ Mylar sails I would kill them! (Actually I sold the boat as it was bad for my blood pressure).
I like the teak floors - they harken back to the cabin sole (floor) of the Herreshoff tied up on the left.
dan.roth 1:18PM (7/21/2008)
Unlike the Touareg, though, Herreshoff's are pretty. There is no such thing as an ugly Herreshoff - I remember a particularly gorgeous blue one from my Blue Jay days, used to sail by it just to admire it.
220v 2:33PM (7/21/2008)
@ Richard :
"Harken" back
pun intended or no?
Dave 12:48PM (7/21/2008)
Volvo does something similar with their special sailing stuff...special colors and interior bits.
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chad.dawkins 1:03PM (7/21/2008)
I think it looks very cool sans the tint.
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PJ 2:37PM (7/21/2008)
Good God, Volkswagen, what have you done to yourself?
Half a century invested in their reputation for charming, unpretentious people's cars, and today they're "leveraging brand synergies" to deliver a yachting-themed designer-label luxury SUV.
:bangs head against wall:
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jaykay 3:55PM (7/21/2008)
Funny, I was just going to comment that if they were going to go the 'nautical' route North Sails (who make a fantastic product btw) wouldn't have been my first pick especially gievn the niche market in question.
A Harken themed car or even a JBoat themed car might draw more views. They could have played on the IOD concept ;)
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