Volkwagen readying Touareg 2 for 2009 Dakar

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, SUV, Volkswagen

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Volkswagen Touareg 2 Race

Volkswagen Motorsport is putting four factory-backed teams in next year's 'Dakar' Rally, which will actually be held in South America, and they'll all be driving the new Race Touareg 2. The insanely intricate spaceframe chassis vehicles are being built in Germany and will use will use a 2.5-liter TDI with 276 hp and. The 15-stage race is expected to be more grueling than usual because of the extreme changes in altitude and terrain, but perhaps it will give other teams a chance to break Mitsubishi's seven-year chokehold on the winner's dais. Volkswagen's best chance at victory could be with driver Carlos Sainz, the 1990 WRC champion, and navigator Michel Perlin, a three-time Dakar winning navigator. The last -- and only -- time VW won the Dakar Rally was in 1980, with the Volkswagen Iltis.

Gallery: Volkswagen Race Touareg 2

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Volkwagen readying Touareg 2 for 2009 Dakar originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi "Racing Lancer" hits the sandbox

John Neff — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Mitsubishi

Click above for more high-res pics of the Racing Lancer

You're looking at the replacement for Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart's venerable rally version of the Pajero sport ute. The Japanese automaker's rally team has just revealed its newest cross-country rally vehicle based on the Lancer, dubbed simply the "Racing Lancer". The Racing Lancer will makes it debut at the 2008 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup in Portugal at the end of October. There it will show off its new turbo diesel engine, specifics of which have been withheld though the new mill has logged over 8,000 km during testing and limited competition. Mitsubishi's new motor marks yet another instance of diesel power gaining prominence in motorsport just like Audi did in the American Le Mans Series with its oil-burning R8 and R10. And just like Audi, Mitsubishi's decision to use a turbodiesel in the Racing Lancer is part of a larger plan that has but one objective: win the 2009 Dakar rally.

Gallery: Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Racing Lancer

[Source: Mitsubishi]

Mitsubishi "Racing Lancer" hits the sandbox originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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