Dakar Rally 2009 - Diesel Domination

The VW technicians replaced the shocks and transmissions and rebuilt the Race Touaregs' wheel bearings. When the cars were put back together, they were rolled into a special sealed tent that was constructed for a dust-free environment for final checks and inspection.

The Touaregs were all-wheel drive, featured four-wheel independent suspension, and used a pair of coilover shocks at each corner. The 12-1/2-inch brake rotors were about the same size as what you'd find on a 1-ton GM truck, but the calipers and wheel bearings were substantially larger.

All four of the cars were virtually identical, though on certain stages, the vehicles were prepped with slightly different hardware. These pushbar bumpers were fitted to the Touaregs during one of the final stages where stray livestock and deer were reported to be wandering on the racecourse.

The rear of the Race Touaregs were fitted with two spare tires, shovels, and sand ramps. From this angle you can also see the radiator and cooling fan system that was mounted behind the cockpit.

Supporting VW's race effort were 11 MAN diesel trucks that carried every tool, spare part, and automotive fluid the four race vehicles could possibly need during the two-week race. Each support vehicle was also fitted with race seats, rollcages, and carried its own spare parts.

The five-speed manual transmissions were made by Xtrac (www.xtrac.com) and were connected to Xtrac transfer cases. Notice how the alternator (arrow) was driven off the gearbox in order to simplify the engine compartment.

The team's engineers, mechanics, and Diesel Power drove in these VW service cars that were constructed under the direction of Christoph Beck. Seventeen of them were built from production 3.0L V-6 diesel Touaregs and fitted with race seats, rollcages, 45-gallon auxiliary fuel tanks, Fox shocks, and 265/70R17 BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires. They each held three people and weighed 6,000 pounds fully equipped.

The mastermind behind the team was a man named Kris Nissen. Born in Denmark, and a successful race car driver in his own right, Nissen became the director of Volkswagen Motorsports in 2003. Here he's seen giving Volkswagen flags to the Argentinean race fans at a fuel station outside La Rioja, Argentina.

When Volkswagen's lead Touareg, driven by Carlos Sainz, slid off a cliff near the beginning of Stage 12, that left Giniel De Villiers in First Place. De Villiers went on to hold the lead for the final two stages of the race and became the first South African to ever win the Dakar overall.