In the off-road-racing world, there has always been a dispute about what the most difficult race is. Americans proudly claim the Baja 1000 as the most grueling test of man and machine. Europeans counter that the Baja is only 1,000 miles-a quick sprint compared with the two-week-long Dakar Rally that covers 5,400 miles. Over the years, a few racers have run both, but the war wages on over which race is the toughest test and whose vehicles are more capable.
Depending on how you look at it, Volkswagen's diesel-powered Dakar Touareg's success at this year's Tecate SCORE Baja 500 off-road race either stokes the debate or proves your point. There's no question that VW displayed a very impressive effort. We can only hope this is just the beginning of VW's intercontinental off-road diesel racing program.
On Race Day
This year marked the 39th running of the Baja 500. The race began and ended in Ensenada, Mexico, on the baja peninsula. Volkswagen's two-vehicle team was headed up by American Baja 500 race winner, Mark Miller, who set the pace for his South African teammate, Giniel de Villers, who was driving a second Race Touareg. According to Miller, this year's course "was the toughest, most brutal route I've ever driven in a Baja 500. The course was very difficult, and you can't believe the abuse this [Touareg] took. I can't believe I can even stand up right now. It's the roughest thing this vehicle has ever endured."
Miller's Touareg crossed the finish line after 10 hours and 38 seconds of nonstop racing over the worst dirt roads and rocky courses that Mexico's baja peninsula has to offer. De Villers' Touareg came in a few minutes later with a finishing time of 10:18:44. Almost 500 competitors in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes in cars, trucks, motorcycles, and ATVs entered the race, but this year's difficult 420.11-mile course saw only 283 competitors (57 percent of all participants) finish within the 20-hour time limit. The two Touaregs pulled off impressive 11th and 18th Place finishes against dozens of vehicles specially built for North American off-road racing.
Clearly, the Race Touaregs were likely helped by the efficiency of the 2.5L, inline-five-cylinder, dual-turbo TDI engine because they were the only two vehicles that didn't have to refuel during the entire race. Additionally, it was reported that the Touaregs suffered no mechanical problems and made limited pit stops along the course to take on fresh tires.
 Contingency Day at the Baja...  Contingency Day at the Baja 500 is the only event in the world where millions of dollars in race equipment mix with the general public. |  American Mark Miller suiting...  American Mark Miller suiting up to take the media for what he describes as "a taxi ride." |  In Dakar, GPS isn't allowed....  In Dakar, GPS isn't allowed. In Baja, GPS is a huge part of most team strategies. |
What it's like to ride in
No, we didn't get to drive it, but the Race Touareg 2 is the most exotic race vehicle we've ever been in. The passenger side of the race truck was snug but not cramped. Every surface we touched was carbon fiber, and there were enough switches, navigation equipment, and electronics to make a fighter pilot feel at home. Just like in a aircraft, the driver and passenger communicate with each other through a two-way intercom system that's built into the open-face helmets. This same radio system allows the vehicle to stay in touch with support vehicles, pit crews, and even the team's helicopter.
Once we were strapped into the Recaro race seat, Miller took us out for a test run to familiarize us with the vehicle's capabilities. In a word, the Race Touaregs are amazing. Compared with a 1-ton diesel pickup, these machines were light, nimble, and quick-think Ferrari and Jeep with a big helping of diesel power tossed in. Miller had the truck up to speed and in a four-wheel drift down a dirt road before we could even ask about the vehicle. From inside the enclosed cockpit, the race truck felt surprisingly civilized (it's street-legal, after all), and the GPS told us we were traveling much quicker than we would have guessed the 2.5L turbodiesel could push us.
Almost immediately, Miller dropped off the graded dirt road we were on and headed out onto part of the Baja 500 racecourse. Downshifting through the gears, we blasted up a loose, rocky, 100-yard hillclimb and built speed as the full-time four-wheel-drive system maintained traction. The Touareg's drivetrain allowed Miller to focus on his line rather than worry about whether we'd make it up the hill at all.
"A Trophy Truck would never do that," Miller said over the intercom. And he should know-he's won the Baja 500 and the Baja 1000 twice in a two-wheel-drive Chevrolet Trophy Truck. He explained that what the VW lacked in brute force and suspension travel it made up for in control and maneuverability. As a passenger, we could feel the Touareg responding to Miller's every command as he manipulated the vehicle's direction, attitude, and sometimes even its altitude with the throttle and brakes. With the inline diesel engine set so far back in the chassis, the truck felt particularly well balanced and stable. Even when we were blasting toward ruts, ditches, and jumps that would've been fatal for many off-road vehicles, the Touareg's suspension and BFGoodrich tires allowed Miller to accelerate in and out of dangerous terrain with ease.
Race Touareg 2 Specs
Engine: 2.5L, inline-five-cylinder, 20-valve, TDI diesel
Induction: Two-stage dual turbos with intercooler drawing through a 1.5-inch restrictor (mandated by FIA rules)
Horsepower: 285 (manufacturer's claim)
Torque: 443 lb-ft (manufacturer's claim)
Engine management: Bosch
Transmission: Longitudinally mounted six-speed sequential gearbox
Clutch: Hydraulically operated ZF Sachs three-plate ceramic disc
Drivetrain: Full-time four-wheel drive, three mechanical differentials with viscous locking capability
Suspension (front/rear): Independent double wishbone, dual ZF Sachs shocks with coil springs at each wheel, limited to 9.84 inches of travel
Steering: Power-assisted rack and pinion
Brakes: 12.6-inch vented rotors with aluminum six-piston calipers
Wheels: 16x7.2-inch BBS aluminum
Tires: BFGoodrich 235/85R16 (31x9.25R16)
Chassis: Fabricated steel tube space-frame
Bodywork: Two-door carbon-fiber composite
Dimensions
Length: 164 inches
Width: 78.6 inches
Height: 69.4 inches
Track width (front/rear): 68.9 inches
Wheelbase: 111 inches
Minimum weight: 3,940 pounds