Tuesday 17 November 2009

VW AMAROK: OFFICIAL 2010 DAKAR CAR, CONFIRMED FOR SA



VOLKSWAGEN SAYS: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has been confirmed as the “Official Vehicle Supplier” to the 2010 Dakar Rally and will supply a total of 35 Volkswagen Amarok to the Dakar Rally organiser, the Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.).


The Volkswagen Amarok fleet will be utilised as support vehicles for the rally. A.S.O. will use 20 vehicles and a further 15 will be used as press and shuttle vehicles.

The Dakar Rally, which is the world’s toughest cross country marathon, starts on 1 January and ends on 17 January 2010 in Buenos Aires in Argentina. It covers over 9 000km of extreme desert, high dunes with deep sand driving between Argentina and Chile. Four of the 14 legs of the race will run through the Atacama desert. There will also be two crossings of the Andes at the altitudes of about 4 700 metres above sea level.

Volkswagen Motorsport hopes to make it two in the row after the historic win by Giniel de Villiers and his co-driver, Dirk von Zitzewitz in the debut South American Dakar Rally in 2009. For 2010, Volkswagen Motorsport has entered five teams which will be competing in the diesel-powered Race Touareg vehicles. Volkswagen was the first manufacturer in the history of the Dakar to win with a diesel powered vehicle.

The Volkswagen Amarok will undergo endurance test during the Dakar Rally as it will have to handle all the challenges of the demanding stages. Some of the Volkswagen Amarok in the A.S.O. fleet will get additional off-road conversions for the Rally.

“We are pleased to be able to use the Volkswagen Amarok as our Support Vehicle, because the Dakar Rally demands the highest levels of technical perfection, reliability and endurance from our Race Touareg as much as from the support vehicles. The Amarok is exactly the right vehicle for our team”, explains Kris Nissen, Volkswagen Motorsport Director.

“The Volkswagen Amarok is Volkswagen’s answer to the pickup and on the Dakar Rally – one of the last great adventures for mankind – it will have the chance to show what it’s made of and to demonstrate its flexibility and durability”, adds Stephan Schaller, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

“Moreover, the Volkswagen Amarok is built in Argentina and South America is one of the most important markets for this product, so taking part in the 2010 Dakar Rally was an absolute must for us”, stresses Schaller.

The production Volkswagen Amarok will be seen at the Dakar Rally in Argentina for the first time. It will initially be launched in the South American markets followed by Europe. The market introduction in South Africa is planned for the third quarter of 2010.


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