2011 Volkswagen Race Touareg 3: Dakar Rally Machine
Updated July 21, 2026

Volkswagen is back for another run at the Dakar Rally with the 2011 Race Touareg 3, an improved version of the car that took back-to-back Dakar wins in 2009 and 2010. This one is built to tackle the 5,000-mile route through Chile and Argentina.
Build highlights
- Twin-turbo 2.5-liter diesel, 296 HP and 442 ft-lbs of torque
- 0-62 mph in 6.1 seconds, top speed 117 mph
- Five-speed sequential transmission with triple-plate ceramic clutch
- Steel space frame chassis
- Two coilover springs and shocks on each wheel
- Custom 16-inch BFGoodrich tires, 9.25 inches wide
- Carbon fiber and Kevlar body panels, new LED lights, grille, wheels, and modified roof cooling scoops
- Race seats, navigation, and Raptor-style auxiliary toggle switches
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Categorized in: Desert Racing
4 Comments
The car is cool, I like it.
This is a great review about Touareg 3. What a kind of look and style it has. Thanks for sharing it.
very nice website, enjoy the way you write, you definitely do hold a flair for writing, will be viewing this website quite often
That looks pretty sweet… looks like Volkswagen might do it again this year…. Three in a row would be an impressive streak!
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