Twelve cylinder strong Touareg with 450 HP

Sporty looks and dynamic performance with the highest comfort. With an extensive equipment package, the new Touareg W12 sport Edition is immediately available in Germany.

The centre piece of the new Touareg Special Edition is the powerful twelve cylinder engine: the 6.0 liter engine achieves 450 HP / 331 kW and a torque of 600 Nm. With that the Touareg accelerates in 5.9 seconds to 100 km/h and reaches an electronically limited maximum speed of 250 km/h. The power is transferred to the wheels with a six speed automatic Tiptronic transmission.

As the name already promises, the new Touareg Sport Edition displays its sporting character with the roof spoiler as well as the widened wheel arches and flares. In combination with the 20“ custom light metal wheel set "Casablanca“, the muscular character of the Touareg W12 Sport Edition is clearly set.

A silver colored roof luggage carrier, darkened rear and side windows and the bumpers in the vehicle color complete the sovereign impression of this car with standard sport spirit. The double exhaust pipes with sound designed exhaust system clarify the power both optically and acoustically.

The interior corresponds with the Touareg's sporty feeling but at the same time has high-value accents. The gracious leather Individual sport seats and the "Micropoint“ aluminum decoration shape the full optics of the interior. Standard on board are 2 zone climate control, radio-DVD-navigation system with colored multi functional display plus speaker system and CD changer as well as a mobile phone hands free kit.

Bi-xenon headlights with curve headlight and bending light function belong to the equipment package, as well as the steering column mounted Tiptronic shifting levers for manual control of the automatic transmission.

Like the predecessor Touareg W12 Sport, this special edition was developed by Volkswagen Individual GmbH. Besides the Sport Edition, Volkswagen Individual also offers the six-liter W12 engine for the Touareg W12 Executive, the discrete and elegant alternative to the new Sport Edition.

The new Touareg W12 Sport Edition is priced at €96,300 Euros and can be ordered in Germany immediately.

Both the Porsche Cayenne and its sister vehicle are about to get a major facelift. The sister, VW's Touareg SUV, will show off its new look in 2007.



These are first photos of the revamped Touareg. The prototype was snapped during an overnight stop next to a hotel parking lot in northernScandinavia.



As can be seen from the photos, the Touareg gets new headlights and a revised front end as well as air intakes in the front skirt. The rear end has different taillights, and - according to the shot of the dashboard - the car will also get a new instrument panel and center console.

Due for launch in 2007

The two joint venture off roaders, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg, are about to get a major facelift due for launch in 2007. Both cars came on the market for the first time in 2002. While already numerous prototypes of the restyled Porsche Cayenne got caught on photo, these are the cleanest shots yet of the revamped future Touareg. The test-car was pictured undergoing hot-climate testing in the U.S. yesterday. The facelifted Touareg will get new headlights and an altered front end as well as air intakes in the front skirt. The rear end has also different taillights, but – according to the shot of the dashboard - the car won’t get a new instrument panel or centre console.

Volkswagen has released some initial photography of the 2007 Volkswagen Touareg SUV ahead of its world public debut at the Paris Motor Show next week. Sporting a new 'face,' revised rear styling, updated interior and seats as well as the Dynaudio sound system as an option, the new Touareg will go on sale early next year. At the front, the new Touareg features a new grille, bonnet, front wings and bumper, plus new headlights and mirrors. The rear lights, spoiler, bumper and exhaust pipes have also been modified to freshen the 4×4’s appearance. The new Touareg will feature new and revised technology, including ABSPlus and additional ESP (Electronic Stabilization Program) features. The system shortens the braking distance by up to 20% on loose driving surfaces. New features have been added to the ESP, these include Active Rollover Protection (ARP), rain brake support, fading brake support and understeer control logic, which improves the turning behaviour in the event of understeer. Engine choices in Europe will include a 3.6-litre V6 280 hp gasoline powerplant; 2.5-litre TDI 174 hp diesel; 3.0-litre V6 TDI 225 hp diesel; and the range-topping 5.0-litre V10 TDI with 313 hp. It's unclear how U.S. engine offerings will differ.

Diesel rules for the U.S. are changing - and that's led Volkswagen to the unusual step of importing a string of Touareg diesels for U.S. sale as 2006 models long after the start of the 2006 model year. The new Touareg diesels meet 2006 emissions rules with particulate filters; VW still is working on solutions so that its diesels will meet the more stringent 2007 emissions rules taking effect next year. VW had held off on offering the Touareg V-10 diesel until it could guarantee the availability of low-sulfur fuel, which arrived at pumps nationwide on Sunday. The Touareg diesel boasts 310 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, and a long list of standard equipment to go with its $67,750 price tag, including a six-disc CD changer, navigation system, quad-zone climate control, and side-curtain airbags.

Volkswagen appears to be building a military prototype of the Touareg SUV. Not much is known about the vehicle, but it seems VW is hoping that the aging military versions of the Mercedes’ G-Class will give them the advantage when seeking defense contracts.

Painted in a matte green and stripped of all its chrome, the exterior would do a good job of not being noticed. Various antennas give the Touareg the upper hand in state of the art communications systems, while numerous recovery hooks at the front and rear allow for easy rescue should the vehicle become trapped in mud or snow. Power would most likely come from Volkswagen’s V10 TDI that has 310hp and 533ft/lbs of torque.

Next year Volkswagen will launch a new petrol-electric hybrid version of its Touareg in its BlueMotion range but before that another version of the handsome SUV will get the environmentally conscientious banner. Just launched in Europe is the new Touareg TDI BlueMotion, which comes with a 225hp (168kW) V6 TDI turbodiesel engine.

This is the same engine found in the regular Touareg TDI clean diesel model that was launched recently in the U.S., but thanks to a number of fuel saving modifications the BlueMotion model is up to 10% more fuel-efficient than the already frugal standard model.

According to its maker, the new Touareg TDI BlueMotion has a fuel economy of just 28mpg (8.3L/100km). What’s more impressive is that this is more fuel-efficient than even the hybrid version due next year, which in prototype form is averaging around 26mpg (9L/100km).

To enhance fuel economy, engineers have installed low rolling resistance tires, installed new engine components to reduce friction, and lowered the vehicle by 25mm to reduce drag.

Pricing for the new model starts at €50,450 (approximately $70,500) and no word on a U.S. launch has been given.