In a Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI, Rainer Zietlow and his team have set a new course record in the renowned Carretera Panamericana race with a driving time of just 11 days, 17 hours and 22 minutes. This race runs the entire length of North and South America. As part of his post-race tour, the off-road enthusiast is showing the record-setting vehicle in Wolfsburg today.

Zietlow and his team covered a total of 22,750 kilometers on the route between Tierra del Fuego and Alaska; they passed through 17 countries as well as most of the Earth’s climate and vegetation zones in the record drive, which has been certified by the TUV Nord testing organization. Whether extreme heat, heavy rain, sandstorms or snow – the Volkswagen Touareg proved its efficiency and staying power under challenging course conditions. Zietlow broke the previous world record set in 2006 by four days. In the Touareg, the eco-friendly 3.0l V6 TDI Clean Diesel engine (165 kW/225 PS in the US version) consumes 30 percent less fuel and emits up to 25 percent less CO2 than other vehicles with petrol engines in its class.

Rainer Zietlow has documented his world record drive with extensive video and photographic materials at the following website: www.tdi-panamericana.com.

- Volkswagen AG

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1. Volkswagen Touareg TDI tackles the Panamericana Endurance Challenge

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Renowned adventurer and off-road driver Rainer Zietlow and his team today announced they will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the legendary Pan-American Highway with the ultimate endurance challenge. They will embark on a fast, two-week drive from Argentina to Alaska on the longest road in the world, covering 14 countries and nearly 16,000 miles in a 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI ® Clean Diesel SUV.

Zietlow, Carlos Fernandez and Marius Biela, all from Germany, will start on June 29 in Ushuaia, Argentina, located at the southern tip of South America. Their goal is to drive the entire length of the Pan-American Highway in 14 days, finishing in Deadhorse, Alaska. The crew will travel through 14 countries – Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Canada – and through challenging terrain, including the Atacama Desert, a 13,600-foot high Andean pass, humid rainforests in Central America and the Arctic tundra in Alaska.

As with all of his previous challenges, Zietlow will donate 10 Euro cents for each kilometer driven during this trip to two villages in Latin America managed by Plan International, a charity organization that works in 48 developing countries to promote children’s rights and lift millions of children out of poverty.

“We want to celebrate the important role the Pan-American Highway has played in bringing commerce and unity to countries along the route, while demonstrating the power and durability of a clean diesel vehicle. The 75th Anniversary of the Pan-American Highway provides us with a great opportunity to do both,” said Rainer Zietlow, manager of the German car event agency, Challenge4 GmbH. “While we have completed a number of long distance drives, the TDI-Panamericana Endurance Challenge will be one of our most meaningful and exciting challenges to date.”

Taking five-hour driving shifts, the team will drive non-stop for the full two weeks, testing both the drivers’ will and the Touareg’s endurance. People can follow the drive online by visiting www.tdi-panamericana.com. The site will feature a map and live streaming video to show the Touareg’s real-time progress on the route, as well as photos, video highlights and blog posts to document the thrill of the endurance challenge from start to finish.

The Challenge4 crew will drive a single 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI® Clean Diesel SUV the entire route, demonstrating how the Touareg’s German engineering and powerful engine handle even the most challenging driving conditions. Zietlow chose the Touareg TDI® Clean Diesel for its durability, high-performance and long-range fuel efficiency. Its turbocharged 3.0L V6 TDI® engine, which delivers 225 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, is designed to perform on rugged terrain and mixed road surfaces at varying altitudes.

Additionally, as a clean diesel SUV, the Touareg consumes 30 percent less fuel and produces up to 25 percent lower CO2 emissions than comparable gasoline vehicles. The Touareg’s TDI® clean diesel technology is a key component of “Think Blue.”, the philosophy behind Volkswagen’s holistic approach to preserve the environment through fuel-efficient, high-performing vehicles; sustainable production and advanced technologies.

“The Volkswagen Touareg TDI® Clean Diesel SUV is well equipped to handle the distance and challenges of the Pan-American Highway. It is one of the most efficient vehicles in its class, and offers the durability, reliability, comfort and power that Rainer Zietlow and his team need to complete a drive of this magnitude,” said Rainer Michel, vice president of product marketing, Volkswagen of America. “The TDI-Panamericana Endurance Challenge is an excellent way to demonstrate the many advantages of clean diesel technology.”

In addition to Volkswagen, a number of other major sponsors are supporting the Challenge, including 3M, Allianz, Bosch, Castrol, Continental Tire, ESL, Exide Technologies, Federal Mogul, Getac, Inmarsat, Kruse, Kuehne+Nagel, PIAA, Sonax, Tag Heuer and Volkswagen Credit.

Zietlow has conquered a number of extraordinary challenges with Volkswagen in recent years. In 2005, he and his partner Ronald Bormann drove a Volkswagen Touareg to a height of 19,947 feet (6,080 meters) which earned him a Guinness World Record for the highest altitude achieved in a standard vehicle. Zietlow also conquered immense distances in a Volkswagen Caddy EcoFuel and in a Volkswagen Passat EcoFuel powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). In 2006 and 2007, he and his team circumnavigated the globe in a natural gas powered Volkswagen, which earned him a second Guinness World Record.

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Saturday Night Live comedian Bill Hader and Volkswagen Product Specialist Danielle Gumro discuss the 2011 Touareg in our hilarious new educational series, “Inside the VW Academy.”

**The Touareg Hybrid is available in the U.S. in very limited quantities and only at participating Volkswagen dealers.

21 city/25 highway mpg (2011 3.0L supercharged hybrid, automatic transmission). EPA estimates. Your mileage will vary.

Maximum 7700 lbs. (brake weight) towing capacity requires optional factory-installed towing package. Maximum towing capacity of 1650 lbs. (unbraked weight) without factory-installed towing package. See owner’s manual for details.

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Volkswagen Group has been on a tear in the past few days in Qatar. Bugatti shows the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, Lamborghini and their Gallardo LP 560-4 Bicolore and now the Touareg Gold Edition complete with 24-carat gold inside and out. The V8 is even dusted with a bit-o-gold.

The Touareg Gold Edition would certainly be able to handle a journey around the world – but bear in mind, this car should only be parked where there is good surveillance. That is because – living up its name – certain areas of this SUV are upgraded with 24-carat gold. On the outside, they include the custom designed 22-inch wheels, roof rails, protective guard strips and window frames, mirror caps and parts of the air intake frame, “Touareg V8″ signature and boot sill trim. Like the Race Touareg 3 Qatar, this SUV is also painted in “Magic Morning” body color.

Inside, 24-carat gold also adorns many of the car’s accents and switches, making the entire car unique. The interior design itself has a pleasant, bright appearance in the “Luna” trim color. The Alcantara roof-liner shows this color as does the Nappa leather of the seats, which is decorated with ornamental stitch detailing.

On the other hand, the dashboard is trimmed in a natural brown leather; contrasting seams in “Magnolia” color perfect the color scheme. Natural brown with leather inserts in “Luna” adorn the floor mats. Automotive craftsmanship at its finest is reflected in the Walnut Burr accents with genuine gold marquetry – also crafted into an ornamental pattern. This is in keeping with the general image of the Touareg, which – in the “normal” production version – is one of the most sophisticated SUVs in the world.

- Volkswagen

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The new Touareg is now also available as a luxurious Volkswagen Exclusive model. The vehicle boasts a range of features including seats in a high-quality two-tone leather combination, 19-inch wheel rims and decorative elements in real wood.

Exclusively equipped model leaves nothing to be desired

In the Touareg Exclusive, high-quality seats in the two-tone leather combination “Nappa” are fitted as standard. The finely worked leather is available in the colour combinations Pepper Beige–Titan Black and Dark Burgundy–Titan Black. As well as being aesthetically appealing, the two-tone leather offers a special practical feature: it is so-called “cool leather”, which prevents the seats from becoming too hot in direct sunlight.

The leather seat system includes heated front seats with electric 12-way settings, electro-pneumatically adjustable backrest side bolsters and head restraints with longitudinal and height adjustment. Likewise inclusive are the leather door inserts, a black headliner and sill panel strips in stainless steel with exclusive lettering. Decorative elements made from real wood in “Olive Silk Gloss” round off the exclusive ambience of the interior.

The 19-inch “Salamanca” alloy wheels, painted in Sterling Silver, are fitted as standard. The “Girona” wheel has the same dimensions and is available to order at no extra cost. A further option is the extravagant 20-inch “Tarragona” wheel, which gives the Touareg a particularly individual flair. The exterior is characterised by the “Chrome & Style” package and roof rails in anodised silver.

The Touareg Exclusive starts at € 58,150 (V6 TDI BlueMotion Technology) and is available to order with all engine variants, for example the hybrid.

- Volkswagen

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