Volkswagen Amarok to be Official Dakar Rally Support Vehicle

Posted by Mike Levine | November 16, 2009

The new Volkswagen Amarok pickup truck will be the official vehicle of the 2010 Dakar Rally in South America. Twenty Amaroks will provide race support for the Rally’s organizer and 15 will be used to shuttle the press along the race route.

“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 and our race Touaregs,” said Kris Nissen, Volkswagen Motorsport Director. “The Amarok is exactly the right vehicle for our team.”

Perhaps Nissen said that because of the success some Dakar teams have recently had using Ford F-Series Super Dutys instead of the top-heavy Man, Kamaz and Hino trucks that have traditionally been used by teams to carry gear and spare parts?

“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,” added Stephan Schaller, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Formerly the Paris Dakar Rally, the fabled most-grueling motorsports event in the world runs 9,000 kilometers through the mountains and deserts of Argentina and Chile.

Although the Dakar Rally’s home had been Africa since its inception in 1979, the 2008 event was canceled and moved to South America in 2009 as a result of terrorist threats and the killings of French tourists and members of the Mauritanian military along the route.

[Source: Volkswagen]

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Comments

Does anyone know where you can watch the Dakar Rally?

Posted by: Peppy | Nov 16, 2009 7:10:48 PM

im wondering if they were chicken to race it as ford did with the raptor. c'mon...run what ya brung!

i can hear it now; yuppie press core: hmm...these leather seats and euuuropean styling sure are nice.

http://blogs.cars.com/.a/6a00d83451b3c669e201156f4248d8970c-800wi

Posted by: Fordman | Nov 16, 2009 7:52:22 PM

Are they going to pull trailers ? those beds look awful short .

Posted by: Taylor | Nov 16, 2009 8:23:34 PM

I am cusfused. I could have sworn that this site (cars.com) had published an artcile earlier saying the VW amarok was dead......

Posted by: mike | Nov 16, 2009 8:23:37 PM

Peppy, in past years the "Versus" channel has had 30 minute recaps each night of the rally. I don't see any mention of it at their site yet though. Keeping fingers crossed.

Posted by: dbag | Nov 16, 2009 9:00:50 PM

Not coming to the US..but far from dead. They are another entry in the very competitive worldwide small diesel pickup scene. The Mahindra is probably at the bottom of the pile.

Posted by: Robert | Nov 16, 2009 11:49:36 PM

That's nice, look at those rear lower shock mounts...

Not going to survive in that condition! Better mod those rear shocks or they will be destroyed as soon as the truck bottoms out!

Posted by: oxi | Nov 17, 2009 2:33:07 AM

If you have ever worked on a Volkswagon you would quickly come to realize this is a terrible idea. Volkswagons are the biggest PITA to work on as a shade tree mechanic. And once you're out of warranty prepare to shell out the big dollars.

That thing would get stuck in my neighbors flower garden. Bring on the Raptor for a real offroad pickup truck.

Posted by: Dave | Nov 17, 2009 12:59:34 PM

they should be using H3T's instead

Posted by: Zach | Nov 17, 2009 10:27:46 PM

So, most teams have used in the past Fords F-250 trucks as a stuff support, even if they represented completely other manufacture brands - that should give people to think, how good American trucks are! My personal favorite for the actual Dakar is Robby Gordon (driving the Hummer H3T) ...

Posted by: ARON | Nov 18, 2009 2:16:59 AM

"So most teams have used in the past Fords F-250 trucks as a stuff support, even if they represented completely other manufacture brands"

No hey didn't . From the PickupTruck article on the last event. quite a variety of pickups
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2009/01/pickup-trucks-o.html

Posted by: Robert | Nov 18, 2009 2:43:24 AM

Just Now the world will know the new power from Germany with this all new pick up, most powerful, most faster, most capability, etc, etc, This is the Pride from Germany.

Amarok say you Any Time Baby!!!

Posted by: Vrabus German | Nov 18, 2009 5:13:40 PM