Built on the same basic platform as the forthcoming Porsche Cayenne Hybrid, the 2012 Touareg Hybrid will arrive in the United States a model year later than the redesigned (both lightened and more aerodynamic) standard 2011 Touareg. Like its platform-mate, the Touareg Hybrid will emphasize performance and luxury over fuel economy: The combined economy of about 26 miles per gallon is so-so for a hybrid, but the compensation is impressive speed and acceleration. Volkswagen says the Touareg Hybrid will go from zero to 62 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds and will have a top speed of 150 m.p.h. The supercharged V-6 is supplied by Audi. Combined with an electric motor with an equivalent of 47 horsepower, the Touareg hybrid produces 380 horsepower. Aiding economy is an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the two top gears as overdrives (eighth reduces engine r.p.m. Other fuel-savers: A start-stop system, and a “freewheel” feature that disengages the engine from the transmission when the driver’s foot lifts from the accelerator. With a nickel-metal-hydride battery pack, the Touareg Hybrid can cruise at about 30 m.p.h. How does it look? With an almost 400-pound weight reduction, the second-generation Touareg is slimmer and sleeker, but not exactly svelte. Luxury hybrid S.U.V.’s have done reasonably well in the market, probably because they offer green bragging rights without much sacrifice. 60,000) suburbanites who can’t quite afford its more rarefied cousin, the Porsche Cayenne Hybrid.
Merely a defective seal on the gearbox caused a loss of time at an early stage and, subsequently, even required the gearbox to be exchanged. “Ultimately, a simple seal had an enormous effect with a big loss of time. This defect surprised us because it had never occurred before,” said Don Tebbe, Project Manager for the Arciero Miller Racing (AMR) team which, in close collaboration with Volkswagen Motorsport, is responsible for the development and fielding of the Baja Touareg. “Shortly before the finish we also exchanged the rear differential just to be on the safe side. From tests we knew that this part might possibly be at the limit. Work on an improved version is already in progress,” Tebbe added. At the start in Ensenada on Friday morning (21 November) 35-year-old Ryan Arciero from Los Angeles/California had taken the wheel, navigated by Benny Metcalf jr. (32) from San Clemente/California. “After the intensive preparation it was a good feeling to start to this unique rally with this great vehicle,” said Arciero.
“The Touareg was really good to drive in this tough terrain,” added Arciero, who at nightfall turned over the wheel to 46-year-old Mark Miller from Phoenix/Arizona and co-driver Willie Valdez jr. (34) from Los Angeles/California. “I caught many slower vehicles but on the narrow trails, and particularly in the darkness, I had to go about overtaking very cautiously. Just on Wednesday, two days before this unusual rally, the Baja Race Touareg TDI had been unveiled at the LA Auto Show in Los Angeles by Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board for Technical Development of the Volkswagen brand. The prototype featuring a Red Bull livery is built on a space frame; it has rear-wheel drive and a chassis with extremely large suspension travel which is indispensable in this rough terrain. Visually, the vehicle impresses with a plastic body that has been enlarged to 110.5 per cent of that of the production Touareg.
The Mitsubishi Lancer is a four-door sedan that hit the market in early 2008. There is a five-door variant, called the Lancer Sportback. Currently only available with a diesel engine DI-D 200 150 hp and 295 hp gasoline, which is the sports version "Evolution", another sport variant - "Ralliart"(240 hp) - which is not sold in the Spanish market. The 150 hp diesel engine replaced in July 2011, one of the largest displacement but less power: 2.0 DI-D 140 hp. The 150 hp is the same as ASX. The main difference between an engine and another, plus the power and the engine is the 150 hp has direct injection by common rail, while the 140 hp is pump-injector. The new Mitsubishi in origin, while the former was the Volkswagen Group, the benefits are similar, but not the consumer, the more powerful lower, between early 2008 and early 2010 there was another petrol version: 1.8 MIVEC CVT 6S-143 hp. The gearbox is six-speed manual on the 200 DI-D versions of 150 hp and automatic six relations in the Lancer Evolution.
