All secrets revealed

On the Essen Motor Show, we've presented a further milestone of the cross country project. On 28 November, the desert racer for the Dakar Rally has been unveiled  - the Volkswagen Tarek. I was absolutely glad and relieved that we've been able to present the visitors our surprise. The response from the media was overwhelming, and the interviews that had to be done by us drivers, the co-drivers and Rudolf-Helmut Strozyk, Head of Volkswagen Racing, just wouldn't end.

The whole team at Volkswagen, the squad from Erwin Weber as well as the team of Fabrizio Giugiaro at ItalDesign where the car has been built have done a tremendous job. During our seven-day test in Morocco that covered a distance of some 3.000 kilometres, the buggy hardly held a nasty surprise such as time-consuming niggles or serious gremlins. 

In the weeks to come, an intense programme will be continued - already on 6 December, we return to the Moroccan desert to do a further test before the "Dakar" Rally. On the one hand, we could easily need another couple of month, but on the other hand, I am eagerly anticipating the occasion to contest a competition again. I can promise you: it will be exciting. I can only encourage you to accompany our project. Especially for the Dakar Rally, Volkswagen have launched a special web site (in German for the time being) which presents you all the project news: www.touareg-dakar.com