Automotive Engineer

Real-world testing is mainly used for data acquisition. While testing, Weidl isn’t limited by how many sensors he can use to track the vehicle – his team is able to test everything from the oil temperature to the stroke rate of the suspension. 

He says: “During the rally we are limited in the sort of sensors we are allowed to run, but during testing we use many more: wheel travel, tyre pressure, tyre temperature, g forces in all directions. It’s very important, especially from the suspension side. We are limited to a 250mm stroke, so you have to work a lot on the dampers to get the maximum performance out of it.” 

Twenty days to test the vehicle might seem like a short time, but Weidl then uses the next four months to go through the data and continue the vehicle’s development.

Judging what conditions the vehicle will have to deal with is part of the team’s job. Race Touareg 2 was developed with a snorkel system so it could drive through water hazards, but they never materialised, and it could take 30 minutes to remove the system during pit-stops. Any time lost during the race could make all the difference between winning and losing.

“Dakar has developed into a sprint race, and if you get delayed for five minutes you have a problem,” says Weidl. But Weidl has to be careful – he can’t assume the rally will be dry throughout.

“Race Touareg 3 is still fitted with a snorkel,” he says, “but we now have the possibility to use the snorkel inlet or a normal inlet from the bonnet; the co-driver has a lever where he can change the direction.”

Developing the third generation of the Race Touareg was all about learning from past races, making sure the vehicle could cope with the changing geography of the Dakar rally, and staying within the strict regulations. 

The vehicle might not hit the sand until January but the race really begins with the flight to South America.