- 1,115
- Rivera
- Tsukishima-TDUDT
Created as part of Volkswagen's racing programme, the Tarek was developed as a sports car designed specifically for rallies. It made its debut in the 2003 Paris-Dakar race.
The name Tarek, the road in English, comes from the Arab language. For Volkswagen, it is more than just the name of the competition car. For its debut in modern-day cross country rallying, the company has set initial ambitions that are to be achieved with a specially designed vehicle concept. 'The decision for a rear-wheel driven buggy is the most efficient concept that could be achieved in the short period of time between the start of our project and the Dakar rally', says Rudolf-Helmut Strozyk, head of Volkswagen Racing. 'A buggy is a light-weight tubular construction. This rigid and reliable basis is an excellent testing facility for our TDI®-technology. Moreover, it is the first opportunity for the entire crew to get to know the geographical conditions in the world's toughest cross country event.'
While the Tarek made its world debut as the actual competition car at the Essen Motor Show, November 28, the design-team of Italdesign - Giugiaro S.p.A., based in Moncalieri near Turin, continued preparation of the other two cars. 'The experience of our tests in Morocco fled directly into the preparation of the two further Tareks', the head of Volkswagen Racing says. During an initial test in North-Africa in November, Jutta Kleinschmidt, Stéphane Henrard and Dieter Depping racked up some 3,000 kilometres with the buggy. In a further, shorter test in December, the team has been successfully testing the more efficient engine cooling system over some 1,500 kilometres.'
In all test sessions, the buggy, prepared to the T2 regulations set out by motorsport's governing body, the FIA, proved to be rigid, reliable and thus competitive right away. The 1180 kg light prototype with its carbonfibre bodywork is based on a steel tubular chassis and is powered by a 218 hp strong 1.9 litre Volkswagen four-cylinder TDI-engine. While the spectacular bodywork and the chassis structure were only completed a few months prior to the Dakar Rally, the TDI®-powerplant in several different varieties already got its baptism of fire in motorsport. "The TDI®-technology has already been tested in various motorsport activities, among others during the Dakar Rally", Rudolf-Helmut Strozyk explains.
