Volkswagen of America, Inc. has set a new record with its Touareg V10 TDI driven by Ryan Arciero at the 2007 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) Race to the Clouds race—a 12.4-mile course. Arciero’s time of 13:17:70 was officially declared the new record holder for the alternative fuel diesel truck high performance showroom stock division. The previous record for this division was set in 2000 with a time of 13:34:63.
“It’s a great honor to be recognized as the record holder at a historic race like Pikes Peak,” said Arciero. “The Touareg V10 TDI is the perfect vehicle for this race, giving the driver an abundance of torque, traction and stability. That’s a highly effective combination for the short straights, 156 corners and switchbacks of this race.”
Volkswagen raced three diesel-powered Touaregs in the High Performance Showroom Stock division at the 2007 PPIHC. Second-place driver Mark Miller’s official time of 13:25:24 was also good enough to break the seven-year-old division record for diesel vehicles by over nine seconds.
As consumers learn more about diesel’s capability to race and win races, interest in diesels grows. Audi recently said that since it has raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it has noticed increases in sales. For two years in a row, the Audi R10 TDI has won Le Mans, publicity that is sure to boost diesel’s image in the minds of consumers.
Source: Volkswagen of America, Inc. (July 30, 2007). “Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI Sets New Record at the 85th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.” Volkswagen of America, Inc. press release courtesy of PR Newswire; SEMA Research & Information Center.