| The Dakar Rally has been a successful event | | | | claimed stage victories, five good days when |
| for Volkswagen with a 1-2 finish on the final | | | | we finished the stages in second and third |
| stage of the arduous event. Giniel de | | | | places, and one black day when both of our |
| Villiers' stage wins-his fourth and | | | | best placed cars suffered problems." |
| Volkswagen's 10th from the 14 | | | | |
| stages-underlined the speed and dominance of | | | | The highest-placed finishers for Volkswagen |
| the TDI powered Race Touareg 2. It was | | | | were American Mark Miller and his South |
| Volkswagen's team that led the first eight | | | | African co-driver Ralph Pitchford, their Race |
| days of the Dakar Rally but was cut short | | | | Touareg 2 finished fourth place and just over |
| when the team encountered engine problems. | | | | two hours behind the victorious Mitsubishi |
| Volkswagen's team did not elaborate on the | | | | with Stephane Peterhansel as its driver. |
| problem, so it's not really clear what goes | | | | |
| wrong with the engine. It should be noted | | | | Carlos Sousa, Volkswagen's Portuguese |
| that the German automaker is famous for | | | | privateer finished seventh the event |
| creating the best quality auto parts in the | | | | erstwhile leaders Carlos Sainz and de |
| world like its Volkswagen fuel injectors. The | | | | Villiers finished ninth and eleventh |
| untoward engine incident during the Rally is | | | | respectively. "It was a great rally for |
| something that is expected especially in such | | | | myself and the entire team. Volkswagen has |
| a grueling race fortunately Europe's largest | | | | claimed 10 of the 14 stage victories-when it |
| automaker was prepared for it. And so at the | | | | comes to strengths of this vehicle that says |
| end the Volkswagen team still ends up | | | | it all. I feel more disappointed for the team |
| triumphant although not in first place. | | | | than for myself that in the end we had no |
| | | | chance of winning." |
| According to Volkswagen Motorsports Director | | | | |
| Kris Nissen, "We're looking back on a Dakar | | | | The Volkswagen team's official partners are |
| Rally which has given us many great moments | | | | Red Bull, Castrol, BP Ultimate, BT infonet, |
| as well as a bitter disappointment. | | | | BFGoodrich, ZF Sachs, Bosch and BBS. |
| Volkswagen had 10 outstanding days when we | | | | |