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