Volkswagen is working on a new hard-edged ‘R’ version of its Touareg SUV to join the Passat R36 and Golf R32 in its performance car lineup. Unlike the gasoline engines found in the R36 and R32, AutoTelegraaf reports that the R-Touareg will get a more powerful version of the 4.9L V10 TDI diesel engine. Apparently, the information was leaked by an overzealous VW employee during a media presentation.
German tuners have already squeezed around 365hp from this engine, but this engine is all about the massive torque figures, which should border on the ridiculous with the uprated engine. The standard model gets 750Nm, but at least one tuner has broken the 850Nm mark already. It’s also likely the Touareg will be called the R50 if it follows the naming convention of its stablemates.
The final version will most likely resemble the R-line Touareg (pictured) that’s currently available as a package through VW Individual, VW’s own customizing company. Expect the R-Touareg to feature a similar bumper design, the same subtle spoilers and a sporty wheel and tire combo.
It’s possible this Touareg will be joined by a more powerful 450hp version equipped with a W12 engine, but it seems unlikely as it would be competition for the Audi Q7 V12 TDI.
