VW Amarok
Industry News Notes
Speaking of Russian expeditions, Volkswagens sponsorship of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, has seen the streets of Sochi fill with VW’s, Skoda’s, Audi’s and VW Commercial Vehicles as part of the massive logistical effort to run the event. Joining those vehicles are three very special Amarok pickups that just returned from a record setting expedition. The specially designed Amarok’s that were built to cross the winter waste lands of rural Russia set the new Guinness World Record by traveling some 16,000 km (9,942 miles) over 60-days between the Russian capital of Moscow and the Bering Sea city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, one of the largest “cities” in the world without a road leading to it. The nine-member team travelled across a huge variety of terrain, including Lake Baikal, where they found their way over three-foot thick ice, the Iultin Pass and over the glacier-covered Sredinny Range. The Amarok’s received a host of upgrades including long-travel front and rear suspension, heavy-duty shocks and massive high-floatation tires. The body was kept stock other than cutting out the fenders to fit the large tires. For reliability, the 2.0L turbo diesel engine remained mostly untouched. For added safety, the interior was fitted with a roll cage, and the trucks had extra navigation equipment to make sure the team didn't get lost. VW, why don’t we get this truck?