In the history of automotive marketing stunts, few come close to the sheer audacity of Volkswagen hooking a Touareg up to a Boeing 747 and driving away.
The stunt was conceived to demonstrate the towing capability of the Touareg’s V10 TDI engine in the most spectacular way imaginable. A Boeing 747 weighs around 180 tonnes when empty. The challenge: could a Volkswagen Touareg actually move it?
The answer was yes. The same V10 TDI engine that would later be tuned to produce 627lb ft of torque in the R50 hauled the aircraft along the runway in what remains one of the most jaw-dropping demonstrations of diesel torque ever committed to film. It’s a stunt Top Gear referenced in their recent R50 feature as proof of the car’s extraordinary capability.
The stunt was carefully engineered – flat ground, minimal rolling resistance, very low speed. But the fundamental fact remains: a Volkswagen SUV moved a jumbo jet. The physics work because of that enormous low-down torque. It’s not about power. It’s about twist.
VW repeated the trick across different markets, each time using the standard production V10 TDI Touareg. The stunt became the engine’s calling card – proof that diesel torque, deployed correctly, is a force unlike anything a petrol engine can match.
It’s the kind of stunt that simply doesn’t happen anymore. In the mid-2000s, VW just towed a plane. And it worked magnificently.
If you’re part of the Touareg ownership community or simply fascinated by this remarkable machine, VW Owners Club has a dedicated Touareg group where the legend lives on. Join free today.