If you’ve never heard of the Volkswagen Touareg R50, you’re not alone. It flew under the radar when it was new, it flies under the radar now, and that’s precisely what makes it so fascinating.
Launched in 2007, the R50 was the range-topping version of the first-generation Touareg – already a car that shared its underpinnings with the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7. But the R50 took things to another level entirely.
Under the bonnet sat a 4,921cc twin-turbocharged V10 diesel. That’s not a typo. A V10. In a family SUV. It produced 345bhp and – more importantly – 627lb ft of torque. As Top Gear noted in their recent feature, it’s the single torquiest V10 ever devised for the public highway.
Despite weighing 2,620kg, the R50 sprinted from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds. Supercar territory in 2007, from a diesel SUV the size of a small house. Top speed was limited to 146mph – almost certainly not because it couldn’t go faster.
VW famously demonstrated its towing ability by having one haul a Boeing 747 – one of the most audacious pieces of automotive marketing ever conceived. The car didn’t break a sweat.
New in 2008 at £61,885, today you can pick one up for around £3,500. Extraordinary value for one of the most unique vehicles VW ever built.
At VW Owners Club, we have a dedicated Touareg community where R50 owners share knowledge and hard-won experience. Join us free – you’ll find the expertise you need.