One of the many perks of TDI ownership Volkswagen touts in advertisements is the ability to travel quite far between fill-ups. That very quality will likely be tested later this month, when Rainier Zietlow embarks on his 16,000-mile road trip in a Touareg TDI.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Pan-American Highway, Zietlow and two additional team members are preparing to cover the historic highway’s entire stretch in a 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI diesel. On June 29, their journey begins at Ushuaia, Argentina and will head north to for 16,000 miles, 13,600-foot max elevations and 14 countries. If those numbers aren’t crazy enough, the team plans to complete the trip in two weeks.
Zietlow will be joined by Juan Carlos Fernandez (technician, translator and co-driver) and Marius Biela (cameraman, photographer and second co-driver). The three-member team will share driving duties in 5-hour intervals. The team has modified the TDI Touareg with beefier tires, a satellite mapping and communication system and an auxiliary 300 liter fuel tank, all of which should come in handy during the most rough and deserted legs of the trip.
“We want to celebrate the important role the Pan-American Highway has played in bringing commerce and unity to countries along the route, while demonstrating the power and durability of a clean diesel vehicle. The 75th Anniversary of the Pan-American Highway provides us with a great opportunity to do both,” said Rainer Zietlow, manager of the German car event agency, Challenge4 GmbH. “While we’ve completed a number of long-distance drives, the TDI-Panamericana Endurance Challenge will be one of our most meaningful and exciting challenges to-date.”
A dedicated website has been created for the journey and includes a live and interactive map, videos, live streams and photo galleries. Zietlow is also using the endurance challenge to raise money and awareness for Plan International and will make a donation to the charity following the trip.
Source: Volkswagen
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