Volkswagen Brings Some Bling to Qatar with Touareg Gold Edition and Street-Legal Race Touareg Concepts

The Volkswagen Group's Qatar Motor Show rollout continues in full force today, as the German automaker lifted the veil off two all-new SUV concept cars bearing the Touareg nameplate. The Race Touareg 3 Qatar is a street legal version of the racecar that took part in this year’s Dakar competition, while the Touareg Gold Edition is a one-of-kind special decorated with 24-carat gold parts.

So, different cars for different needs, although we’re pretty sure that there are plenty of thrill seeking sheiks with a gold fetish out there interested in buying both, should the concepts ever make it into series production.

Powered by an unspecified 310HP engine, the Race Touareg 3 is a no compromise beast capable to sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than six seconds, built with know-how acquired in one of the toughest rally races in the world.

To make it road legal, Volkswagen slightly modified the 2-meter wide body and replaced the competition model’s 16-inch wheels with more appealing 18-inch BBS alloys painted in gold. The same color is found on the “Race Touareg” inscription on the vehicle’s sides, while VW claims that the “Morning Magic” white paintjob also has a slight gold shimmer to it.

Inside, the only thing left untouched from the racecar is the safety cage. Everything else was completely redesigned, as the Germans were striving to create a so-called “stealth look”. True to its driving machine designation, the Race Touareg 3 comes with Recaro bucket seats, sporty steering wheel, digital instrument panel and a sequential gearbox. Many of these elements are dressed in high quality materials, such as carbon fiber and Nappa leather.

While the Race Touareg is all about performance, the 360HP Golden Edition redefines bling with its gold-plated 22-inch wheels, roof rails, protective guard strips, window frames, mirror caps, boot sill trim and parts of the fascia. The finishing touches are represented by the same “Magic Morning” body color and “Touareg V8” inscription.

The interior is an ode to opulence with most of the dials, switches and other elements receiving the 24-carat gold treatment, complemented by Walnut Burr accents and exquisite leather. The seats are wrapped in cream Nappa leather with ornamental stitching, while the dashboard is trimmed in contrasting, natural brown leather.

VW Group to Display Up to Seven Concepts at the Geneva Show

It seems that the VW Group will do just about anything to become the world’s biggest automaker by 2018. After announcing a €51.6 billion (US $70.3 billion) investment plan last November, the Germans also want to showcase their future intentions at the Geneva Motor Show in March, by displaying up to seven concepts.

Walter de Silva, head of the group’s design department, told ANE that the concept lineup will include Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen models, plus “one – if not two” Audis.

Furthermore, the Italdesign Giugiaro design studio, acquired by the automaker last spring, will also present two Volkswagen concept cars.

Seeing this kind of commitment, one has to wonder what exactly has Volkswagen is store for us. With the Golf Mk7 said debut in late 2012 or early 2013, we're inclined to say that it’s too early for a design study and the same goes for the next generation Audi A3, due for a release in the summer of 2012. While the manufacturer did say that it wants to expand its North American SUV lineup, information on the subject is scarce, so we wouldn’t bet on an SUV concept either.

In any case, if you have an opinion on the matter, now is the time to share it with us in the comments section below.

*Note: Volkswagen Up! Lite Concept featured in the gallery

VW XL1 Hybrid Coupe Study: Videos and Photos from Qatar

The highlight of Volkswagen's presentation at this week's Qatar motor show is the new XL1, a futuristic looking diesel-electric plug-in hybrid study for an everyday-use coupe vehicle with a combined fuel economy of just 0.9 liters per 100 kilometers or an amazing 261 mpg US.

The extremely low fuel consumption is achieved through the use of a lightweight construction, carefully honed aerodynamics and of course, the hybrid powertrain that combines a 0.8-liter twin-cylinder diesel producing 48-horses with a 27HP electric motor. If you follow the jump, you can check out live photos as well as on the road videos of the XL1. For more details on the study, read our previous post here.