Make Roads Safe. The Campaign For Global Road Safety

  I found this very interesting video about "MAKE ROADS SAFE.  The Campaign For Global Road Safety".  The Make Roads Safe campaign is coordinated by the FIA Foundation; And its purpose is to call on the international community to take urgent action to stop the daily tragedy of thousands of preventable deaths and injuries on the world’s roads. All of Us should support this campaign.  Watch this very informative video:

Video courtesy of www.makeroadssafe.org

Please, remember to ALWAYS DRIVE SAFELY, AND OBEY ALL TRAFFIC LAWS.  DO YOUR PART IN STOPPING TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.

Caminos Del Inca 2010 Champion Raul Orlandini Talks About The Traffic In Lima Peru

     The traffic in Lima Peru is getting worse each year, the authorities have to do something about it in order to fix the problem.  Lima will be a city with less traffic accidents if the authorities like the city mayor and the president and his government members, the police, the public transportation drivers, the pedestrians, the drivers, and all its citizens work together now to fix the traffic and transportation problem.  If We all work together now to fix the traffic problem and create conscience about traffic and traffic accidents, the number of traffic accidents will be reduced.  By doing this We can save lives.

  I found this article in a newspaper (Depor.pe) where Raul Orlandini who is the last Caminos Del Inca rally champion says that He can not drive in Lima.
     Raul Orlandini had a traffic accident in a race at the beginning of the year.  Fortunately He recovered very well from this incident and became the Caminos Del Inca 2010 Rally Champion on October.  He said that driving in Lima is more dangerous than driving in a rally or in a circuit race.
    Orlandini is back to his job and has to deal with the traffic in Lima every day.  He said "Before I was angry, but now I don't complicate myself.  I just laugh because in Lima you can not run.  If I could, I would move in a helicopter.  Everyday It takes me one hour to go from home to the office, and one hour to come back.
     Raul Orlandini expects to win the Caminos Del Inca Rally again in 2011 with his Mitsubishi Evo IX..  He is the favorite for that rally.  He wants to compete outside Peru next year.  He wants to race in the Sudamerican Rally, The FIA-Nacam, and the World Championship.  As you can see He has big plans.  He is a good guy.  Best of lucks for him.

Picture courtesy of http://www.deportemotor.net/

2010 Caminos Del Inca Rally. The Most Popular Rally In Peru. Great Win By Raul Orlandini

This month the most popular and traditional Peruvian rally took place in Peru.  The rally is called Caminos Del Inca. It starts in Lima, and continues to Huancayo, Ayacucho, Cuzco, Arequipa (all high altitude cities in the Andes), and Lima again.  The drivers compete for an entire week.  This year´s winner was Raul Orlandini, who after a difficult beginning in this year´s Peruvian rallies was able to obtain this well deserved triumph in Caminos Del Inca.  The following is a video of the 2010 Caminos Del Inca Rally.  Enjoy!

Picture courtesy of http://www.acpperu.net/

Can You Drive Like This?

So you think you are an excellent driver! Watch this fun video and compare yourself with this driver:

Excellent driver uh!

Good News On Fox News Channel About Road Safety In The U.S.

Today I was watching the Fox News channel on TV. and They gave good news about traffic safety in the U.S.  The good news were about the U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announcing Lowest Traffic Fatalities in Six Decades.  This is what He said:

DOT 165-10

Thursday, September 9, 2010
Contact: Olivia Alair
Tel: 202-366-4570

2009 Data Show Major Across-the-Board Declines in all Categories Despite a Slight Increase in Road Travel.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today released updated 2009 fatality and injury data showing that highway deaths fell to 33,808 for the year, the lowest number since 1950. The record-breaking decline in traffic fatalities occurred even while estimated vehicle miles traveled in 2009 increased by 0.2 percent over 2008 levels.
In addition, 2009 saw the lowest fatality and injury rates ever recorded: 1.13 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2009, compared to 1.26 deaths for 2008.
Fatalities declined in all categories of vehicles including motorcycles, which saw fatalities fall by 850 from 2008, breaking an 11-year cycle of annual increases.
“At the Department of Transportation, we are laser-focused on our top priority: safety,” said Secretary LaHood. “Today’s announcement shows that America’s roads are the safest they’ve ever been. But they must be safer. And we will not rest until they are.”
As part of the Department’s campaign to reduce traffic fatalities, Secretary LaHood will convene a National Distracted Driving Summit on Sept. 21 in Washington, D.C. The Secretary will bring together leading transportation officials, safety advocates, law enforcement, industry representatives, researchers and victims affected by distraction-related crashes to address challenges and identify opportunities for national anti-distracted driving efforts. This follows the first summit Secretary LaHood held in the Fall of 2009 that sparked a national conversation about texting and talking on cell phones while driving.
According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study based on 2006 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for those between the ages of 3 and 34.
In addition to the record-breaking drop in fatalities, the number of people injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2009 declined for a 10th straight year in a row, falling an estimated 5.5 percent from 2008, according to NHTSA data released today.
Alcohol impaired driving fatalities declined by 7.4 percent in 2009 – 10,839 compared to 11,711 reported in 2008. Overall, 33 states and Puerto Rico experienced a decline in the number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2009 compared to 2008.
“Today’s numbers reflect the tangible benefits of record seat belt use and strong anti-drunk driving enforcement campaigns,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “But we are still losing more than 30,000 lives a year on our highways, and about a third of these involve drunk driving. We will continue to work with our state partners to strictly enforce both seat belt use and anti-drunk driving laws across this nation, every day and every night.”
Highlights of the latest Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and related NHTSA data include the following:

■33,808 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2009, a 9.7 percent decline from 37,423 deaths reported in 2008, and the lowest number of deaths since 1950 (which had 33,186).

■An estimated 2.217 million people were injured in 2009, a 5.5 percent decline from 2.346 million in 2008.

■30,797 fatal crashes occurred in 2009, down 9.9 percent from 34,172 in 2008. All crashes (fatal, injury and property damage only) were down by 5.3 percent in 2009 from a year ago.

■Forty-one states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico all had reductions in fatalities, led by Florida (with 422 fewer fatalities) and Texas (with 405 fewer fatalities). 

For more information click on this link: http://www.nhtsa.gov/PR/DOT-165-10
Information provided by http://www.nhtsa.gov/

Remember always drive safely, and obey all traffic laws.

Raikkonen's First WRC Stage Win In Germany

     Kimi Raikkonen got his first World Rally Championship stage win at the Rallye Deutschland.  He finished the rally in the 7th. position with a total time of 4:08:28.8;  Sebastien Loeb finished first with a total time of 3:59:38.3.  Kimi said the following after wining the final stage in Germany:  "It’s a nice feeling, definitely, Maybe this stage was a bit more like a racing circuit! But it’s a sign that we’re moving in the right direction and learning all the time. Our work with the pace notes in Germany, for example, was nearly perfect".  This is the video of his perfect driving at the final stage in Germany:

     Raikkonen is considering his future for next year. He said “Nothing is decided yet, but I’m enjoying myself here.  I also think that we’re making progress. Rallying is all about experience, so I think it would be good if we could use this experience next year”.  If he stays in rallying with the Citroen Junior Team next year he would drive the new DS3 WRC: the same car as Sebastien Loeb.

Weird Maneuvers In F1.

     There has been some weird car maneuvers during this F1 season, Michael Schumacher, and Sevastian Vettel were involved in those.

Picture courtesy of http://news.bbc.co.uk/

     The car maneuver shown in the picture above was made by Michael Schumacher during the Hungarian Grand Prix, as you can see He put Rubens Barrichello to great danger by almost pushing him into the pit wall.  Because of this, Schumi was penalized a 10-place grid penalty at the race in Belgium.  After reviewing the incident, 41-year-old Schumacher said: "I have got to say that the stewards are right with their judgment: the manoeuvre against [Barrichello] was too severe.  I obviously wanted to make it difficult for him to overtake me and I also showed him clearly that I did not want to let him past, but obviously I did not want to endanger him with my manoeuvre".  Lets hope that Schumi learned from his mistake, and stop this kind of driving.  He is a good driver.  We know that He is not having the best of seasons.  We wish Him the best.

     Sevastian Vettel touched his teammate Mark Webber during the race in Turkey.

 
Picture courtesy of http://news.bbc.co.uk/

     Webber was leading from Vettel on lap 40 when the German, while attempting an overtaking manoeuvre, collided with his team-mate and crashed out of the race. David Coulthard who is a Red Bull Racing consultant gave the following opinion: "As for the crash, who was to blame? Webber held his ground, which he was perfectly entitled to do, and Vettel steered sharply towards the racing line once he felt he had cleared Webber’s car. Webber could have given him more room and Vettel could have kept going in a straight line towards the braking point.  Both could have done more to avoid it. But one small problem, they are competitive animals". 

     Michael Schumacher is currently on the 9th. position with 38 points and Sevastian Vettel is on the 3th. position with 151 points.  The leader is Mark Webber with 161 points.

Strong Road Safety Ads. Be Aware Of Road Safety

I was navigating trough the Internet and found a very interesting article titled "40 years of road safety adverts". It's about the history of hard-hitting and thought-provoking adverts from the Britain's Department of Transport that stretch back over 40 years. The article finished by saying that the most recent campaigns which warns drivers to kill their speed or live with the consequences are very strong as well, but focuses on the grief and guilt of a man who has killed a young child in an accident. Reactions indicate that the powerful message has reached the intended audience. During these years with road safety ads, Road Deaths in Britain fell to under 3,000 in 2007 (lowest in 80 years.) In 1941 9,169 people were killed on British roads, with a fraction of the traffic on the roads as there is today. Finally it says that the importance of road safety advert is as clear as ever. To read the complete article click on this link: http://motortorque.askaprice.com/news/auto-0902/40-years-of-road-safety-adverts.asp

These are some very strong road safety ads from Britain:

Don't let any of these 3 ad stories happen to you or anybody you know. Please remember to always drive safely, obey all traffic rules, and pay attention to cars on the streets. Help all the People involved in traffic accidents. Save lives, be aware of road safety!

Road Safety Is Everyone's Business

Watch this very informative video from Europe. It will make you more aware about Road Safety.

Remember, always drive safely and obey all traffic laws. They are there for a reason, and to save lives.

Good TV Ad

Watch this good TV ad. I recommend to follow its very good advice which is: Always wear a helmet when you drive a motorcycle. It saves lives!

Road Safety Ads During The South Africa 2010 World Cup: Excellent Idea

I was watching the South Africa 2010 World Cup the other day, and I saw this ad on one side of the pitch:

You can see the panel that Says "Stay Alert. Stay Alive" from the South African Road Safety Program. I think that it is an excellent advice for everybody on roads or streets (Pedestrians and Drivers included).

I found out that this organization is involved in this ad campaign:

The Organization is http://www.arrivealive.co.za/ and this is it's vision: " To develop an effective road safety information portal that will enhance awareness of road safety and save lives".

I think that it is an excellent idea to make this ad campaign during this World Cup. Many People will be more aware about traffic safety, and this awareness will reduce traffic accidents and will save lives. Visit the organization's website. Remember, Always obey all traffic laws and drive safely!.

A Traffic Jam Morning And Its Solutions.

I was driving on the streets of Lima, Peru. It was 7:50 AM. and the traffic was horrible. I tried to take the route with less cars, but it was impossible, and I couldn't scape from traffic. Everywhere I looked there was a traffic jam. Later that day when I was at home I started thinking about the traffic problem in Lima, and I arrived to these conclusions:

First, There are too many road works at the same time, so most of the main roads are partially or totally closed, forcing the cars to take alternative roads, and because these alternative roads are not prepared to receive that many cars, accidents can happen. The traffic authorities have to plan ahead before any road work, and have to choose the proper alternative roads, and publish those alternative roads on newspapers or another media, so that the drivers would know in advance which road to take.

Second, There are too many road works because elections for new district authorities are coming soon, and some district authorities want to be re elected for another period, so they do road works to get more votes (road works that should have been done a long time ago).

Third, most of the drivers in the public transportation system do not have the proper driver license, and in some cases they drive awful. Public transportation buses race between them in order to get more passengers making the streets more dangerous.

Fourth, There are too many cars circulating on the streets, and some of them are very old, or don't work properly. They should be removed from the streets. The traffic authorities have to take care of that.

And Fifth, All the people involved in the traffic system has to make an effort to obey all traffic laws. Here in Lima Peru, most people (pedestrians and drivers) don't obey traffic laws.

These are some pictures of traffic jams in Lima Peru.


You can see a traffic jam in a tunnel with a public transportation bus that is not allowed to be there, an intersection with drivers that do not respect each other, a road work causing a traffic jam, and a public transportation bus going the wrong way.

Remember People, obey all traffic laws and drive safely!

Imagine Your Car With F1 Technology. It Is Real

I found this really interesting article in the BBC website. It talks about F1 technology applied to the car you drive. How? You may ask. Basically it says That F1 will use new type of engines that are smaller and more efficient. They will consume less fuel. The F1 manufacturers do this because of diminishing supplies of fossil fuels and stricter emissions regulations. These new engines will feature a reduction in fuel consumption of as much as 50% and combine modern turbocharging with energy regeneration and other innovative technologies.

All of these technologies will be applied by road-car manufacturers to make our cars more efficient, with less fuel consumption, less polluting gas emissions, and smaller engines. This new technology will be used from the year 2013.

The following is the link to the article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2010/04/what_f1s_future_means_for_the.html


Picture courtesy of http://f1chronicles.com/

Teaching Traffic Safety To Kids. Teach Them

The other day I saw a video on CNN about teaching young kids traffic safety. The Police and Firemen were teaching them in a practical manner. The kids drove go-karts in a small circuit with all the traffic signs, stop lights, and policemen. They taught the kids security features, like how to walk on the streets and how to cross them. Also the firemen taught the kids what to do in emergency situations. It was great for them. By teaching traffic safety to kids, they will be more aware of dangerous situations on the streets, and They will know how to react to emergencies. Also They will become excellent drivers in the future and will obey all traffic safety laws. It is great that the Police and the Fire Department do this kind of work. The following video is an example of how police departments can help to avoid traffic accidents.

The following is a Japanese video that shows dangerous situations on the streets to kids, and what not to do, and how to protect themselves.

Talk To Your Car And Listen

How do you treat your car? Normally everybody likes his car, but some of us think that our car maintains itself, we tend to forget that at least we have to check it once a week. In married couples normally the man of the house (husband) is in charge of the cars or car, and women prefer to think in more important things than the car, which is OK. Some of us talk to our car, and treat it with love. When it doesn't start for some reason you talk to it so that it can start, and suddenly it starts working. I don't know if it happened to you but it is funny. You can see in movies that people talk to their cars (Of course in The Transformers, but in other movies too).

You also have to listen to your car, It talks to you with its engine sounds and noises ( In not automatic cars you change gear by listening to the engine or by watching the engine's revolutions), also by checking your car's dashboard you can listen (There are gadgets that tell you when the engine warmed up, or your trip mileage).

Picture courtesy of http://www.cartoonstock.com/

What can I say, treat your car with love, talk to it if you want, and also pay attention and listen to what your car is trying to tell you. Remember always drive safely.

Traffic Jams

A big problem on roads in big cities like Madrid, Lima, Miami, Los Angeles, etc... is traffic jams (rush hours), and when you are stuck in one of these, you start looking at the time, and if you are in a hurry you transform yourself in an aggressive person. What should you do in this situation?

It is impossible not to stress in traffic jams, but then you have to calm yourself. My advice is to breathe calmly and relax, then tune in your favorite radio station, close all your windows and put your heat or air conditioning, that way you isolate yourself from all the noises from the outside world. Stop looking at the time every minute, and don't accelerate or drive like crazy. Always drive safely. Remember to take an alternative route the next day or give yourself more time the next time.

Picture courtesy of www.skyscraperlife.com

Raikkonen's Best Performance, And Still Not Happening For Schumacher

It looks like success in the World rally Championship is starting to get to Kimi Raikkonen. He put a solid performance in the Rally of Turkey to finish fifth overall, his best result in the WRC. "The feeling is coming now, We weren't pushing too hard but We were still able to set times that were not so bad", said Kimi after the race. This is his 4th. rally this year.

On the other hand, Michael Schumacher is still having difficulties with his F1 car. He finished in the 10th. position in China after being overtaken by Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso, Adrian Sutil and Felipe Massa. His teammate Nico Rosberg finished in the 3th. position and is getting strong results this season. This is Schumacher's 4th. race this season and has finished 6th., 10th., and DNF. in the previous 3 races. So far is not happening for Michael Schumacher. Maybe He will do better in Europe.

Picture courtesy of http://www.rallyofturkey.org/

David Coulthard Is Racing Again

The great David Coulthard who is working now for team RBR-Renault as a consultant is going to race again. He is going to drive for Mercedes in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) this season. In the DTM He will join Michael Schumacher's brother Ralf. David said this to a BBC reporter: "I didn't actively look to race anything through 2009 but at the final race of the DTM season I really got the buzz and the tingle again for the competition. That led to a test with Mercedes, which led to me making the decision. The adrenalin is the thing I miss in everyday life".

Picture Courtesy of http://www.speedhunters.com/

Coulthard is a great guy. I remember when He came to Lima Peru last year with the Red Bull F1 car and made a great demonstration in the streets of Lima showing the power of an F1 car for the first time in Peru. It was great. He said the He enjoyed his visit and liked the Peruvian food. He even drove a public transportation bus (check the pictures) . It was a fun and nice gesture, He is a great guy. Best of lucks to David.

Pictures courtesy of http://www.todoautos.com.pe/ and http://www.abejita.lacoctelera.net/

More Patience For Schumacher And Raikkonen

Raikkonen scored his first WRC points because He finished in the 8th. place after a mistake free performance. Know He is looking forward to the Turkish rally. This is what he said after the rally: "From the beginning my goal was to get to the end of the rally and I'm really pleased that we've been able to do that even though the conditions were difficult," said Raikkonen. "As the stages went on I've learned more and more, and my confidence has grown bigger as well. We came to Jordan with very little experience of the car on gravel and now we've practically doubled it. I'm getting to know the car better now, but the important thing as well is that I've really enjoyed these three days. We're making progress, which is why we are here, and hopefully this will continue on the next round in Turkey".


Picture courtesy of http://www.rallye-info.com/

In F1, Red Bull made an excellent performance in the Malaysia Race. The team already made the 3 pole positions in the first 3 races, and in this one they also won the race with Vettel in first place and Webber in 2nd. Third place was for Nico Rosberg who surprisingly is doing better than his team mate Michael Schumacher who had bad luck because He had to abandon the race because of a loose wheel nut in lap 10. I think that like Raikkonen in the World Rally Championship We also have to give more time to Schumacher to start winning races. We know what He can do, He just needs to adapt to the new F1 technology. Wait and see, He will start wining races.

Picture courtesy of http://www.bbc.co.uk/

Raikkonen's Jordan Adventure

Kimi Raikkonen is ready for the Jordan Rally this Thursday, His main objective is to finish the rally and compare himself with the other drivers and from there try to reduce the time gap. We have to remember that the Jordan rally will be only Raikkonen’s fourth-ever world championship rally, and only his eighth-ever rally of any description. Like I said before we have to give him more time to adapt to the World Rally Championship. He is a brave person. He came from F1 champion to a novice rally driver. It looks to me that He chose what He likes to do over earning more money, and I like that way of thinking.

Kimi just tested his Citroen C4 WRC in the south of France for two days. He said after the test "The test went really well: we were able to have a bit more time in the car, which is what I need most. There was no real pain in the back and I’m feeling good: I’m looking forward to the rally. But Jordan is probably the most unfamiliar territory we will face so far".

Don't miss the Jordan Rally that starts this Thursday April 1st. You can follow it on http://www.wrc.com/

Picture courtesy of http://www.wrc.com/

Ferrari Is The Fastest. For Now

The Formula 1 season started and the Ferrari Team is running faster than anyone. They did a top two finish in Bahrain (Alonso first and Massa second). The other teams have to catch up with them, like McLaren-Mercedes (Hamilton and Button), Mercedes Benz GP Ltd (Schumacher and Rosberg), and RBR-Renault (Vettel and Webber).

Niki Lauda said this about Schumacher's performance "I’d suppose he needs about three races to get back up to the same level he was at. When you take all that into account, he did a superb qualification lap, even compared to Nico who was only three-tenths faster. My guess is that in Kuala Lumpur he will have regained that ability to switch on for a fast lap that every permanent driver has to have." Meanwhile Ross Brawn from the Mercedes Benz GP team said "We accept we were not competitive enough and we have work to do to close the gap to the leaders, We have a development plan that should bring the required improvements."

We will have to wait and see what happens in Australia next weekend. Enjoy this new season!

Picture courtesy of www.mercedes-gp.com

We Will Be Much Stronger. Raikkonen Said After Mexican Rally

Sebastien Loeb with Citroen won the Mexican Rally and is the current leader of this year's World Rally Championship. After the Rally last stage Loeb said "I had a good advantage today and I wouldn't take any risks for being the first car to take the road. I drove calmly the last two stages, and tried to maintain the concentration."

Picture courtesy of http://www.rtve.es/

Kimi Raikkonen couldn't finish the rally because He had an accident in the first stage of the rally. He said after the accident "I had bad luck, the car came all the way trough a braking zone, We touch the border of the road and the car turned over several times" Then he said "I expected good things from this rally, but it is only my seventh race and I am still learning. It is normal that when you are learning something takes you by surprise, and that is what happened". Kimi felt sorry that He couldn't race more, but then He said "I am sure that in the next race We will be much stronger".

This is the video of Kimi's accident and what He said after the accident:

Raikkonen Started His Transition from F1 To WRC

Kimi Raikkonen completed his first ever World Rally Championship (Rally Sweden) finishing in 30th. place. 37 minutes behind the leaders. He is competing for Citroen. Generally He set good stage times within the top ten overall. His problem was that He drove into a snow bank on the opening day. Without this incident He would have finished within the top ten and scored points on his debut. According to his Citroen boss Olivier Quesnel He is in a learning process and We have to be patient (including the media).

Kimi said this after the event "It was a really encouraging event, which allowed me to learn so much. From the start to the finish I felt I was improving all the time, which is what I expected from having more time in the car. Sure, we still have a lot to learn because the whole feeling is so different to what I had in Formula 1. But I'm getting a good idea of how to use the pace notes now and I understand the car a bit better as well. We wanted to have some more experience of the car and especially get to the finish, so we have achieved everything we wanted this weekend. Now I'm looking forward to driving gravel on the next rally in Mexico; it should be a bit easier for me I think".

Source from http://www.wrc.com/

The fans have to give Kimi more time to adapt from Formula 1 to the World Rally Championship. It is a transition that takes some time. He is a good driver, I think that He should do well in this Championship, and start scoring his first points soon.

Picture courtesy of Benjamin A Ward from http://www.rallysweden.com/

Is It A Car Or An Airplane?

This is an incredible jump made by Travis Pastrana with a Subaru Impreza WRX STI. He jumped 82 meters over the waters of Rainbow Harbour in Long Beach to establish a new world record. Enjoy the video.

The World Rally Car was flying like an airplane.

Picture courtesy of http://www.topgear.com/

The Experienced And Skillful Vs. The Young And Ambitious

The Michael Schumacher return saga continues as He impresses in his first Formula 1 testing session of 2010 in Valencia. His best lap was 1:12.947 and was 3rd. just behind Massa (Ferrari) and La Rosa (Sauber). He said "I feel like a young boy again and really enjoyed myself out there". As you can see He looks happy doing what He knows best which is to drive an F1 car. It is going to be very interesting to watch Schumacher who was born in 1969 competing against the young drivers like Lewis Hamilton (25), Felipe Massa (28), Fernando Alonso (28), Sebastian Vettel (22), and his teammate Nico Rosberg (24). It is the competition of The Experienced and Skillful (Schumacher)Vs. The Young and Ambitious. So far, Schumi is doing pretty well.

Picture courtesy of http://news.bbc.co.uk/

A Closer look To The Volkswagen Team At The Dakar

This is the Race Touareg 2 by Volkswagen. It is the winner of the Dakar 2010.

These are the main specifications:

Five-cylinder in-line TDI diesel engine, two-stage turbo-charging system with two exhaust turbo chargers and inter-cooling, longitudinally mounted behind the front axle. The displacement is 2,500 cc with a power output of 300 hp. It has a Sequential five-speed racing gearbox, and It is a permanent four-wheel drive car. It goes from 0 to 100 Kph in 6.1 seconds, and its maximum speed is 190 Kph.

This is how the cockpit looks like:

This is the process of loading the service trucks with all the replacement parts that the car might need during the race:

As you can see It requires a lot of organization, preparation, and hard work to win the Dakar. Congratulations to the Volkswagen team!

This is the Touareg that you can find at your local store in the U.S. It sells for approximately $40,850.00 U.S. dollars. For more specifications go to www.vw.com/touareg/completespecs/en/us/#engineering

Pictures courtesy of http://www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/

Volkswagen Takes 1, 2, 3 In The Dakar With Carlos Sainz As Winner. Team Peru Dakar Takes 47th. Place

The Dakar finished last Sunday and as expected Carlos Sainz won the rally. He was very close to win it last year until he felt to a dry river. So this was like a rematch for him. The Volkswagen team made the top 3 places with Nasser Al-Attiyah taking the 2nd. place just 2:12 minutes behind Sainz after 9,000 Kilometers of race. This was a perfect race for the Race Touareg 2 from Volkswagen. The 4th. and 5th. places were for BMW. Peterhansel made a good job with his BMW X3 CC. He finished 2:17:21 hours behind Sainz. Watch this video of the whole race.

This is such a difficult race that most participants are just happy to finish it. Most of the pilots are Exhausted at the end of the rally. An example of this situation is the case of Team Peru Dakar with Fernando Ferrand driving a FJ Cruiser from Toyota who finished in the 47th. place from a total of 57 cars. He finished 64:19:27 hours behind Carlos Sainz, but still, the Peru Dakar team was very happy.

Picture of the Peru Dakar team courtesy of www.peruanosaldakar.com

Driving Through Dakar´s Halfway Point

The Dakar is more than halfway, It is in its 9th. stage between Copiapo and La Serena in Chile. This is the route for today:

The Volkswagen team with its Race Touareg 2 model is dominating the event by grabbing the first 3 positions with Carlos Sainz being the leader. Their main rival Stephane Peterhansel driving a BMW X3 CC model is behind them on 4th. place but 02:02:25 hours away from Sainz. Peterhansel had transmission problems in stage 5, He had to drive half of that stage in only 2WD or 4x2 mode (imagine that in the Atacama desert). He managed to finish in the 33th. position in that stage. The following is a video from that difficult stage 5.

It looks that the fight for the first place in this Dakar will be between the drivers from the Volkswagen team. Enjoy the race!

The Dakar 2010 Edition

The Dakar rally has just begun last Saturday. This year´s rally is located in Argentina and Chile. In The car category there are two teams that are favorites to win which are BMW and Volkswagen. Volkswagen main drivers are Giniel De Villiers and Carlos Sainz, and BMW main drivers are Stephane Peterhansel and Joan Roma. The race finishes in Buenos Aires on January 17th 2010. This map shows the route. The drivers will have to make a 9000 kilometers loop through the continent. They will have to drive through the Atacama desert which is the driest in the world. You can follow the race on the official website http://www.dakar.com/. Enjoy!

Picture courtesy of http://www.dakar.com/