Torque Show

Volkswagen's V10 Touareg is the highpoint of the 2004 Challenge Bibendum

Well, perhaps the intro line is a bit misleading. However, as a journalist covering one of the most eye-opening events in the automotive calendar, I did think that despite all the exotica on offer, the Volkswagen V10 Touareg was stunningly, ludicrously and gigantically great fun around the corners of the Shanghai International Circuit.

But let us rewind a bit. I was at the 2004 Challenge Bibendum organised by Michelin and being hosted by Shanghai. The event showcases technologies, and prototype vehicles aiming for sustainable mobility "� or environment-friendly transportation, to put it in simplistic terms.

Each Challenge Bibendum hosts a stack of cutting edge automobiles. Hundreds of journalists are set free on the show grounds, usually a racetrack, to gather experiences and thoughts about tomorrow's autos.

And the cherry on the top is the fact that once the event staff have verified your driver's license, you are free to drive almost all of the prototypes, and concepts. Sounds phenomenal, right?

China is currently an arena of huge automotive action, and in the thick of it, Bosch are promoting their clean diesel technologies. At the very end of the pitlane (where Minardi would have been a fortnight before), was the line of shiny, black, Bosch-equipped diesels, including the gargantuan bulk of the Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI.

Which has the most powerful production passenger car diesel in the world in an SUV that shares most of its fundament with the Porsche Cayenne. Of course, I didn't know this until after I had been around the track with it.

I made my way to the very front of the Touareg queue and moments later, was belted up, mirrors-checked, auto-transmission lever set in D, waiting for the lollipop man to unleash me on the track. To put this in perspective, I was thinking,'Yeah, right.

Big fat SUV on twisty track. Auto Transmission. Bore. I think I'll hop into Bosch's infinitely more promising BMW 740d next and really have a good time.' When Lollipop Man lifted the gates, I hopped off the brake and mashed the accelerator pedal into the floor for the short run into the first corner.

All hell broke loose. The Touareg did a silent version of the cartoonish paw-the-air with the front wheels and shot off so quickly that the first word that issued forth from my mouth cannot be printed.

But I should have known better than to tempt the 4921cc ten-cylinder direct-injection diesel under the hood. After all, 310 bhp at 3750 rpm and a monstrous 73 kgm at just 2000 rpm are formidable output numbers "� that's twice the torque of the feared BMW M3 CSL and almost as many horses, at less than half the revs!

When you factor in the 220 kph top speed, and a 7.5-second time to 100 kph, the picture is scary enough. Then you realise that this isn't a missile "� at 2,650 kg, this is a super-fast supertanker! Outta my way!

Braking hard into the first right-hand corner, which tightens on the exit and slams into an even tighter left, the Touareg didn't seem to notice that it was a bit out of place.

The F1 world says the Shanghai track is spacious and has more overtaking opportunities than Need for Speed, but the big SUV dwarfs the road and occupies so much of it that already, a faster driver in a Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI was firmly stuck behind the Touareg.

As we shot out of Turn Two and squealed hard into the next right, I began to appreciate the Touareg. And to giggle like a school girl. The thing listed like the Titanic moments before bye-bye time, but held its very, very wide line like a sports car. Well, almost.

Halfway through the lap, persistent flashing from the Merc finally got my goat and I began to really push the Touareg. I admit I was, until then, still intimidated by the immediate power delivery, huge bulk and even huger acceleration and braking from the VW.

Almost instantly, the Touareg began to list harder, squeal more, and hold its line even more firmly "� net result was nearly 205 kph down the back straight before braking for the hairpin (the better drivers in the Audi A8s and E320s were pulling 220 kph), a traction control, ESP and EBD filled hairpin... and surprise, no pesky Merc in my mirrors.

Jesus! When I finally got out of the Touareg, two things happened. A lady from Bosch who'd been in the back seat went off to throw up. Always a good sign. And I couldn't stop laughing for a whole twenty minutes, so I missed the all-important interview with Edouard Michelin, the man who runs the world's biggest tyre maker and graciously hosts the fabulous Challenge.

This crowning drive, however, was just a high point in a series of peaks. Present at the event were (hydrogen powered) fuel cell cars from General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Volkswagen, Audi, Ford, Michelin-Paul Scherrer Insitut and Hyundai.

After driving all but the last two, it was obvious that the cars behaved pretty much like normal autos. The Nissan is the quietest, but GM's Hydrogen3, based on a Zafira, felt the most sorted.

More to the point, these cars run daily just like any other petrol/diesel car, and could be commercially viable as soon as fuel cell costs (roughly 10 times more than what would be acceptable today) and a hydrogen distribution network can be figured out.

While there were a host of ultra-clean petrol and diesel cars in the show, the point was that internal combustion engines (ICE) are far from the end of their lives.

Most scientists at the show seemed to agree that fuel cell vehicles could be around in large numbers in thirty years time, but ICE cars will still be viable and on roads.

There were also a few bio-fuel vehicles which promoted the cause of part-fossil fuel, part-processed greens in ICE confidently. The leading exponent was the gorgeous Peugeot RC Cup Racer, a biodiesel racing car that lapped the track with great speed, noise and efficiency, ferrying wide-eyed journos deep into adrenaline-overload for most of the event.

Finally, advances in Lithium Ion batteries are bringing electric cars closer to reality as well. Courréges of France had a space-framed, red-tyred EXE "� a performance electric car with a 450 km maximum range, a 160 kph top speed and extremely futuristic looks.

While the location for the sixth Challenge is yet to be decided, 2006 looks set to be the next in line for this fantastic series of events.

Michelin needs to be thanked several times over for an event, which in very real terms, gives you the inputs needed for you to actually peep into the future.

In fact, I did take a quick, very clear glimpse into my own personal automotive future "� and happily added the unlikely Touareg into my list.