This is the R50, Volkswagen’s most powerful Touareg yet. It’ll be officially unveiled at the Australian Motor Show next week and comes complete with a tweaked version of Ingolstadt's V10 TDI powerplant, now generating 345bhp and a massive 626lb ft torque. Following hot on the heels of the Golf R32 and recently announced Passat R36, the R50 is marked out by bigger 21in alloys, a revised aero package and a racier interior. It also gets lower, firmer suspension for improved body control and, despite its size, can dismiss the 0-62mph sprint in 6.7 seconds, pressing on to a 146mph top speed. As with Volkswagen’s other R-badged performance cars, the R50’s been developed by ‘Individual’ – a subsidiary VW design team established in 2003, who style and engineer special edition models, including the R32 and Polo Bluemotion. So when the R50 goes on sale in the UK early next year, we’re anticipating a steep £61k price tag to befit its range-crowning status.
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