Amidst rumours of a larger engine destined for the newest and possibly most controversial bakkie on the South African market, Volkswagen has taken a three-litre turbocharged V6 diesel Amarok to Wörthersee.
Wörthersee showcases VW and VW sub-brands like Skoda’s newest performance concepts, ideas, design exercises, modifications and parts.
The annual tour held in Austria by the German automaker is often an indicator of things to come, but equally often simply an excerise in creativity by designers and engineers. Lets not forget, however, that the Golf Gti was just such an exercise, worked on by engineers in secret after hours for fun, and it only just made it into production as concept for Frankfurt.
The Amarok R Style Concept, then, may be a wisp of a project that may one day see the light. Volkswagen Global is more than aware of the demand for a larger engine in their first ever entry into the pickup market. The special concept is reportedly capable of producing 200kW of power – a noticeable notch over the 132kW we’re used to now – and an off-roaders’ dream of 600Nm of torque. The equally controversial eight-speed automatic gearbox sans low-range will be right at home with all that power, and of course, the Amarok R is set to have a permanent AWD system.
The performance version of the Amarok (also called the “Amarok Power Pickup”) is at Wörthersee as a single cab only, with 60mm wider fenders, 22” wheels, performance tyres, new bumpers, front and rear panels, sides, a dual-pipe diffuser and LED lights. The entire vehicle is 5250mm long and 2220mm wide. The interior features sports seating, a mock carbon fibre dashboard and a sports steering wheel with red accents. The suspension has been modified, though details about how are sketchy.
Performance wise, the juiced up bakkie takes only 7.9 seconds to get to the 100km/h mark from standstill, which is respectable for a bakkie of any kind.
