Michelin-shod VW Touareg sets speed record on ice
The Volkswagen Touareg is the unlikely new holder of the fastest car on ice, achieving the feat on a set of Michelin Latitude X-Ice North 2+ studded winter tyres
On 20–21 March, 14-time motor sports record-holder Andrey Leontyev and ice captain Alexander Burmeyster set an absolute record by achieving the greatest average speed on ice over a 1000km course on Lake Baikal. The vehicle used was a Volkswagen Touareg production vehicle with standard tyres and service fluids.
The looped route of Andrey Leontyev’s crew extended from the southern end of Lake Olkhon to the northernmost point of Lake Baikal — the village of Nizhneangarsk, before returning to the start point. The car did not leave the ice surface over the entire route and stopped only at score and refuelling points as well as in situations with zero visibility.
The crew covered the 1037-km route in 19 hours and 16 minutes. The average speed in motion was 73 km/h, the overall average speed on the GPS devices – 53 km/h. These are record figures. Now the organisers of the drive are expecting confirmation from the Russian Book of Records for the established record “The greatest average speed developed by a production vehicle over the 1000-km distance on ice”.
To set the record, Volkswagen Passenger Cars provided a serial production 204 hp Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 V6 TDI (2) without the Off-Road package, equipped with the Michelin Latitude X-Ice North 2+ tyres.
Three Volkswagen Touaregs were used as support cars. Two of them were diesel 3.0 V6 TDI cars (204 and 245 hp) fitted with an 8-speed automatic transmission and 4Motion all-wheel drive. The other one was 3.6 FSI (249 hp) also fitted with 8-speed automatic transmission and 4Motion all-wheel drive.
The Michelin Latitude X-Ice North 2+ tyres, new tyres from Michelin due to go on sale in Russia in autumn 2015, are designed for various types of SUVs and can be used in the most severe winter conditions. It is claimed that the new tyres provide better grip on snow and ice and perform equally well on dry and wet surfaces. Compared to the Michelin Latitude X-Ice North 2, these tyres have a shorter (by 10 per cent) braking distance and improved (by 15 per cent) acceleration on ice, as well as a shorter (by 5 per cent) braking distance and improved (by 10 per cent) acceleration on ice. The tyre also provides 10 per cent better stud retention.
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