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2012 Volkswagen Touareg R Hybrid In Development: Report

Another week, another rumour, this time focusing on the prospect of the Volkswagen Touareg donning the brand's R badge once more – with a twist.

On the tail of the new Touareg's international unveiling earlier this year, reports out of Euro


Another week, another rumour, this time focusing on the prospect of the Volkswagen Touareg donning the brand's R badge once more - with a twist.

On the tail of the new Touareg's international unveiling earlier this year, reports out of Europe this week suggest that Volkswagen is looking to follow the first-generation V10-powered Touareg R50 with a new hybrid-driven Touareg R.

According to France's L'Automobile magazine, the new model would reportedly feature a twin-turbo V8 engine - one that will likely also appear in the upcoming Audi S8 - partnered with an electric motor, the duo developing upwards of 400kW.

By comparison, the 2009 Touareg R50, powered by a 5.0 litre V10 diesel engine, offered 258kW and a huge 850Nm of torque.

Click to read TMR's review of the Volkswagen Touareg R50

Click to read TMR's review of the Volkswagen Golf R

If the rumoured V8 hybrid combo achieves its reported output, the new Touareg R will not only be a competitor for the likes of the BMW X5 M and Merc's ML63 AMG, but also Volkswagen's own Porsche Cayenne and the Audi Q7 6.0 TDI.

The French-language report adds that the Touareg R will make its motorshow debut in Detroit next January, but until then, our preview rendering (top of article) offers one glimpse of how the Touareg R might be styled.

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