The racers will embark on a fast two-week drive from Argentina to Alaska on the longest road in the world, covering 14 countries and nearly 16,000 miles in a 2011Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel SUV.
Zietlow, Carlos Fernandez and Marius Biela, all from Germany, will start on June 29 in Ushuaia, Argentina, located at the southern tip of South America. Their goal is to drive the entire length of the Pan-American Highway in 14 days, finishing in Deadhorse, Alaska. The crew will travel through 14 countries – Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Canada – and through challenging terrain, including the Atacama Desert, a 13,600-foot high Andean pass, humid rainforests in Central America and the Arctic tundra in Alaska.
As with all of his previous challenges, Zietlow will donate 10 Euro cents for each kilometer driven during this trip to two villages in Latin America managed by Plan International, a charity organization that works in 48 developing countries to promote children’s rights and lift millions of youngsters out of poverty.
“We want to celebrate the important role the Pan- American Highway has played in bringing commerce and unity to countries along the route, while demonstrating the power and durability of a clean diesel vehicle. The 75th Anniversary of the Pan- American Highway provides us with a great opportunity to do both,” says Zietlow.
“While we have completed a number of long distance drives, the TDI-Panamericana Endurance Challenge will be one of our most meaningful and exciting challenges to date,” he points out.
Taking five-hour shifts behind the wheel, the team will drive non-stop for the full two weeks.
“The Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel SUV is well equipped to handle the distance and challenges of the Pan-American Highway,” reports Rainer Michel, VW vice president of product marketing.
“It is one of the most efficient vehicles in its class, and offers the durability, reliability, comfort and power that Rainer Zietlow and his team need to complete a drive of this magnitude,” he adds, noting that a single vehicle is making the entire trek. “The TDI-Panamericana Endurance Challenge is an excellent way to demonstrate the many advantages of clean diesel technology.”
The journey will be documented online with a map and live streaming video showing real-time progress along the route plus photos and blog posts.
For more information, visit www.tdi-panamericana.com and www.conti- online.com.
