Touareg trek from here to St Petersburg

A diesel Volkswagen Touareg is headed on a 23,000 trek today, from Melbourne to St Petersburg in an attempt for a world record in long-distance driving. A team of three including photo/videographer will drive the SUV non-stop across nine countries before arriving in St Petersburg after an estimated 16 days' travel.

Leaving at 6am this morning, the team expects to drive for 41 hours from the Melbourne Town Hall to Darwin in order to meet an Antonov 12 organised to take members and the Touareg to East Timor, before they head onwards through Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, China and Kazakhstan then St Petersburg Russia.

Team chief Rainer Zietlow has already set a number of world records for long distance driving and has spent "a great deal of his life behind the wheel of a car," said VW Australia spokesman, Karl Gehling.

"He's also the master of managing and organising the logistics of these events, and the machines and people required to get the cars across these incredible distances," said Mr Gehling.

St Petersburg is one of Melbourne's six sister cities; partnered since 1989 and joining the likes of Osaka (1978), Tianjin (1980) and Boston (1985). Councillor Ken Ong was in attendance for the Touareg team's departure ceremony, with a letter from Melbourne's Lord Mayor Robert Doyle to the Governor of St Petersburg.

"Make sure you get it there," joked Cr Ong.

Mr Zietlow says the word record attempt took eight months to organise, including a scout trip going from St Petersburg to southern Australia via Ayres Rock in June. His team will be back in Australia in December for a road show organised with Volkswagen.

The plan was to go from the (reasonable) south-eastern point to central Europe, said Mr Zietlow. After all, he already has the world record for driving from Argentina to Alaska.

The team always uses Volkswagen products, he said, and the next project -- scheduled for 2013 -- is likely to involve the new Amarok.

Greatest concerns for the team on this year's venture include "the waves", according to Mr Zietlow, that they will encounter while ferrying from country to country. Timing is also crucial, he said. The ferry from Kupang, for example, must be met on time as it departs only once a week.

"This is not a Cannonball race," he said. "We're driving at the speed limits; the whole project is about logistics."

The team expects to take two days to cross China, where another driver will join.

Those interested can follow Rainer and his team via www.touareg-russtralia.com. The boys will update details of their movements every half hour or so, and regular blog entries will be made over the trip. "If you see a lot of blue dots, you know I'm in trouble," he suggested.

"The weather is the biggest part of it; I'll try to do my best and get it [the letter] there as fast as we can. It's called being the Courier of the Czar," he joked.

Bosch (for the diesel injection system), Allianz insurance, Continental tyres, Waeco (refrigeration units) and Hella (auxiliary lighting) are major sponsors of the event. The Touareg also has a roll-cage and two power converters because "the car is like a media studio".

The other major difference between Mr Zietlow's Touareg and others is a change to the engine software in order to use a variety of grades of diesel usually encountered in various countries, and the addition of an offroad package with beefed-up suspension components.

According to VW, the world record journey is also one of goodwill: "Mr Zietlow will donate 10 Euro cents for each kilometre driven to Plan International, a charity organisation operating a children's' rights project in Laos.

"Zietlow and the Challenge4 team have chosen the Touareg V6 TDI for its durability, high-performance and long-range fuel efficiency.  Its turbocharged 3.0l V6 TDI engine delivers 180kw at 4000rpm and a maximum 550Nm of torque at 2000rpm and is designed to perform on rugged terrain and mixed road surfaces at varying altitudes.

"The vehicle has been equipped with larger tyres and heavy duty suspension for comfort over the undoubted rough terrain, but except for this and an enlarged fuel tank, the vehicle is mechanically standard."

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