An interview with Volkswagen employee Carsten Otto on the Amarok and the Dakar.

An impressive figure: 45 Amaroks will be in action at Dakar 2011. Both the rally organisers A.S.O. and the Volkswagen Motor Sport Team will depend on the services of the pickup. Carsten Otto reveals how the Amarok will be deployed. He works in Development – Special Vehicles at Volkswagen.

Preparations have been underway for several weeks now, in Wolfsburg, Hanover and in Argentina. My daily schedule is not exactly stress-free – vehicle checks, organising spare parts, coordination with A.S.O., the rally organiser, and with Argentina – and that with a five-hour time difference. Huge praise goes to the mechanics who are preparing the vehicles for action in Argentina and Chile.

The Amarok completed the 2010 rally without any technical problems, with minimum maintenance and only a few repairs. And the entirely positive response of those who drove an Amarok – members of A.S.O. and representatives from the press – was certainly also a contributory factor.

The Amarok is a robust vehicle. Based on experiences from the 2010 Dakar Rally, there is no doubt whatsoever that these vehicles will once again accomplish their mission without any problems.

How many Amaroks will there be at the Dakar Rally and how exactly will they be used?

45 Amaroks will be in action. We make a distinction between on-road and off-road vehicles. The majority are on-road Amaroks, also known as service cars. 30 vehicles will be used by the organisers – for the opening ceremony in Buenos Aires, for organisational matters during the entire rally, for marketing, for the doctors, for trips to the check points and for TV crews and other members of the press. They also include six Amaroks that follow the rally on the racing route, but not at race speed. These vehicles are known as “sweeper vehicles” that “sweep” i.e. clean up the desert. This time, some European TV channels e.g. Eurosport and RTL, have also asked for an Amarok. 15 vehicles will be used by the Volkswagen Motor Sport Team for the press and VIP guests such as members of the Volkswagen Board of Management, German musician Peter Maffay and the Scorpions.

What are the greatest challenges that the Amarok will have to face at the 2011 Dakar?

This year too, the Amaroks must cover a distance of 9,000 km, on and off-road. The route again runs through the Atacama desert, the most arid desert in the world. And once again the Andes have to be crossed; even in the first half of the rally, the route leads the vehicles up to an altitude of 4,800 metres. Towards the end of the rally, another drive through the mountain range is scheduled. There won’t just be thin air to contend with – but also heat. And a lot of sand. All in all, very difficult terrain and extreme climatic conditions. However, the Amarok does not have to face any unknown challenges – after all it is “Tested by Dakar”.

How do you prepare the vehicles for these tasks? Or in other words: what is the difference between an Amarok that is deployed at the Dakar and an Amarok that comes off the production line in Argentina?

In principle, the vehicles are production vehicles. For rally use, the Amarok must comply with A.S.O. safety regulations. Amongst others, the vehicles must in some cases have rollover cages, 6-point seat belts and racing seats, metal runners for deep sand, spare wheels and, in view of the conditions of the Dakar route, a range of 800 km before refuelling. In addition, the Amaroks must of course be prepared visually and the necessary rally lettering and logos applied.

The Dakar starts on 1 January. When exactly does it begin for you? When do you fly to Argentina and what exactly do you have to do before the rally?

We will arrive in Argentina at the beginning of December 2010 and hand over the vehicles to A.S.O. The vehicles that we had in Germany are not the only ones that need to be prepared: the Amaroks that remained in Argentina after their deployment at the 2010 Dakar will also be checked thoroughly by us once more and made ready for action, which includes applying the rally stickers. The Amaroks going to A.S.O. are driven by A.S.O. employees during the rally. We conduct a brief training session in Cordoba for these drivers. Then come our own rally preparations - for the Amarok Team. We have to get to know the route, plan the schedules and load our vehicles with everything we might need en route.

What would be a typical race day for you personally? What’s your daily routine?

There won’t be a typical race day; every day is a new day that brings surprises – sometimes more so, sometimes less. For support vehicles, the rally starts very early - between four and four-thirty in the morning. Around three in the afternoon our journey is over and the bivouac is set up. After that we have two hours to eat, shower and rest a little. Once the vehicles arrive at the bivouac – that’s when we really get to work if necessary.

What were your most impressive experiences of the rally in 2010? Were there any difficult moments? What did you like most?

The overall impression is amazing, it’s hard to describe. Everyone is so enthusiastic and passionate. On top of that, the fascinating routes, the varied landscapes and the people. Their enthusiasm is absolutely incredible - it almost makes you feel like a rally driver yourself.

What are you looking forward to most?

The race trucks – I’ve never known anything like it. A truck that moves like a racing car.

When the 2011 Dakar finishes in Buenos Aires on 16 January, what will you do then? What work do you have to do after the rally?

First of all – we’ll have a beer or two together. Then I’ll call home at last and after the adventure just “chill out” for a while.