Volkswagen Auto Group is the official automotive sponsor of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia and as such, will be supplying this year’s games with over 3,000 vehicles from Skoda, Audi and Volkswagen. However none are as insane as the three Polar Expedition Volkswagen Amarok’s they built a year ago to promote the games.
The three trucks were built to take nine people on a 16,000 km, 66-day expedition from Moscow across the Sredinny Ridge to the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the Kamchatka peninsula. All nine of the participants and all three of the trucks completed the journey, setting a Guiness World Record for the longest off-road journey through a single country.
Of course, the Amaroks received a host of upgrades before taking off on the record setting expedition. The team replaced the standard suspension with long travel, heavy duty shocks and fitted huge, knobby tires. There also appears to be some heavy-duty one ton axles underneath. The body was kept stock, except for the wheel wells which were enlarged to accommodate the huge tires and long suspension travel. Surprisingly, the 2.0 liter turbocharged diesel engine was left mostly untouched, as the team was looking for reliability and not speed. The SUV’s were fitted with a roll cage for added safety and additional navigation equipment so the team didn’t get lost.
In light of the World Record, Volkswagen will be offering a VW Amarok Sochi Special Edition in Russia with additional chrome trim, 18-inch wheels, a navigation system and an updated interior.
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