Volkswagen Touareg wins the Dakar Rally

Picture: Getty images

Carlos Sainz has won the 2010 Dakar Rally, driving a heavily modified Volkswagen Touareg. The victory was made all the more by a full winners podium made up of the Touareg teams.

Sainz finished just 2 minutes 12 seconds ahead of 2nd placed Nasser Al-Attiyah after 14 stages of the Dakar rally.

Volkswagen also showcased the new Amarok pickup truck as support vehicles.

The Dakar rally is an endurance test over 17 days and 5500 miles. The event is split into different catergories for cars, trucks, motorbikes and quad bikes.

The route is a loop, beginning and ending in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The course also takes in a large part of Chile, including the brutal Atacama desert.