Guess which Pickup will be towing the space shuttle??

[AutobahnSHO]

http://news.yahoo.com/toyota-truck-tow-shuttle-endeavour-calif-exhibit-home-204908621.html?_esi=1

[Galaxy]

Probably worth every penny Toyota paid them to have the honors.

[FoMoJo]

A quarter Mile?  A Tundra may be able to make it that far without breaking down.  I wonder if they swaped out the differential gears for a higher ratio.

[MX793]

With a low rolling resistance dolly, pulling something on flat ground really doesn't take that much power.  When I was in high school and weighing all of 140 lbs sopping wet, I could push a 30,000 lb tractor trailer on flat ground.

[AltinD]

Didn't the Touareg pulled a 747 jumbo jet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05zRyoBbcfI

[GoCougs]

Didn't the Touareg pulled a 747 jumbo jet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05zRyoBbcfI

Something's up with that 747 - look at those twin nacelle engines - looks like a movie prop or some such...

[Byteme]

Didn't the Touareg pulled a 747 jumbo jet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05zRyoBbcfI

Ain't a 747.  Isn't that the plane from the last James Bond Movie, the one the nut case was trying to drive an exploding fuel truck into?

[AltinD]

Ain't a 747.  Isn't that the plane from the last James Bond Movie, the one the nut case was trying to drive an exploding fuel truck into?

That was an Airbus A380, it wasn't the last 007 movie and that in the video IS a B747 ... and of course you haven't got a clue on the wide-angle lens  

[AltinD]

Something's up with that 747 - look at those twin nacelle engines - looks like a movie prop or some such...

Maybe it lucks the original engines, but it's still a fucking 747

[cawimmer430]

Maybe it lucks the original engines, but it's still a fucking 747

Dude, a base US-spec Corolla (6.7-l V8, 560-hp at the front wheels) can pull a 747. 

[CJ]

Dude, a base US-spec Corolla (6.7-l V8, 560-hp at the front wheels) can pull a 747. 

Please stop.  Every post in the past 5 minutes has made a ridiculous V8 comment.  It's not funny.  Ever.

[cawimmer430]

Please stop.  Every post in the past 5 minutes has made a ridiculous V8 comment.  It's not funny.  Ever.

How's the V8 under the hood of your Volvo, CJ? 



J/K 

I couldn't resist this time, but I will attempt (yep, attempt) to stop. 

[shp4man]

Some years ago, Toyota made a truck commercial with a ramp over a cliff the demonstrate the towing ability of the Tundra.
Spy shots showed Ford trucks hauling that shit up there for the filming of the commercial. 

[Xer0]

Some years ago, Toyota made a truck commercial with a ramp over a cliff the demonstrate the towing ability of the Tundra.
Spy shots showed Ford trucks hauling that shit up there for the filming of the commercial. 

Ha, now that is pretty funny.

[AltinD]

Please stop.  Every post in the past 5 minutes has made a ridiculous V8 comment.  It's not funny.  Ever.

True, since the Touareg in the video has a V10

[GoCougs]

Ain't a 747.  Isn't that the plane from the last James Bond Movie, the one the nut case was trying to drive an exploding fuel truck into?

Uh, plainly (dig the pun?) a 747. However, it has been modified with mockup engines.

[GoCougs]

Maybe it lucks the original engines, but it's still a fucking 747

A 747 that weighs a lot less than a flyable 747...

[AutobahnSHO]

A 747 that weighs a lot less than a flyable 747...

Who says that one doesn't fly? (with no passengers or light cargo or whatever..)

[MX793]

A 747 that weighs a lot less than a flyable 747...

Even sans engines, the rest of the plane has to weigh at least 200,000 lbs.

[Submariner]

That was an Airbus A380, it wasn't the last 007 movie and that in the video IS a B747 ... and of course you haven't got a clue on the wide-angle lens 

Nope, the plane in the movie was the 747 in question. 

[AltinD]

Nope, the plane in the movie was the 747 in question. 

Checked the DVD, true that, sorry .... although It doesn't change the fact that it's a heave-ass load to pull around

[Galaxy]

Even sans engines, the rest of the plane has to weigh at least 200,000 lbs.

It weighed 155t, or 341 716lbs. They were looking for one with engines (200t or 440 924lbs), but found no company willing to quickly make one available.

[GoCougs]

Who says that one doesn't fly? (with no passengers or light cargo or whatever..)

It has no engines.

[Raza]

It has no engines.

Perfect reason for it to be towed, don't you think?

[Byteme]

Checked the DVD, true that, sorry .... although It doesn't change the fact that it's a heave-ass load to pull around

So where's my apology?  

It's a movie prop based on a 747.  

[Byteme]

It weighed 155t, or 341 716lbs. They were looking for one with engines (200t or 440 924lbs), but found no company willing to quickly make one available.

A level piece of pavement, highly inflated tires and it's fairly easy to tow. 

Look at the attached video.  A man pulling a train car.  Sure a load on a steel track and steel wheels is easier to pull than something on air filled rubber tires, but still...............    

[Byteme]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz866xD0pjU

Note the last sentence.  The VW was out towed by a human being who was a standard production model.  

Also the VW carried 4.3 tons of cement bags and the tires were inflated to double the normal pressure.  What the heck did it all prove?

From that site:

The modified 747 was subsequently used in a Volkswagen publicity stunt advertising the towing capability of the Touareg V10 TDI. According to a Volkswagen press release of November 2006, "the Touareg is innately the ideal towing vehicle" and "significantly more economical" than the tow vehicles used at airports. While the advertising executives were obviously having fun with the story, the goal was to show off the towing power of this Volkswagen sports utility vehicle. The basic car was adapted for the attempt by adding steel balls and plates to increase weight on the wheels and improve traction. A shorter transmission from the V8 model of the Touareg was also substituted, tire pressure was increased, and an adaptor was added between the car's trailer hitch and the 747's tow rig. Otherwise, the automobile is said to be a standard production model.

Volkswagen technician Uwe Krieghoff was the driver during the stunt, and the Touareg proved it had both the torque and traction to pull the 155-ton 747 over a distance of 490 ft (150 m). The top speed achieved during the tow was just 5 miles per hour (8 km/h) and a post-inspection found no damage to the automobile.

It is unknown what other enterprises this 747 has participated in or how much longer it will remain in use before being scrapped. As far as we have been able to tell, it still remains at Dunsfold Park. And not to rain on Volkswagen's parade too much, but many four-wheel drive vehicles could probably duplicate the Touareg's feat if they carried enough extra weight to provide the needed traction. Even an Australian strongman named David Huxley set a record in October 1997 by pulling a Boeing 747 weighing 184 tons over a distance of 298.5 ft (91 m) in just 87.7 seconds.

[TurboDan]

What the heck did it all prove?

It proved VW had a creative way of promoting their vehicle's towing prowess. It was a cool commercial and something a little out of the box. I don't think it needs to be this heavily dissected.

[Byteme]

It proved VW had a creative way of promoting their vehicle's towing prowess. It was a cool commercial and something a little out of the box. I don't think it needs to be this heavily dissected.

It's a stunt to show the vehicle as being more than it is.  Not saying it's a bad vehicle.

Just about all advertising is suspect and should be dissected, or at least critically viewed. 

[TurboDan]

It's a stunt to show the vehicle as being more than it is.  Not saying it's a bad vehicle.

Just about all advertising is suspect and should be dissected, or at least critically viewed.  

But nobody is actually going to pull a 747 with their passenger SUV. I put this ad in the same category as a commercial where they had a car flying into outer space, or something. It's an entertaining exaggeration meant to get the point across that the Touareg is a competent option for those who want to tow their boats, campers, etc.

I get the interest in wanting to know how the SUV was modded and how the plane was modded to allow the stunt to happen, but I don't think it's fair to criticize VW or deconstruct this as if they were trying to pull some conspiracy or lie here. I think most people are reasonably aware that towing a massive jumbo jet with their Touareg is probably not the best idea. And given airport security, I highly doubt any Touareg owner would ever get the chance to try this out in the first place.