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Racing cars for Germany to be built by VW in Kariega
South Africa is exporting one of its most successful racing formulas to Germany.
- Industry News
- 7 February 2025
So why the need for a 6-wheel drive Land Cruiser that can be lightly armoured, heavily armed and fill a number of operational roles?
Some would say, the answer is simple – why not? But Armormax Defence says the TAC-6 is a simple solution. Other solutions available are either too light and incapable, or too heavy and large to be agile and easily transported.
The base chassis and platform can fulfil any one of these roles and more: personnel carrier or tactical vehicle with variety a of weapons platforms, ammunition carriers, mechanical field workshop, 3 500-litre fuel or water tanker, firefighting unit, ambulance, game viewer, agriculture, overlanding and any number of applications.
With a on-road Gross Vehicle Mass of 7 tons, a state-of-the-art suspension system, advanced drivetrain, increased outputs of 192 kW and 710 Nm and an exceptional operational range, the TAC-6 is the culmination of our relentless pursuit over the past seven years to create a versatile military vehicle that exceeds expectations, says Armormax Defence.
Designed to seamlessly transition between 6x2 and 6x6 configurations, this transfer case employs internal synchros for smooth engagement. The ZF 8HP90 automatic gearbox is purpose-built by ZF for the TAC-6 and can harness torque of up to 1 000 Nm.
The TAC-6 replaces the factory fuel tanks with two specially designed tanks. The main fuel tank boasts a capacity of over 210 litres, while an auxiliary tank adds an additional 90 litres.
It has a total usable fuel capacity of 300 litres as standard, which can be upgraded to hold up to 560 litres of fuel on the double cab and a massive 610 litres on the single cab, if required.
As a customer option, the TAC-6 can be fitted with STANAG level 1 vehicle armour. The armouring package makes use of the lightest, high-grade ballistic materials available globally.
This is a 360-degree solution that ensures occupants of the cab are unequivocally protected from all angles while under attack from assault rifles, 40 mm ballistic glass is employed throughout to replace the OEM windows.
Customers can either provide their own vehicle for conversion, in left- or right-hand drive, or request Armormax Defence to source a vehicle for them. The total conversion process takes around 14 weeks to complete without any vehicle armouring options.
The cost of the base conversion for a manual gearbox starts at R1 558 000. This does not include the base vehicle itself. Armouring options for STANAG Level 1 start at R850 000 while a lightweight, discreet armouring package starts at R880 000 or R1 296 000 for B4 and B6 levels of armour respectively. The ZF 8 Speed Automatic Gearbox can also be sold and fitted separately to any Land Cruiser 79 4.5d V8 at a cost of R440 000.
Volkswagen has added two new derivatives to its T-Cross line-up for the 2025 model year. The T-Cross has been the best-selling Volkswagen SUV with over 36 000 cars sold since its launch in 2019.
Volkswagen found a gap in it SUV line-up between the range-topping Touareg and the Tiguan and will fill it with its new Tayron set to arrive locally in the second half of 2025 when pricing and engine specifications will be announced. The Tayron will launch with two equipment lines - Life and R-Line.
If you think Golf in South Africa, you think GTI or even the quicker Golf R. Volkswagen, however, has just introduced a new entry-level Golf consisting of four models slotting in below its twin performance siblings.