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jumbo jet and Tourag


steve2
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HERE’S a way to cut greenhouse gases . . . tow a Jumbo jet with your car.

I did it behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Touareg 4x4. So you could call it Touaring!

The Jumbo weighs 155 tons, is 231ft long, 63ft high, nearly 200ft wide and can carry 500 passengers.

But there was never any real likelihood of take-off on this occasion.

A 747 usually needs to hit 160mph-plus to get airborne.

I managed a rather more sedate maximum of 20mph as I pulled it along at an RAF base near Guildford, Surrey.

The Touareg looked like a Dinky toy when I first drove in front of the 747 ready for the big challenge.

Incredibly the Touareg was a standard 5-litre V10 diesel version.

The only difference to a road car was an extra 4.3 tons of metal ballast on board to stop the 4x4 lifting up as we towed its monster cargo.

Amazingly, the Touareg hauled the incredible bulk of the Jumbo with remarkable ease.

I crawled off at just 2mph, then started to gain momentum — and hit my maximum 20mph.

It was a bizarre experience seeing a 747 in my wing mirror. Even more bizarre when I realised I was actually pulling it.

The VW Touareg is a former Caravan Club Tow Car of the Year award winner.

But a caravan looks small beer after the car’s exploits yesterday.

And just imagine getting stuck behind this load!

Volkswagen spokesman Paul Buckett said: “We are delighted and a little amazed that the Touareg pulled the Jumbo jet so easily.”

k.gibso

picture in the sun today but what amazrd me was the weight they put in the car as ballast?

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