Walkinshaw upgraded Volkswagen Amarok W580 revealed

Famous Aussie tuner Walkinshaw teams up with Volkswagen to build a new tough ute aimed directly at the Ford Ranger Raptor.

2020 Volkswagen Amarok W580.

Volkswagen has picked up where Holden left off with a new ute aimed at Ford’s Ranger Raptor.

Set to be built on the same production line that turned out HSV-fettled Commodores and the Colorado SportsCat dual-cab ute, the new Volkswagen Amarok W580 benefits from a range of upgrades carefully chosen by performance experts at the Walkinshaw Automotive Group.

Volkswagen has teamed up with Walkinshaw for a new tough ute.

The machine has a range of styling and performance upgrades including a reworked front grille and bumper, beefed-up suspension with more ground clearance, chunky Pirelli tyres and new 20-inch wheels. Fat wheel arch extensions and black graphics add a touch of menace to Volkswagen’s ageing dual-cab.

The W580 is aimed at the Ford Ranger Raptor.

Volkswagen’s muscular 200kW/580Nm twin-turbo diesel V6 engine remains unchanged, though it does benefit from new side-exit exhausts tucked behind the rear wheels.

Full prices and specifications will be confirmed when the car goes on sale on December 1.

The machine will be one of the more expensive dual-cabs on sale, tipped to cost up to $80,000 on the road.

It is likely to cost about $80,000, which is the same as the Ford Ranger Raptor.

VW plans to leverage the Walkinshaw Automotive Group’s Supercars connection with a special incentive for the first 30 customers. They’ll get an exclusive tour of the company’s Clayton facilities and an invitation to a track day with the Walkinshaw Andretti United outfit formerly known as the Holden Racing Team, home to Bathurst contenders Chaz Mostert and Bryce Fulwood.

Originally published as Walkinshaw upgraded Volkswagen Amarok W580 revealed