Australian strongman in ute tow-off
March 16, 2011
Tim O’Shea who will compete for the title of Australia’s Strongest Man in July, demonstrated his impressive pulling power in an VW Amarok tow-off against Hot 91.1 radio jock, Todd Widdicombe at the vehicle’s launch in a Brightwater Park this morning.
The event, hosted by Garry Crick VW Maroochydore celebrated the launch of the first range of utes to come out of Germany or in fact to be built by any high-volume European producer.
Sam Bohner, Dealer Principal of the Garry Crick VW said the decision to have an Amarok tow-off with strongman O’Shea was a great way to show off the new range while demonstrating the incredible strength of the 142kg Glass House Mountains muscleman.
“The Amarok is a force to be reckoned with in the one-tonne class ute market so it seemed fitting to have another powerhouse in his class towing the car at this morning’s launch. Of course we had to make it interesting by towing the vehicle uphill to ensure Tim broke a sweat while Todd struggled to even budge the car,” said Mr Bohner.
“The addition of the Amarok to our suite of commercial vehicles is really exciting as it has exceptional fuel economy, the best interior space in its class and a 2.52 square metre cargo area which we anticipate will be a major selling point for tradies.”
The outdoor launch attracted people from across the Coast to view the range of Amaroks, take the opportunity for an off-road test drive and to see O’Shea in action as he demonstrated his Herculean efforts.
“It’s been great to come down to practise my skills in preparation for Brisbane’s Strongest Man in May and Australia’s Strongest Man in July,” said Mr O’Shea who wowed guests at the Amarok’s VIP launch at the dealership last night with a van tow and lifting 44-gallon drums and atlas stones.
“This is what I love to do and if I get to combine it with the launch of an impressive newcomer to the Australian utility market, even better. I just hope Todd doesn’t feel the pain of the tow-off for too long!”
Volkswagen enthusiasts who attended the launch were keen to experience the new Amarok for themselves with the vehicle having taken the market by storm when it was recently awarded International Pick-up Award 2011.
The Amarok took on the likes of the Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara, Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 and was praised by judges for its “effortless off-road abilities” and best-in-class on-road performance seeing the expert judges from 22 countries giving it the top gong.
“The new Volkswagen Amarok distinguishes itself by fantastic driving qualities, both on- and off-road. It sets new standards in the pick-up category in respect to load capacity, interior room, comfort, ergonomics and fuel consumption,” a statement from the Award jury read.
Those interested in booking a test drive can contact Devlin Griffiths at Garry Crick on 5450 3318.
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