Volkswagen's luxury 4×4 model, the Touareg, has been named the official vehicle sponsor of the prestigious West London Shooting School. To mark the start of the partnership, the Touaregs were showcased on a simulated grouse shoot at the Great Tew estate in Oxfordshire.

The Touareg is as impressive on-road as it is in the mud.  Its all-round ability makes it the ideal car to meet the needs of those involved in shooting and other country pursuits.  It is luxuriously appointed and equipped, offering features such as leather upholstery, heated front seats, satellite navigation and parking sensors.

Other features such as permanent four-wheel drive, low and high gear ratios, electronic traction control linked to an auto-locking centre differential, hill hold function, descent assist and short front and rear overhangs all contribute to class-leading capability when venturing off the beaten track.

This ability was essential at the shoot on Monday 13 March, when the WLSS launched its new Driven Grouse butts on Great Tew's Raven Hill Moor.  In the first simulated grouse shoot of its kind, guests shot clays from a line of eight stone grouse butts. 

Founded in 1901, the West London Shooting School (WLSS) is the oldest independent shooting school in the country.  Around 8,000 people visit the WLSS each year to practise clay shooting (no live game is involved) and a large proportion of these are 4×4 owners.  There is even a 4×4 course on the WLSS's premises in Northolt, London.

This natural fit between product and the sport was the foundation of the relationship between Volkswagen and the WLSS. The West London Shooting School has also launched the ‘Touareg Challenge’, a competition that will run for the next 12 months and is open to all WLSS customers. The challenge will see WLSS clients shoot at a sequence of 20 clay pigeons, the order of which will be changed on a monthly basis. The highest scorer from each month’s challenge will be invited to a Grand Finale to be held at the end of the year, resulting in an overall winner.

Commenting on the partnership, Roddy Richmond-Watson, Director of the WLSS said: ‘Thanks to the generous support of Volkswagen, we are sure the ‘Touareg Challenge’ will be a popular competition and we look forward to welcoming anybody and everybody who wishes to shoot it.

‘The West London Shooting School has always sought to provide the very best for our clients. Whether it be for a private lesson, corporate event or a game flyer day, we strive to offer the ultimate shooting experience. It is with this philosophy in mind that we have joined with Volkswagen UK and the Touareg. In our opinion, it is a remarkable off-round vehicle and is the perfect compliment to WLSS and our clients.’

Volkswagen's Head of Marketing, Rod McLeod, said: 'The Touareg is designed to deliver class-leading performance both on and off the road.  I am confident that the Touareg's capabilities will be tested by the WLSS and that it will prove itself a worthy asset.'