This weekend Andretti Autosport and Volkswagen of America unveiled the Volkswagen Beetle GRC which set to take on the Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship later this season.
While the Andretti Autosport team have been running the VW Polo so far this season and have taken two victories already the team are looking forward to Tanner Foust and Scott Speed taking the new Beetle on track in anger.
“After Volkswagen of America’s impressive start on the rallycross scene, the launch of the new Beetle for the GRC represents the next major milestone,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito.
“The Beetle GRC boasts a unique appearance and state-of-the-art technology. It will sweep fans off their feet. We now face an intense programme of testing, to ensure the beetle is as well prepared as possible for its race debut in autumn.”
The two drivers, Tanner Foust and Scott Speed,have been impressed with the performance from their Polo already and are looking forward to the purpose-built Beetle. “The Polo has already proved super-competitive,” said Speed, “and we are really looking forward to racing with a car that has been engineered specifically by Volkswagen Motorsport for GRC competition.” Foust added: “I know I can’t wait to race the Rockstar Beetle. There’s no cooler looking car in the series.”
The Volkswagen Beetle GRC was developed from scratch as a rallycross car and features a 544-hp (400 kW) straight four-cylinder engine, sequential six-speed racing gearbox, multi-plate limited-slip differentials on the front and rear axles, McPherson struts and ZF dampers. The Beetle is capable of accelerating from nought to 100 km/h in 2.2 seconds, up to a top speed of 200 km/h. The exterior of the car also features, mudguard extensions, a larger rear wing, its low lie and streamlined front give it an aggressive, sporty appearance.
“We have been very pleased with the performances of the Polos so far, and couldn’t have got off to a better start in Global Rallycross” said Clark Campbell, General Manager, Motorsport, Volkswagen of America. “We hope that the Beetle will prove to be equally competitive when we debut it.”
