The Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team unveiled the final version of the Beetle GRC rallycross car, an extreme interpretation of VW’s iconic model. The Beetle GRC will debut later this season in the Red Bull Global Rallycross championship and will be driven by Tanner Foust and Scott Speed.
Both drivers are excited by the prospect of driving the new Beetle GRC, which is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder TSI turbocharged and intercooled engine producing 544 horsepower. The Beetle will replace the VW Polo currently used by Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross.
“The Polo has already proved super-competitive and we are really looking forward to racing a car that has been engineered specifically by Volkswagen Motorsport for GRC competition,” said Scott Speed. “I know I can’t wait to race the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Beetle. There’s no cooler looking car in the series,” Foust added.
Based on the third-generation Beetle, and designed and engineered from the outset as a GRC car, VW’s racer features a sequential six-speed transmission, with a fixed-ratio all-wheel-drive system that features multiplate limited-slip differentials at the front and rear.
The car rides on an all-around strut-type suspension, with ZF dampers and about 9.1 inches (231mm) of travel to cope with the challenges of the off-road portion of a rallycross course. The 17-inch wheels are shod with 240/640-R17 Yokohama competition tires.
Since the Beetle GRC has to weigh in at a minimum of 2,668 pounds (1,210 kg), it is not surprising that it is projected to sprint from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 2.1 seconds.
By Dan Mihalascu
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