480 HP VW Atlas Cross Sport R Baja Race Truck Is Mad Max Material

Update: Live photos of VW’s radical Atlas Cross Sport R have been added in the gallery below. You can also check out all the 2019 LA Auto Show debuts in our handy A-Z guide here

Volkswagen will race a custom Atlas Cross Sport R race truck in next year’s Baja 1000 in the Class 7 Open Production Limited class. As you can see for yourself, the racer has nothing really in common with the production car other than a shell that tries to mimic some of its design traits.

The prototype race truck, unveiled today at the Los Angeles Auto Show, was developed in conjunction with VW driver Tanner Foust and Baja race veteran Rhys Millen. It features a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine that’s capable of delivering 600 hp but has been detuned to roughly 480 hp for an optimized balance of performance and reliability. This engine was first developed by Volkswagen for its WRC and Rallycross programs.

The final touches are being put to the car before everything is finalized for the race.

“Racing as a sport has historically been limited to a very privileged group,” said senior vice president of VW Brand Marketing, Saab Chehab. “However, Volkswagens competed at the very beginning of Baja racing, and we’re excited to help keep the fun, youthful spirit of the competition alive by way of our Atlas Cross Sport R.”

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Volkswagen has been particularly keen in recent years to clean up its carbon footprint, especially in motorsport through the launch of the ID.R. While the Atlas Cross Sport R guzzles down fuel, the German automaker is keen to point out that next year’s Baja 1000 will be fully carbon-neutral thanks to a carbon offset initiative via The Conservation Fund that will plant more than 1,000 trees or one per mile raced.

Foust, who will be one of the drivers, said “I know what this combination of engine and drivetrain is capable of. I’m really excited to see this bit of Beetle DNA live on in the Atlas Cross Sport R and am itching to get behind the wheel.”

Volkswagen will hold a special competition across schools and colleges allowing designers to create the vehicle’s race livery in early 2020.