Volkswagen Beetle GRC Race Car Revealed With 544 HP
A turbocharged VW Beetle isn’t normally all that exciting, but it also doesn’t usually make 544 hp.
Volkswagen revealed its GRC rallycross car today based on the third-generation Beetle. It uses a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and will replace the Polo GRC car starting in the third round of this season’s competition to be driven by Tanner Foust and Scott Speed.
“After Volkswagen of America’s impressive start on the rallycross scene with the Polo, the launch of the new Beetle GRC rallycross car represents the next major milestone. The Beetle boasts a unique appearance and state-of-the-art technology. It will sweep fans off their feet,” Volkswagen Motorsport director Jost Capito said.
Volkswagen previewed the car during the Chicago Auto Show in February wearing Rockstar Energy livery. The company engineered it specifically to compete in GRC including 9.1 inches of suspension travel, 14-inch brakes in the front and 11.8 inches in the rear. While VW isn’t revealing what the car weighs, it ought to run from 0-60 mph in 2.1 seconds.
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Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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