The new Volkswagen Beetle GRC rallycross car made its reveal at the third round of the Red Bull Global Rallycross championship. The car is being campaigned by the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team with Tanner Foust and Scott Speed as their drivers.
The Beetle is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder TSI turbo intercooler engine pushing 544 horsepower. The engine is mated to a sequential six-speed gearbox. It replaces the VW Polo the VW Andretti Rallycross team competed with since last season.
Dubbed as the “ultimate expression of the third-generation Beetle”, the GRC was a purpose-built project engineered from the ground up. It features a fixed-ratio all-wheel-drive system with mutiplate limited-slip differentials on both front and rear. The suspension is an all-around strut-type setup with ZF dampers with about 9.1 inches of travel to handle the off-road portions of the course. For braking, 14-inch front and 11.8-inch rear discs are mated with four-pot aluminum calipers. It sits on 17-inch wheels wrapped with Yokohama competition tires.
The awe-inspiring bodywork features an aggressive front, wide fenders and a large rear wing. The car measures 4288mm long and 1821mm wide and weighs in at 1210kg to comply with series regulations. The car is estimated to spring from 0 to 60 mph in 2.1 seconds.
“The Polo has already proved super-competitive,” said Speed, “and we are really looking forward to racing a car that has been engineered specifically by Volkswagen Motorsport for GRC competition.” Foust added: “I know I can’t wait to race the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Beetle. There’s no cooler looking car in the series.”
“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,” said Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport director.