Η Volkswagen παρουσίασε το νέο Beetle για το πρωτάθλημα Rallycross με νέο κινητήρα

H Volkswagen παρουσίασε σήμερα το αγωνιστικό Beetle GRC που θα τρέξει στο φετινό παγκόσμιο πρωτάθλημα Rallycross. Το αγωνιστικό φέτος κινείται με ένα νέο 2.0-λιτρο TSI κινητήρα απόδοσης 553 ίππων και 630 Nm ροπή, εν αντιθέσει με τον 1.600άρη TSI απόδοσης 544 ίππων, που φορούσε πέρσι.

Ο παραπάνω κινητήρας συνδέεται με ένα 6-τάχυτο σειριακό κιβώτιο, στέλνοντας τη κίνηση σε όλους τους τροχούς μέσω διαφορικών

Το πρησμένο Beetle διαθέτει όλες τις τροποποιήσεις ώστε να συμμετάσχει στο θεσμό, και έτσι, ο εμπρός προφυλακτήρας είναι αρκετά επιθετικός, ενώ το καπό διαθέτει μεγάλη εισαγωγή αέρα. Υπάρχουν μικρότεροι αεροδυναμικοί καθρέφτες, στο πίσω φτερό υπάρχει επίσης εισαγωγή για την ψύξη του κινητήρα και τεράστια αεροτομή, με τις αλλαγές να συνεχίζονται στα φρένα και στις αναρτήσεις. Πίσω από το τιμόνι του θα καθίσουν ο Tanner Foust και ο Scott Speed, με τον Jost Capito να υπόσχεται ότι θα είναι σοβαροί διεκδικητές.

VOLKSWAGEN ANDRETTI RALLYCROSS TEAM UPDATES BEETLE GRC CARS FOR 2015 SEASON

Tanner Foust and Scott Speed will contest the 2015 Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship with a pair of 2.0-liter Beetles

Indianapolis, IN (April 29th, 2015) — After a strong performance in its inaugural season, the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team is ready to challenge for this year’s driver and manufacturer titles in the Global Rallycross Championship. In 2015, the team will be on the attack with two Beetle GRC race cars, which debuted in the final races of 2014.

This rallycross car is the ultimate expression of the third-generation Beetle. Designed and engineered from the outset as a GRC car, it 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.

For the 2015 season, the team has chosen to change the engine specification from the car that ran in selected rounds of the 2014 series. In place of that car’s 1.6-liter turbocharged and intercooled TSI® four-cylinder engine, there is now a 2.0-liter TSI engine that produces 553 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, compared to 544 hp and 387 lb-ft for the 2014 car. Volkswagen believes that the extra torque of the larger engine will be important for standing start performance, which is a key element in Global Rallycross racing, as well as acceleration from slow corners. Another factor was that weight equalization for the 1.6 liter engine will be removed in the future, moving the U.S. series in line with the FIA World Rallycross series.

The car uses an all-around strut-type suspension, with ZF dampers and about 9.5 inches of travel to cope with the rigors of the off-road portion of a rallycross course. The car has 14.0-inch diameter front and 11.8-inch rear vented disc brakes, with four-piston aluminum calipers. The 17-inch wheels are shod with 240/640-R17 Yokohama competition tires.

The Beetle is highly distinctive, thanks to its outsize rear wing, widebody fenders, and aggressive front fascia. Overall, the car is 168.8 inches long and 71.7 inches wide, and weighs in at 2866 pounds. With this combination of low weight, high horsepower, and all-wheel-drive traction, the Beetle GRC is predicted to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in around 2.0 seconds.

Scott Speed will be returning to the team after recording three victories in the 2014 season and earning third in the 2014 driver’s championship. Prior to rallycross, Speed competed in Formula 1 in 2006 and 2007, and NASCAR between 2008 and 2013.

2014 GRC fan favorite Tanner Foust will again be racing the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle GRC. Foust, GRC champion in 2011 and 2012 and runner-up in 2013, is also widely recognized for his rally driving skills, his stunt driving, and hosting the U.S. version of “Top Gear”.

“We are very much looking forward to the start of the GRC season with the Beetle,” said Jost Capito, Motorsport Director, Volkswagen. “The 2015 Beetle GRC has been further developed, based on all our experience we gained with the brand new Beetle last year. We are looking forward to a serious title challenge with Scott Speed and Tanner Foust in 2015 and we are sure that the Beetles will be real fan favorites again.”

The 2015 Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship schedule is the largest to date, featuring races at eight unique tracks with double headers at select venues:

May 31: Ft Lauderdale, FL

June 20: Daytona, FL (I)

June 21: Daytona, FL (II)

July 5: United States Military Base

July 25: Detroit, MI (I)

July 26: Detroit, MI (II)

August 15: Washington, DC

September 12: Los Angeles, CA (I)

September 13: Los Angeles, CA (II)

October 3: Barbados (I)

October 4: Barbados (II)

November 4: Las Vegas, NV

The NBC broadcast schedule will be released at a later date. For tickets and further event information, visit: http://www.redbullglobalrallycross.com/events/