Herbie would approve: the Volkswagen Beetle will enter the world of US motorsport in summer 2014. And with 560 turbo hp and permanent four-wheel drive, this vehicle is nothing like its namesake from the insect world.
Volkswagen of America has teamed up with the US motorsport specialist Andretti Autosport for this project, to create the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team. The team’s two Global Rallycross vehicles will be driven by two big names from X Games – Tanner Foust and Scott Speed. The team will initially start the 2014 season with two modified Polo vehicles based on the undercarriage of the winning WRC car of 2013. They will then switch to the GRC Beetle in the summer.
Rallycross is one of the US’s fastest growing motorsport disciplines in terms of fan numbers – both as event visitors and in front of the TV. The demanding circuits can feature dusty tracks and asphalt, and the spectators can be treated to spectacular vehicle jumps of more than 20 metres thanks to the different levels within a circuit.
