After Volkswagen’s success at the ‘Ring with the bio-fuelled Scirocco 24-hour race, they have now announced their one-make race-ready series featuring compressed natural gas (CNG).
The Scirocco Cup is basically a toned down version of the 300bhp Scirocco GT24-CNG, but in Cup racer form will boast a Bio-CNG version of VW’s 2-litre four-cylinder turbo-charged engine with 220bhp and 203ft lb of torque. There will also be a boost button that provides an extra 30bhp for an extra injection when it comes to overtaking.
It sends power to the track via a six-speed DSG gearbox linked to a set of steering wheel paddles. VW claims an 80% CO2 reduction as the compressed natural gas is made from renewable resources such as grass, maize and refined biological waste, making this Cup a more socially acceptable type of motorsport.
The Cup will remain a front-wheel drive, and with its dry-weight of only 1250kg it should speed along quite easily.
There is a sturdy roll cage inside the Cup to protect the driver, a 22-litre fuel tank, and the suspension is improved with Sachs dampers and H&R springs. The Cup also gets a sporty bodykit which is from the new Scirocco R. The Scirocco Cup is also set to replace the Polo Cup as the DTM German touring car support series in 2010.
The drivers will be a mixture of up-and-coming young talent, along with legends from F1, Le Mans, rallying and DTM, and there will even be some showbiz names taking to the wheel too.
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