This Is Volkswagen's 330-hp GTI Touring Car Racer

8 years, 8 months ago - 10 March 2016, Autoblog

The Volkswagen GTI turns 40 this year, and to celebrate, it's off to the races. What you see here is the official Volkswagen Motorsport GTI TCR, a customer racecar that'll run in the international touring car series this year.

Only 20 will be made, and they're all spoken for. We can't wait to see these storming tracks around the world.

Let's start with those huge wheel arches. They house 18-inch racing wheels and widen the standard GTI's body by almost 16 inches. Most of the interior is stripped out, and VW Motorsport adds a racing seat with head protectors, cage, and safety tank. All in, the GTI TCR weighs in at 2,822 pounds, including the driver. That's a nice reduction from the roadgoing GTI's unloaded curb weight of 3,031 pounds.

Power comes from Volkswagen's tried-and-true 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four – specifically, the version used in the Golf R. Even so, the motorsport team turned up the wick for this GTI; the 2.0T produces 330 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque. That runs to the front wheels via a six-speed sequential racing transmission with paddles mounted on the steering wheel. It all works together for a 0-62 run of 5.2 seconds and an estimated top speed of 143 miles per hour.

The 20 cars will all be handed over to their various racing teams on March 11, and will race in the TCR International Series throughout the year. Check the press blast below for the official dates.