Do you remember a movie about a white Volkswagen Beetle with racing stripes that defied the odds to win the legendary Monte Carlo rally? Movie logic aside, there was no way a Volkswagen Beetle could be turned into a rally machine… or is there? Volkswagen introduced its all-wheel drive GRC Beetle that will compete at the 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross series.
This 560hp Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle will be driven by Tanner Fourst, Top Gear US host and Scott Speed, former F1 and NASCAR driver. The team will initially compete with modified Polo-R cars before switching to the fearsome Beetle. Fourst’s Beetle will be adorned with Rockstar energy drinks decals while Speed’s Beetle will have 7-Up as sponsors.
Rallycross is a sprint race event involving cars with double the power of a WRC machine running in mixed-surface tracks. In spite of the fact that rallycross cars share the bodyshell of a normal supermini, the enormous power from their engines means they are kings of the road, or rather off-road that is.
With this Rallycross Beetle, it seems that Volkswagen’s quest for off-road racing domination is imminent, moreover after enjoying the past success with the VW Toureg in the Dakar and the recent WRC titles with the VW Polo-R.
