[Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2001 issue of Grassroots Motorsports.]
Volkswagen’s New Beetle Cup made its U.S. debut on September 30 as a assist race on the Street Atlanta Petit Le Mans, giving followers a first-hand glimpse of this fashionable European sequence. With all the brilliant colours and spherical shapes, some folks famous that the vehicles regarded …
The Vehicles
Not like the usual U.S.-spec passenger vehicles, New Beetle Cup racers are powered by a 204-horsepower VR6 engine. A deep entrance spoiler, fats fenders, particular rear apron and rear wing are added to the usualconcern bodywork, whereas enormous OZ wheels cowl ATE racing brakes.
Usually this sequence, which originated in Germany in 1999, is held throughout the IO rounds of the German Tremendous Touring Automobile Championship. The Volkswagen New Beetle race vehicles are ready and maintained centrally by Volkswagen Racing in Hanover, Germany, thus permitting drivers who cannot set up and keep their very own groups to take part. To be a part of the New Beetle Cup, competitors should pay 100,000 Deutschemarks (plus VAT). In return, Volkswagen affords half 1,000,000 Deutschemarks as prize cash.
At Street Atlanta, the New Beetle Cup race was a star occasion of types, with assorted actors, racers of word and members of the automotive press mixing it up on observe, elevating cash for native charities. These mix-ups (and crashes) resulted in solely a handful of green-flag race laps in a scheduled 30-minute contest, however it’s not every single day that one will get to see Tim Allen, Hans Caught, Jack Baldwin, Brian Redman and Danny Sullivan on observe on the identical time.
Driving Impressions
Among the many notable drivers current on the Street Atlanta New Beetle Cup race was Street & Observe editor Andy Bornhop. He discovered the Euro-spec VR6 engine to provide wonderful energy and torque, though the six-speed gearbox was a bit of awkward at first. “I buzzed the engine as soon as–with out harm–after I by chance went from fourth to 3rd as an alternative of fourth to fifth,” he admitted.
As anticipated, the suspension was rather more like that of a race automobile than a road automobile. “The suspension tuning felt pretty agency, and after we had been busy warming the tires on the warm-up lap, I might see that the majority vehicles had been choosing up their inside rears an inch or so off the bottom,” Andy defined. “The slicks, which I had by no means raced upon earlier than, provided wonderful grip when heat. When chilly, nicely, they’re slick.”
Andy by no means had an issue with the oversized ATE brakes, even on the finish of the again straight, the place the vehicles needed to go from flatout in sixth gear down to 3rd for Flip I OA. “They by no means bought tender, and I by no means invoked ABS,” he defined. “Had I been a bit of faster, perhaps I would have wanted it.”
As anticipated by many, the skilled drivers actually made the perfect of the race-prepared New Beetles. “Some folks claimed that Caught had a ‘particular’ automobile, however I believe he is only a particular driver who picks the automobile up by the scruff of the neck and makes it do miraculous issues.
“As for me, I am not happy with my performance, as I by no means felt like I discovered a rhythm,” Andy stated. “Each time I went out, I used to be among the many first vehicles on the observe–due to the way in which the vehicles had been parked within the ga rage–so I felt like I needed to drive utilizing my rear-view the entire time and never studying the observe. It confirmed in my instances. However boy how I’d like to do it once more.
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