VW lines up five-car assault on Nürburgring enduro

Race-prepped 330kW Golfs take on arguably the toughest tin-top enduro, chalking up the 35th anniversary of the GTI in the process
discount new cars  » Get the best price on a new Volkswagen

Volkswagen has prepared a five-car games assault for this weekend's Nürburgring 24-hour enduro, spearheaded by a trio of 330kW Golf24 racers.

The gruelling twice-around-the-clock race is regarded as one of the toughest tests for touring cars and GTs, with over 200 entrants battling for outright or class honours.

The 25km circuit (the Nordschleife plus the F1 track) presents its own fair share of challenges, but further variables are thrown in by rapidly changing weather conditions, regular pile-ups and wildcard strategies by team managers.

The Volkswagen Motorsport-developed Golf24 racer commemorates the 35th anniversary of the GTI (the original Mk1 version debuted way back in 1976), and is powered by a 330kW 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine (derived from that of the Audi TT RS).

Drive is relayed to all four wheels via a six-sequential six-speed gearbox with paddle shifters, and the whole lot is housed within a tailor-made bodyshell.

Steering duties will be taken care of by seasoned Nordschleife aces such as Peter Terting and Patrick Simon, and the line-up also includes former Formula 1 pilots Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell.

Supplementing the Golf attack is a pair of 243kW Scirocco GT24-CNG racers (competing in the alternative-fuel class), with one of these vehicles piloted by the past three winners of the Dakar Rally -- Nasser Al-Attiyah, Carlos Sainz and Giniel de Villiers.

It's an interesting driver line-up as Al Attiyah and Sainz have battled tooth-and-nail for outright Dakar honours over the past two years, and there's still no love lost between them.

The second Scirocco will be piloted by Le Mans racer Vanina Ickx (daughter of Jacky), partnered by journalists Peter Wyss and Bernd Ostmann.

The fourth driver of both cars will be the former DTM racer Klaus Niedzwiedz, who has twice won the 24-hour race, and also 'won' the 1987 Bathurst 1000, only to be later disqualified for a technical infringement.

Both Sciroccos are powered by bio natural gas and are claimed to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 per cent compared with conventional petrol engines.


THE VOLKSWAGEN DRIVER LINE-UP

#35 – Golf24 – white / red
Peter Terting (D) / Nicki Thiim (DK) / Franck Mailleux (F) / René Rast (D)

#135 – Golf24 – white / blue
Thomas Mutsch (D) / Fredrik Ekblom (S) / Patrick Simon (D) / Edoardo Mortara (I)

#235 – Golf24 – white / yellow
Johnny Herbert (GB) / Patrick Bernhardt(D) / Mark Blundell (GB) / René Rast (D)

#116 – Scirocco GT24-CNG – blue / silver
Vanina Ickx (B) / Peter Wyss (CH) / Bernd Ostmann (D)/ Klaus Niedzwiedz (D)

#117 – Scirocco GT24-CNG – blue / orange
Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q) / Carlos Sainz (E) / Giniel de Villiers (ZA) / Klaus Niedzwiedz (D)

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site