Motorshow Unveiling for Van-tastic Volkswagen Racer

03 June 2004

Volkswagen's latest racer is set to break cover tomorrow 4 June, but visitors to the Sunday Times Motor Show Live are in for a surprise, for the machine in question is not a car but a racing van.

Powered by a 230 PS, 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine, the new Caddy is set to thrill racegoers around the UK for the duration of the Volkswagen Racing Cup season. Straight from its unveiling at Birmingham's NEC it will head for Snetterton in Norfolk, venue for Sunday's (6 June) fifth and sixth rounds of the championship.

It's not the first Caddy to take to the tracks - the previous model made its racing debut in 2002 and has become a firm favourite with spectators.

Peter Wyhinny, the director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, will be behind the new Caddy's wheel at Snetterton. Said Peter: 'Since launching the original Caddy Racer we have learned a lot about adapting a van, beam axle and all, for the track and all that learning has been transferred to the All New Caddy. The result is truly amazing: it feels extremely well balanced, a refined racer and now has a competitive amount of power.

'This project sets out to show how versatile a vehicle the new Caddy is; from class-leading payload, cubic capacity and economy in its everyday workhorse guise, to being a seriously competitive thoroughbred on the track. Watch out cars!'

The van-tastic Caddy has been converted for racing by Milton Keynes-based Volkswagen Racing UK. At its heart is a 16-valve 1968cc TDI powerplant which, with assistance from the engine tuning wizards at Superchips and a bespoke exhaust system by Milltek, is delivering 230 PS.

'It's the most powerful diesel engine we have ever put on a circuit,' said Sam Roach, head of Volkswagen Racing UK, 'and we truly believe that it's going to be a front-running machine. The majority of the components are exactly as the road-going Caddy, but we've done a lot of work to the rear suspension to ensure strong handling.'

These modifications include a five-link location for the standard rear beam suspension, as well as KW racing dampers and an anti-roll bar. Power is fed to the front wheels via a six-speed gearbox. A limited-slip differential is fitted.

In the cab, the Caddy's customary passenger niceties have been stripped away and replaced by a welded-in multi-point roll cage, a racing seat and safety harness. Like all vehicles in the Volkswagen Racing Cup, the Caddy is gripped by Pirelli track tyres.

Its Snetterton debut will be a far from easy one - ranged against the van will be a diversity of Volkswagens including the four-wheel-drive Golf R32, a host of 2.8-litre Beetles, Corrado VR6s and Golfs of every vintage.

See 2004 series calendar for VW Racing Cup

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