GOLF-BASED GTC RACER SWINGS INTO MZANSI
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 8 GTI GTC Volkswagen SA’s Motorsport arm has announced and unveiled its contender in the premium GTC (Global Touring Cars) race circuit series.
The Golf 8 GTI-based racecar duly replaces the former Jetta competitor following a cease in right-hand-drive production of the latter model, which has in the past four years served the team spiffily well in the toptier GTC1 class, in the hands of Keagan Masters and Daniel Rowe. The racing duo will also campaign the new Golf racer in the 2020 season.
“For the past four years, we have been racing with the Jetta. Since the Jetta is no longer offered in right-hand-drive markets, we had to find an appropriate successor and that is where the idea to use the Golf 8 GTI came from. Even though the Golf 8 GTI will only be officially launched and available from South African dealers in 2021, we wanted to use this opportunity to showcase the Golf 8 GTI’s performance attributes ahead of the local market introduction,” said Martina Biene, Head of the Volkswagen Brand.
TRUE RACER
It is a stocky looking thing with a properly hunkered down stance and running an aggressive wheel camber that should give it superb handling and grip. The interior, meanwhile, is as sparse a racecar should be with just a tiller, a racing seat and the obligatory roll cage and fire extinguisher. With South Africa being the first country to see the latest generation Golf as a racecar, well before the road going car is debuted locally – earmarked for a 2021 introduction – has duly wet the appetite of Mzansi Golf GTI fans.
“New features in the Golf 8 GTI racing car include an all-new chrome-moly tubular chassis which is much stiffer and lighter than the previous generation GTC car,” said Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport.
“Even with five manufactures competing in the GTC series, it is one of the most premier circuit racing series in Africa due to its competitive nature. It is a tough championship to win, so consistent scoring of points at every round is particularly important,” added Rowe.
Under the bonnet of the German hot-hatch racer nestles the familiar to the brand’s 2.0-litre turbo engine, codenamed EA888 that can be found in the Golf GTI and R variants to name a few. It is, in this racing application, devil-tweaked to put out 373 kW and 600 Nm to power the rear wheels, which should translate into a brisk thing out on the racing tarmac.
LAST WORD
While Covid-19 has put paid to many sporting disciplines, we hope to see the new GTC contenders hopefully shaking down and getting on with the business of racing and racking up much-needed points for their respective teams.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic we have not been permitted to race, and as the Motorsport fraternity we are all hoping that by August, we can get the cars on the track, although it will, most likely, be without any spectators,” concluded Rowe.