Caddy Racer Ready to Take On the 2011 Volkswagen Racing Cup

This is one of those vehicles that van drivers everywhere wish their vehicles could look and drive like: the Caddy Racer, which was unveiled today at the Commercial Vehicle Show at Birmingham’s NEC. The new addition to the 2011 Volkswagen Racing Cup grid will join a highly competitive championship with VW Commercial Vehicles director, Simon Elliott, once again behind the wheel.

“The new Caddy has started life strongly since its launch and has already started winning awards, so the Caddy Racer will hopefully add to the trophy cabinet!  We learnt a lot through the developments made with the original Caddy Racer, and initial tests with the new van have been extremely promising.  This really is a clear demonstration of Brilliant Made Better – I just can’t wait to get back out on track,” Elliott explained.

So, let’s skip the formalities for now and get straight into the technical side of things. The biggest change over last year’s model is the installation of a 2.0-litre petrol engine which develops 270 PS (266 hp), channelled through the front wheels via a six-speed Volkswagen Racing quick shift gearbox. That’s a lot of power for something that only weighs in at 1,3 tonnes!

The rear axle has also been uprated to the multi-link system found in the road-going Golf. Safety features include a welded-in multi-point roll cage, Cobra racing seat, six-point Sparco harness plumbed-in fire extinguisher system.

So when will we see the Caddy Racer in action? Well, VW tell us that the Volkswagen Racing Cup “starts over the Easter weekend (25 April) at Oulton Park, and will visit some of the most famous circuits around the UK, including Snetterton, Brands Hatch, and Donington Park, plus it incorporates a trip to Zandvoort in the Netherlands, before the season finale at Silverstone in October.”