Volkswagen’s latest track challenger, a supercharged and turbocharged Jetta saloon, was unveiled today (Thursday) in Britain. The Jetta TSI Sport made its debut at the Autosport International racing car show at Birmingham’s NEC, taking centre stage on the British Racing and Sports Car Club stand. The new machine will take to the track for the first time on Easter Monday (24 March) in the opening round of the Hankook-backed Volkswagen Racing Cup, at Oulton Park.

In road-going form the Jetta’s 1.4-litre, 16-valve engine produces 170 PS but the engineers at Volkswagen Racing UK, with the help of their technology partners at Superchips, Milltek Sport and Turbo Dynamics, have boosted this to 230 PS.

The TSI power unit was proven in competition last season under the bonnet of a Golf; Volkswagen Racing UK’s Melissa Wright believes that the Jetta TSI is a potential race winner: ‘We learned a lot about the engine during the course of 2007 and we have incorporated that knowledge into the new installation,’ she said. ‘In the right hands and with some development mileage under it, the new car will be a front-runner, I am sure.’

The TSI features an engine-driven supercharger and an exhaust gas powered turbocharger, arranged in series; the supercharger operates at lower engine speeds and the turbo cuts in as revs rise. The result is excellent driveability and performance throughout the rev range, with no turbo lag and high maximum torque. The power unit was named Best New Engine of 2006 in the International Engine of the Year Awards.

It’s not only in Britain that the Jetta will be cutting a dash this season – the Sports Car Club of America is to stage a championship for turbodiesel-powered machines. The Jetta TDI Cup will launch in May.

In the UK, the Jetta TSI Sport will be raced by selected motoring and motor sport journalists. The Volkswagen Racing Cup expands to 14 rounds this year and will once again be the chief saloon-race support to the British Formula 3 and British GT Championships.

The Volkswagen Racing Cup in association with Hankook is further supported by Augustus Martin, Castrol, ECM Vehicle Delivery, Milltek Sport, Mondial Assistance, KW Automotive, Superchips, TNT Logistics, Turbo Dynamics, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Volkswagen Financial Services UK.

Jetta TSI Sport racing version

 

• Engine capacity (litres / cc) 1.4 /1390
• Configuration 4 cyl, 16v, turbocharged and supercharged
• Engine management Volkswagen Racing mapping
• Power output (PS) 230 (standard model 170)
• Drive Front-wheel drive
• Gearbox Six speed sport ratios, limited slip differential
• Clutch Sintered metal plate
• Exhaust system Bespoke race system with race catalyst
• Shell Production shell, fully stripped
• welded-in multi-point roll cage to FIA standard
• Safety Recaro HANS racing seat, six-point harness, plumbed-in extinguisher system
• Steering Power assisted rack and pinion
• Brakes 360 mm VWR ventilated front discs,
• 12 pot calipers
• VWR ventilated rear discs,
• ABS disabled
• Adjustable bias
• Front suspension VWR two-way adjustable race dampers
• Adjustable anti-roll bar
• Solid bushes
• Rear suspension Multi-link production suspension, VWR two-way adjustable race dampers
• Adjustable anti-roll bar
• Solid bushes
• Wheels 18 in BBS alloy wheels
• Tyres Hankook slick/wet
• 225/40 ZR18
• Weight objective 1223 kg
• Lubricants Castrol