Volkswagen will race a
custom Atlas Cross Sport R race truck in next year’s Baja 1000 in the Class 7
Open Production Limited class. As you can see for yourself, the racer has
nothing really in common with the production car other than a shell that tries
to mimic some of its design traits.
The prototype race truck,
unveiled today at the Los Angeles Auto Show, was developed in conjunction with
VW driver Tanner Foust and Baja race veteran Rhys Millen. It features a
2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine that’s capable of delivering 600 hp
but has been detuned to roughly 480 hp for an optimized balance of performance
and reliability. This engine was first developed by Volkswagen for its WRC and
Rallycross programs.
Volkswagen has been
particularly keen in recent years to clean up its carbon footprint, especially
in motorsport through the launch of the ID.R. While the Atlas Cross Sport R
guzzles down fuel, the German automaker is keen to point out that next year’s
Baja 1000 will be fully carbon-neutral thanks to a carbon offset initiative via
The Conservation Fund that will plant more than 1,000
trees or one per mile raced.
Foust, who will be one of
the drivers, said “I know what this combination of engine and drivetrain is
capable of. I’m really excited to see this bit of Beetle DNA live on in the
Atlas Cross Sport R and am itching to get behind the wheel.”
Volkswagen will hold a special competition across schools and colleges allowing designers to create the vehicle’s race livery in early 2020.
