Volkswagen Motorsport India’s latest race car is based on the Virtus sedan. Built specifically for the Indian Touring Cars (ITC) class of the MRF Indian National Car Racing Championship, the new Virtus ITC racer replaces the Vento ITC.
Volkswagen’s 1.5 TSI engine has made its motorsport debut on the Virtus ITC racer. It gets a significant power boost, putting out 215hp and 300Nm. The stock Virtus GT 1.5 TSI, meanwhile, makes 150hp and 250Nm.
While the Virtus GT 1.5 TSI is available with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the race-prepped version uses a 6-speed sequential racing gearbox that sends power to the front wheels. A number of changes have been made on the safety front as well, to ensure the car adheres to ITC regulations. This includes the addition of FIA-certified racing seats, six-point racing harness, roll cage and an on-board fire extinguisher. The stripped-down interior reduces the race car’s weight to 1,080kg (compared to the stock manual’s 1,275kg).
The new Virtus ITC will be competing in the upcoming 2022 edition of the MRF Indian National Car Racing Championship, Round 1 of which will be held at Chennai’s Madras International Circuit between October 7 and 9.
Two experienced racers will be piloting the car for Volkswagen Motorsport India — Sandeep Kumar, the last Volkswagen Polo Cup champion, and Jeet Jhabakh, the last Ameo Cup champion.
