Volkswagen Beetle RSi, you've officially been out-crazied. Volkswagen's Global RallyCross Beetle is, at least in my book, the most extreme Beetle ever.
So what if it's a race car and not a production model? The want is strong with this one. Very, very, very strong.
The Rockstar Energy Beetle won't actually race at this weekend's Red Bull GRC event in Washington, D.C., but it will make its public debut there. It will be deployed later in the season, and until then the Volkswagen drivers — Tanner Foust and F1 veteran Scott Speed — will keep racing their Volkswagen Polos.
A press release from Volkswagen says both drivers are "stoked" to be in the Beetle, because this is GRC and it's appropriate there to use the word "stoked" in a press release.
Hell, I'd be stoked to be behind the wheel of this thing too. It has a 1.6-liter turbocharged TSI four-cylinder motor putting out 544 horsepower, enough to move it from a stop to 60 mph in just 2.1 seconds. As per series regulations, it weighs just under 2,700 pounds. Good gravy, it must be quick.
Other improvements include a full racing setup, widebody fenders, a gigantic rear wing, a sequential six-speed manual gearbox, an all-wheel drive system with multiplate limited-slip differentials at the front and rear, and a suspension with more than nine inches of travel. Oh yeah, and the engine is in the middle, too! AAAHHHHH!
How about a street legal version, VW? Or at least something close to this? No? Okay, fine, but I'm going to keep asking anyway.