Innovative 24-hour technology at the endurance classic par excellence – driven by a motorsport legend: The Volkswagen Scirocco GT24-CNG successful at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife was presented to the adoring motorsport public at Le Mans.
In May at the 24-hour race through the “green hell” the Bio Natural Gas powered sport coupé occupied the first three places in the class for cars with alternative drive and also won the FIA Alternative Energy Cup in the process. Before the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Jacky Ickx (Belgium), seven-time winner of the famous motorsport marathon, drove the Scirocco GT24-CNG during demonstration runs for cars equipped with environmentally friendly drive concepts. On 16 May 2010 his daughter Vanina and Volkswagen factory driver Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatar), Dieter Depping (Wedemark) and Klaus Niedzwiedz (Waltrop) celebrated class victory at the Nürburgring. For the first time Volkswagen relied on Bio Natural Gas Technology ensuring a reduction of CO2 emissions by 80 per cent in the overall balance from racing and logistics.
“Volkswagen was happy to use the opportunity show itself to an expert public at Le Mans and to demonstrate the brand’s ground breaking technology,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “The reduction of CO2 emissions and environmentally friendly drive concepts are pivotal subjects in automobile manufacture. In the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring we proved with production-based technology that these targets are already viable and with high reliability.”
Volkswagen relied on production-based technology for many vehicle components used on the powerful 330 hp Scirocco GT24-CNG during the 24-hour race around the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. Among other components, the popular six-speed double clutch gearbox DSG as well as the unchanged electro-mechanical steering, which perform thier duties day for day in the many street cars produced by the Volkswagen Group. The three teams could rely on the excellent reliability of their Volkswagen down to the last metre in the world’s toughest circuit race and be sure of its environmentally friendly character in the process: Bio Natural Gas is manufactured from biomass and is carbon neutral in its production.
However, not only the reliability was a plus for the Volkswagen Scirocco GT24-CNG – also its speed. The sport coupé powered by a two-litre turbo engine set a new lap record around the Nordschleife for front-wheel drive cars.
- Volkswagen Motorsport
Looking for more? Have a look below.
- Top 16 finish and class win for the Volkswagen Scirocco GT24-CNG at the Nurburgring 24 Hour
- Scirocco GT24-CNG: green power for the “Green Hell”
- Patrick Simon completes the fifth Volkswagen Scirocco GT24 driver line-up
- Volkswagen Scirocco GT24 sets the pace
- World premiere of the Volkswagen Scirocco GT24 with 325 PS
