Racing the Jetta TDI
It's been two years since Audi's R10 TDI racing car first won both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and yet nobody dreams of diesels when they think of racing cars. That didn't stop Volkswagen from creating a race series around their oil-burning Jetta. The TDI Cup series consists of thirty identical factory-prepared Jettas piloted by aspiring young racers looking to break into professional motorsports.
VW boasts that the Jettas not only achieve 25 mpg under race conditions, but that each will complete the entire eight-race series on just two tanks of fuel. The Jettas are equipped with European-spec, high-output versions of the same 2.0-liter diesel engine in the U.S.-market Jetta TDI, producing 170 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Four-piston brakes from the rear of the Audi R8 peek through the front wheels, and Passat rear brakes are mounted to aluminum rear suspension components from the all-wheel-drive Euro-market Golf. Eighteen-inch Ronal wheels are shod with Michelin slicks taken from the front of Porsche Cup racing cars. The Jetta uses a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (with beefier internals from the R32) that pushes power through a limited-slip differential. The interior is fitted with a complete roll cage, a Recaro race seat, and a fire-suppression system.
We drove a TDI Cup car at Portland International Raceway, and the car's predominant characteristic was... quietness. Despite having a mufflerless exhaust - only a catalyst and a particulate filter - the TDI is barely audible at track speeds. From the outside, a faint turbo whoosh is drowned out by the sound of the big Michelins clawing at the pavement. With 170 hp on tap to propel 2844 pounds of racing Jetta, the TDI Cup Car isn't outrageously fast in a straight line, but with phenomenal grip and unfadeable brakes, it will easily leave street cars in the dust on a racetrack. Especially when those thirsty street cars run out of gas. ...next page >>