VW Motorsports Reveals 500 HP South African Touring Car Golf 8

Volkswagen South Africa enlisted the help of former F1 driver Eddie Jordan to introduce its latest Global Touring Car. Based on the Mk8 Golf, it’s the first official race car we’ve seen built on the new Golf’s chassis.

The car is a shift for Volkswagen SA, which previously raced Jettas in the African touring car series. It is, however, building on previous success. Volkswagen’s driver, Keagan Masters, won the 2019 GTC championship in his Jetta.

For 2020, the Golf 8 is lighter and slipperier through the air, according to Masters, who helped develop the car. The champion also calls it the best-handling car he’s ever driven.

Under the hood is the EA888 engine with improved con-rods and pistons. The rules are apparently quite strict, but that doesn’t stop VW getting around 500 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque out of the engine, effectively doubling the GTI’s on-road performance.

GTC regulations require a transaxle rear-drive transmission, so unlike the road car, this is RWD. The aero package, again, is controlled in the series, meaning that the big fat wing on the back is the same size as the wings on every other car in the series.

You can watch the full reveal in the video above. The good stuff starts at around 18:40.

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