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VW to launch eco-friendly racing series

Posted by Hootan Mahallati | October 29, 2009 | In green motorsports news vw

Amidst all the hype about electric vehicles, it is easy to forget about other viable alternative fuel options. Among these alternatives is biologically-sourced compressed natural gas, or bio-CNG. VW has shown bio-CNG's viability to great effect of late by not only building a CNG Scirocco, but also winning the grueling 24 Hours of Nurburgring Nordschleife with the car. On the back of that success, VW will launch an all-CNG racing series next year called the Scirocco Cup. The one-make series will be held at Europe's most demanding race tracks, and according to VW, will be the cleanest racing series in the world.

“In the Scirocco Cup, Volkswagen combines environmental consciousness with economy and sporting performance on the race track,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “This motorsport one-make cup thus underlines the corporate strategy of the Volkswagen brand — to make a contribution to sustainability with innovative technologies without having to sacrifice the dynamic fortes of a Volkswagen.”

Bio-CNG is made from renewable resources such as grass or refined bio waste. According to VW, the fuel is CO2-neutral, meaning that the emissions caused by burning the fuel are absorbed by the production source. Looking deep into the math, one can see why VW claims that bio-CNG is the most efficient bio-fuel. One ton of organic waste yields 15 gallons of fuel. At this rate, 2.4 acres of cultivated land would allow a bio-CNG car to cover 42,000 miles. According to VW, a car burning bio-CNG produces 80% less CO2 than a cae running on regular fuel.

As for the racing Sciroccos themselves, here are the details: 2.0L, turbocharged four cylinder engine, 220 hp and 202 lb-ft. of torque mated to VW's six-speed dual clutch (DSG) transmission. The race cars even have a temporary 30 hp boost button for passing. Of course, the cars do need some modifications in order to run this special fuel, such as special valves and a fuel injection system pressurized to 2900 psi. The fuel tanks are made of composite materials and can hold an equivalent of 9.2 gallons of gasoline.

The Scirocco Cup will pit aspiring racers against famous names from F1 and WRC. Who knows, maybe those series themselves will be running on biological goo-waste before long.

[Source: Autopia]

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