Based on the latest version of the popular five-door Volkswagen Golf, Prodrive had taken the liberty in turning this hot hatch into a dirt-kicking rally machine destined for use in Chinese rallying. Christened as the VW Golf SCRC, this new rally car is designed to compete in the Chinese Rally Championship and will see action for the first time this weekend.
It took Prodrive less than six months to build this car and although it was not built to comply with the FIA rules, it has been “built to the spirit of the WRC regulations”. However, most of the major components are almost the same as those found in current World Rally Cars especially in the safety aspect where it is fitted with rollcage and other safety features.
“There is more freedom in the Chinese regulations and that has helped us to create this car in such a short timeframe. However, while the first cars will initially compete in China, the car can readily be modified to compete in most ‘open’ class rally series, of which there are many in Europe, Asia and North America,” said John Gaw, Prodrive Motorsport’s managing director.
While the VW Polo WRC runs with a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine, this Golf SCRC is powered by a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing about 300bhp. The drivetrain is similar to the WRC-spec and has the same six-speed sequential Xtrac gearbox and rear differential found in most World Rally Cars.
