The Caddy TDI racing van will be competing in the Volkswagen Racing Cup in 2010 sporting bright orange livery thanks to a new sponsorship deal with the RAC, and it will also have a new driver with Simon Elliott, Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles taking his seat behind the wheel to try to make Volkswagen vans just as popular and successful on the track as they are on the road. The 2.0-litre Caddy TDI van, tuned by RacingLine to produce 260 PS and over 500 Nm of torque, will make its public debut on the Volkswagen Racing UK stand (no 6200) at the Autosport International & Pistonheads Show at the NEC from 14 to 17 January, while its first race of the season is scheduled to be at Oulton Park, Cheshire on 3 and 5 April. ‘I started racing last year and realised this was something I really wanted to do,’ said Simon Elliott. ‘My wife has now given me permission to do the full season, and I’ve managed to not only persuade my predecessor Peter Wyhinny to let me take over driving the van, but more importantly we have new sponsors for this high profile Caddy van,’ he continued. Martin Quail, Head of RAC Corporate Partnerships, said: ‘We were excited to be approached with the opportunity to sponsor the Caddy in the Volkswagen Cup. It provides us not only with the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Volkswagen further, but also to engage with business customers and motor racing fans alike.’

In seven months arose from a used Caddy Life, built in 2004 in Wolfsburg a very special car: The Caddy Speed. The sporty white-blue eye-catcher was due to the general assembly of Volkswagen in Hamburg and the subsequent vehicle exhibition.

Not only for the visitors, including in the press was the Caddy speed with great interest: autobild.de reported in its tuning part on 30 April about IMAGE brought on 7 May a short article in the nationwide total output.

With the Caddy Speed put five vehicle mechatronics trainees by Volkswagen under the guidance of their trainer Sascha Spitzer their ideas by a sportier Caddy.

For special projects such as the vehicle speed Caddy plan the trainees all the steps from beginning to end and are also responsible for implementing them. At the end of something other then a Caddy: with 2.0 litre FSI turbo engine with 200 hp and direct transmission, tiefergelegt (8 cm rear, front 6 cm), 19-inch wheels, sport exhaust system, xenon headlamps, a bodykit and a Dackkantenspoiler thread and a chassis with a flip kit. Front GTI seats were built and how the rear seat with a blue leather and Alcantara related. In addition to the steering wheel is also the brakes, R32. To sport with the sports car, has a retractable rear cargo area with up to 80 kg load and a holder for two bicycles (the front wheels must be removed from the vessel) built.

It was important to the trainees also a special multimedia equipment of the vehicle. The Car PC with navigation, radio and DVD player is an external, pull-out keyboard (in the glove compartment housed) or by touch screen to operate. For passengers in the funds they also installed a system on other unanhängigen DVD player. Even the appearance of the striking single piece was clearly changed: The Caddy was painted with a blue and black Folienbeklebung.

Were involved in the project: The trainers Sascha Spitzer and the car – mechatronics-trainees Paylos Apostolidis, Timo Bertram, Philipp Biek, Dominik Keuneke and Tim Schneider.

Among other business groups supported many tuning and car accessories companies – twenty – the project: ABT, ACR, Audi Quattro GmbH, Blaupunkt, BN pipes GmbH, Bosch, Carpc, Car Trim, CM Design, Continental, Falk, Goodyear, IN Tuning, KW GmbH, Philips, Sitech GmbH, Sortimo, Traganti, Volkswagen Individual, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Images from autobild & VW Coaching GmbH.