VW entered the twin-engined GTIs in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
VW is sending the I.D. The German automaker finished a restoration of the VW GTI twin-engined VW GTI, which entered the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 1987. VW decided to have some fun with the strange machine after all the hard work was done. It entered it in the 2018 Eifel Rallye Festival, Daun, Germany.
All-wheel drive vehicles typically use a system that uses differentials, clutches or other types of couplings to transfer power from the engine to the axles. This GTI racing car by Volkswagen is a departure from the norm. (gallery below). The front features a turbocharged, longitudinally mounted, 1.8-liter four cylinder and the same power plant at its rear. They combined produced 644 horsepower (480kilowatts). The driver had only to use one throttle pedal and only one gearshift to switch cogs, despite having two engines. The entire setup was housed in a tubular chassis and the plastic body panels made it light at 2,249 lbs (1,020 kg).
The engine’s were tuned to produce 494 horsepower (368 kW) during the restoration. This improves reliability and reduces stress on the powerplants.
VW also brought a second twin engine GTI to the Eifel Rallye Festival. The car that was sponsored by Digital Computersysteme competed at Pikes Peak, Arizona in 1986. It was powered by two turbocharged 1.3-liter engines producing 500 horsepower (373 kW).
These machines are rare so their drivers don’t push them too hard. It’s still rare to see them both on the move. These GTIs are a fascinating end to the development of rally cars.