New VW Ameo Cup car to feature 202 bhp engine

Based on Volkswagen’s road-going, sub-4 metre sedan of the same name, the Ameo Cup car replaces the Vento which has been used since 2015.

The most striking upgrade comes in the engine department, with the engineers at Volkswagen’s Pune plant having tuned Polo GTI’s already-powerful 1.8-litre engine to produce over 200 bhp.

The motor will be mated to six-speed sequential gearbox, with F1-style paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

The Ameo Cup car will also feature a new ECU that has been calibrated and mapped to suit the new engine and transmission system.

The Suspension is also all-new, while MRF has produced bespoke tyres for the Ameo. 

On the exterior front, the Ameo Cup car looks similar to its road-going sibling, save for the massive spoiler at the rear.

Unsurprisingly, the Ameo is significantly quicker than the Vento, with the former going 4.6 seconds faster during initial tests at Chennai’s Madras Motor  Race Track.

Laptimes are expected to be even quicker at the Buddh International Circuit, the venue of the series’ finale.

The championship will begin sometime in June at Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore, with the second and third rounds scheduled in Chennai.

“The car is unlike anything Indian motorsport has seen from the Volkswagen’s stable,” Mr. Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India. “It has more power and amazing handling, yet it is simple enough for budding racers to learn on.

“The race machine is at par with international standards and the new elements in the car make it possible to take our one-make series to a new high.”

Dr. Andreas Lauermann, President and Managing Director, Volkswagen India added: “Volkswagen is committed to motorsport in India and with our premium one-make series we have helped develop some of the best racing talent in the country over the past seven years.

"With the Ameo Cup we have embarked upon yet another year of exciting races and this season is especially noteworthy as the motorsport team has developed the race car from ground up at the Volkswagen Pune Plant."