Volkswagen could join IRL in 2011 to promote TSI or TDI engines
click the Ganassi Racing car for a high-res gallery from the 2008 Detroit Grand Prix
For the last few years, Honda has had the IndyCar engine supply market all to itself as Toyota and Chevrolet departed to pursue other ventures. At the end of the 2008, the company recommitted to another five years but before that time is up the Honda could have some new competition from an unlikely corner. IRL officials are in talks with a number of potential engine suppliers about the post-2010 rules package. Currently, the rules allow only 3.5L normally-aspirated V8 engines.
The new rules are likely to follow the path of an increasing number of road-going engines with smaller displacements and forced induction. The package being considered reportedly includes allowing 4, 6 or 8 cylinders and turbocharging. One of the most enthusiastic purveyors of small displacement turbo engines is Volkswagen. As VW introduces more of its TSI engines in the U.S. market in the next few years, it may use IRL to promote the technology. It's also possible that the IRL could allow fuels beyond the E100 currently being used. That could mean the addition of E85 and diesel as options. With VW's diesel enthusiasm, that would give the German automaker another reason to go to Indy.
[Source: Epoch Times via Autoblog]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ale 3:41PM (1/19/2009)
how sweet, 2012: 60th anniversary of the 1952 pole-sitting Cummins diesel Indy 500 entry coinciding with diesel powered entries in the Indy 500, that would be sweet. Who knows with this economic climate if all of them will be or not. Good chance for SunFuel to make its distribution in the States, VW already advertises it to us about its distribution in Europe. Maybe a bio-GTL... Please VW, take this opportunity!
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