The Racing Beetle from Hockenheim

After a 16-year break, Ralf Schellhorn returns to the world of dragster motorsport in 2024 with his legendary racing Beetle. He made his debut again during the European Dragster Championships in May 2024 in Clastres, France, where the legendary racing beetle was allowed to get a taste of ‘racing air’ for the first time after its complete rebuild. And of course, the Hockenheim native will not miss his home race, the NitrOlympX in August 2024, where he will compete in the Sportman Pro ET class.

Schellhorn’s enthusiasm for technology and engines, as well as his passion for aesthetic vehicles, began as a child and ultimately manifested itself in the development of the racing Beetle, with which he was already successful in the 1990s. This was also the basis for the foundation of his brand-independent workshop for car restorations for all classic cars, modern classics and historic racing cars in the racing city of Hockenheim.

The mechanical engineer, who has made a name for himself in the scene, surprised many with the revitalisation of his iconic vehicle. The racing Beetle once again shines with its customised engine concept. This is a performance-enhanced and displacement-enhanced air-cooled 4-cylinder VW Boxer engine from 1970, which is fuelled by supercharging and bio ethanol, an alternative fuel!

The return to the race track is proof of Ralf Schellhorn’s unwavering passion for speed and technology, which is reflected in every facet of his professional and personal life. His workshop remains a place where classic vehicles are brought back to life with attention to detail, precision craftsmanship and creativity.

Technical data – Racing Beetle:

Engine: air-cooled 4-cylinder boxer (Type4) from 1970

Displacement: 2865ccm

Crankshaft: Scat 86mm forged

Piston: 103mm special

Connecting rod: H-Beam steel

Camshaft: Special

Cylinder heads: Special

Ignition system: electronic, EMU Black

Injection system: Freely programmable map

Mixture preparation: Supercharger with central throttle valve

Fuel: BIO-Ethanol

Power: from 420 hp at 0.9 bar boost pressure (currently in test year 2024)

Torque: 440 Nm

Transmission: 4-speed manual gearbox

Clutch: 3 disc racing

Tyres: Dragster slicks

Vehicle weight: 690 kg

Acceleration: 0 – 100 km/h in approx. 2.2 seconds, 0 – 200 km/h in approx. 9.0 seconds

Top speed: approx. 230 km/h after 402 metres from standstill

More information: www.rennkaefer.de