‘The lost TCRs’ was a piece that we had proposed during the 2021 summer break, narrating the various vicissitudes of touring cars built from 2015 to today for the category designed by WSC Ltd.
Here, however, we have risen a level and the further chapter that we can add to the aforementioned in-depth study brings to light something really curious because what we are going to tell is a story that seems incredible, although it has already been seen and repeated in the past, moreover. even in the same family.
Volkswagen Motorsport already had the model 8 of its brand new Golf GTI TCR in the preparation phase when it decided to close the program linked to its touring car and subsequently the department linked to the world of racing.
To reveal this very particular background is Jamie Orr, passionate about cars enough to make it a job and a pastime since he moved to the United States. Born in Scotland, Jamie travels the world in search of vehicles, stories and spare parts to fix and modify what he finds, and of course Volkswagen which is his go-to brand.
Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI TCR
Photo by: Jamie Orr
Thanks to the support of the sponsor FCPEuro – who also had a winning Volkswagen team in TCR America – a couple of weeks ago he went to Wolfsburg to visit the Volkswagen Classic museum, discovering the Golf 8 TCR with great surprise.
The vehicle, still in camouflage livery for the tests and with Yokohama tires now deflated, is parked in a warehouse together with other similar road and racing vehicles, ‘saved’ (if we can say so) by the historical department of the German company, who wants to try to preserve unused vehicles from destruction or sale, with the risk that one day they may be lost.
Motorsport.com reached Orr to find out more about this curious discovery, which has many similarities with other similar stories already experienced in the past. Like that of the new Audi R18 e-tron Quattro LMP1 that was sent to the attic by the Quattro Anelli team a few weeks after its debut on the track in the 2017 FIA WEC.
Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI TCR
Photo by: Jamie Orr
“I am currently traveling around Europe in my 2021 Volkswagen Atlas VR6 for a 48,000km tour that also covers the US and South Africa, thanks to my sponsor FCPEuro.com, who raced a VW Golf 7 TCR years ago, “Jamie tells our magazine exclusively.
“I went to the Volkswagen factory and museum in Wolfsburg and then I was able to visit the Volkswagen Classic department to see what they had and talk about various ideas. The site is not open to the public, but the cars are visible to those who request them for events. or press services “.
And here, in a shed used as a warehouse for more or less old models and with the same more or less dust on them, here is a black and white one that attracts attention, immediately immortalized by Orr’s lens.
“The car was built by Volkswagen Motorsport in Hanover, then the department was closed. It seems that by now it was at the final stage of its development, it was practically complete, apart from the rear wing and some components that were not the final ones” .
“From what I understand, the vehicle was almost ready when it was decided to stop the work. TCR had become a very important project for the company after the end of the one linked to the Polo WRC.”
Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI TCR
Photo by: Jamie Orr
At the end of November 2019, as soon as the FIA WTCR where Volkswagen had raced for two seasons ended, it was announced that the Golf TCR program would be discontinued to concentrate resources on the electric, with the last GTI delivered in June 2020 during the period of first reopening. after the lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
At the end of that year the news came that the Motorsport department would close its doors, with the workers and engineers reassigned to other projects.
“We all know how it went – continues Orr – I was lucky to visit the racing department during the development period of the Golf 7 TCR. Unfortunately the model 8 has never seen the world of racing, despite the previous one competing and winning all over the world. world”.
“After this decision, Volkswagen Classic has tried to preserve the car, as it does with many others so that it can be made available for demonstration rides, events, exhibitions, press and the like. There are also two ID.Rs in the shed. with the liveries used at Goodwood and Nürburgring, and many WRC and RallyCross cars “.
Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI TCR
Photo by: Jamie Orr
Jamie did not miss the opportunity to carefully observe the ‘lost’ Golf TCR, abandoned to its fate before he could even have his say against rivals despite some very clear signs (dented exhaust and complete ‘racing’ interior) reveal that the work was already ‘lived’ and at a very good point for finalization.
“I was allowed to talk about the Golf 8 TCR and was the first to photograph it, but there are still a lot of cars that have to go through the inventory and be classified. That’s why they are still hidden. And the fact that the TCR has flat tires are a sign that this small team of people who take care of the vehicles in the department has not yet been taken on board for classification “.
“Personally I would like to express a thought of closeness, with great sadness, to the employees of Volkswagen Motorsport who have been reassigned to other departments, or hopefully have continued their activities elsewhere like Williams F1 for example. I am happy that a little ‘ of their hard work and the history of these cars can be preserved for the future and I hope that one day the Golf 8 TCR will be able to run publicly, even if not in the race. “
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