Five famous names from the world of motorsport including Carlos Sainz, Frank Biela, Jacques Laffite, Derek Bell and Martin Brundle are getting ready to line-up on the grid at Hockenheim this weekend (23-24 April) for the first round of the new VW Scirocco R Cup series.

Together, the five racing aces have started 343 Formula 1 Grand Prix and won the Dakar Rally, two World Rally Championship titles, the Sportscar World Championship, the German DTM championship, the British Touring Car Championship and the Le Mans 24-hour race a total of 11 times.

Each driver will a race a Scirocco R fitted with a modified 2.0-litre four-cylinder TSI engine running on bio-CNG that is said to reduce CO2 emissions by around 80 per cent compared with conventional engines.

The TSI unit produces 223-horsepower and 203 lbs ft of torque while an available “push-to-pass” system can provide a short 30HP boost in power.

The one-make series that supports the German DTM Touring Car Championship during 2010 includes a UK debut appearance at Brands Hatch over the weekend of 3-4 September 2010.