Pune, Jan 15 (IANS): Volkswagen Motorsport India Thursday launched the 2015 Vento Cup, a one-make touring car racing series, which will be part of the 18th JK Tyre Racing Championship.

The series will serve the purpose of providing young racing talents a platform for showcasing and cultivating their skills. The series will feature Volkswagen Vento cars specially developed for circuit racing. Twenty-four drivers will be selected through an intensive selection programme to race in the series.

Volkswagen first entered the Indian racing scene in 2010 with the first one-make series of touring cars -- the Polo Cup.

The Vento Cup cars will have 1.4-litre TSI engines mated with a six-speed DSG gearbox, producing maximum power of 180 PS and maximum torque of 250 Nm.

“With the Vento Cup, we are moving to a car which will have improved dynamics allowing the drivers to have a wider learning scope. The different body style will also add to different setup of the car and will vary its speeds as compared to its predecessor,” Volkswagen Motorsport India head Sirish Vissa said.