VW’s crowd-pleasing Caddy will be getting its first outing of the year at Oulton Park in Cheshire in April in the Volkswagen Racing Cup. Thereafter it will be making regular appearances around the UK until September; a distinctive sight among all the cars it will be battling against.

At the wheel once again will be Peter Wyhinny, former boss of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Britain and now in charge of SEAT UK. “The Caddy is entering its fifth full season of competition and it’s fair to say that it’s now treated as a very serious competitor,” he says. “We still have a smile on our faces but our rivals are no longer looking on the idea of a racing van as a bit of a joke.”

Volkswagen Racing UK has been giving Caddy a bit of fine-tuning. With the help of Superchips mapping its 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine can pump out a meaty 260hp. Peak torque is a hefty 511Nm and a six-speed manual gearbox is fitted along with a bespoke Milltek exhaust system.

Wyhinny reckons that the twistier tracks on the calendar — in particular the Knockhill circuit in Scotland — will suit Caddy’s chassis and handling characteristics. “Last year the Caddy took a real step forward in performance and our objective is to score better results than in 2008; our best-ever year, with three podium finishes,” he says. “This year we may even be looking for our first win.”

Click here for full details of the race programme and the Volkswagen Racing Cup.