Now that the 2011 installment of the legendary 24 Hours of Nurburgring is upon us, participating automakers are slowly coming out of the woodwork with the presentation of their endurance race cars.

For their part, Volkswagen has developed a high-powered race-spec version of one of its most popular models. Called the Golf24, Volkswagen’s entry to the 24 Hours of Nurburgring will be a four-wheel drive and will carry a 2.5-liter, five-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 440 horsepower and 398 lb/ft of torque mated to a sequential six-speed transmission with paddle shifters.