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ABT Makes 230 HP Volkswagen Polo to Celebrate Model's 40th Anniversary

In this power-obsessed world, the VW Polo has little chance of standing out. However, after 40 years of loyal service, Volkswagen's second smallest European car deserves a pampering from German tuner ABT.
ABT Makes 230 HP Volkswagen Polo to Celebrate Model's 40th Anniversary 7 photos
Photo: ABT Sportsline
ABT Makes 230 HP Volkswagen Polo to Celebrate Model's 40th AnniversaryABT Makes 230 HP Volkswagen Polo to Celebrate Model's 40th AnniversaryABT Makes 230 HP Volkswagen Polo to Celebrate Model's 40th AnniversaryABT Makes 230 HP Volkswagen Polo to Celebrate Model's 40th AnniversaryABT Makes 230 HP Volkswagen Polo to Celebrate Model's 40th AnniversaryABT Makes 230 HP Volkswagen Polo to Celebrate Model's 40th Anniversary
So how did they strap 230 ponies to the front wheels of this unassuming 3-door hatchback? Well, they most certainly didn't start with a 1.0 TSI, that's for sure. Instead, the project is based on the newest GTI model, which was stripped of all its sports trim to look like an average car.

As standard, the 1.8 TSI offered by the GTI delivers 192 PS and 320 Nm of torque for the front wheels to enjoy. After playing with the ECU and the exhaust flow, ABT Sportsline found they could extract 230 PS and 360 Nm (266 lb-ft).

Of course, we're not going to act impressed or anything like that. That's because the limited edition Polo R WRC had about the same amount of power and was even tuned to 290 PS by ABT. However, the fact that the Polo looks like a standard car and yet packs as much power as a MINI JCW makes it a sleeper.

While the Polo is all serious at the front, there's a carbon fiber mullet at the back. We're talking about a diffuser, which also houses the ABT trademark mid-mounted exhaust system. Weirdly, the German tuner seems to have changed the brakes to a small standard setup, as the GTI's calipers would stand out from behind the 18-inch wheels wrapped in 215/35 R18 tires.

“40 years ago it would have taken the then brand new Porsche Turbo to beat it,” remembers CEO Hans-Jürgen Abt, who was only 12 when the Polo came out.

Of course, nobody will ever take a brand new Polo GTI and tune it into a standard car. That's like using a Porsche 911 Turbo to make a Beetle. That's why the tuning shop also offers a new power kit for the 1.2 TSI that increases the output from 110 PS to 140 PS and & 220 Nm (162 lb-ft).
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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