Photo: Volkswagen
The rally version of the new Polo R, the WRC variant, to be more specific, will make its competition debut at the Monte Carlo rally, on January 16 - tomorrow. The all-wheel drive Polo, powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol engine has been in development for the last 17 months, in which time it has done around 20,000 km of testing, or 12,430 miles.
It weighs around 1,200 kg, and is 138 mm wider than the standard Polo on which it’s based. Two cars will be entered in the WRC, and the first will be driven by Finnish driver Jari-Matti Latvala, who will be guided by his co-driver, Miika Anttila, while the second driver is Sebastien Ogier, aided by Julien Ingrassia.
With the Polo WRC, and in fact their entire WRC effort, Volkswagen is trying to boost the sporting appeal of their brand, as a whole, particularly in Europe, where it is appreciated for being a builder of strong but somewhat bland motors.
Proof of this is the road-going version of the Polo WRC, the R, which looks a lot like the rally car, sans the wide body kit and huge spoiler on the back. However that car is a bit on the expensive side, and they may actually have to win races in order to make it really popular.
With the Polo WRC, and in fact their entire WRC effort, Volkswagen is trying to boost the sporting appeal of their brand, as a whole, particularly in Europe, where it is appreciated for being a builder of strong but somewhat bland motors.
Proof of this is the road-going version of the Polo WRC, the R, which looks a lot like the rally car, sans the wide body kit and huge spoiler on the back. However that car is a bit on the expensive side, and they may actually have to win races in order to make it really popular.
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