To meet FIA homologation rules as part of VW’s plans to enter the WRC next year, the company has announced it will produce 2500 special edition Volkswagen Polo R WRC cars for the road. The special editions will be made in left-hand drive only, ruling out any chances of the car making it to Australia.
Nonetheless, we might as well go over its details and specifications, as they are quite appealing. Most appealing is what lies beneath the bonnet. It’s a tweaked version of the Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0-litre TFSI turbo engine, producing 162kW and 349Nm. This is a big step up from the standard Polo GTI’s 1.4 turbo and supercharged unit (132kW).
Despite the Polo WRC car’s all-wheel drive layout, the Polo R WRC road car retains a front-wheel drive setup. It’s accompanied by a six-speed manual transmission that features a rally-style short-throw shifter. Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes 6.4 seconds.
The acceleration performance makes it only marginally quicker than already sporty Polo GTI (6.9 seconds; factory claimed). Although we haven’t tested the Polo GTI, we have tested its cousin, the Skoda Fabia RS, and we managed to achieve 0-100km/h in 6.4 seconds with the DSG dual-clutch auto. And that was the heavier wagon variant. (Full Skoda Fabia RS review and 0-100km/h video here).
Of course, the Polo R WRC special edition is not only about 0-100km/h times, it also gets a number of bespoke highlights that will make it a desirable collector’s car in the future. Key features include rally-style 18-inch alloy wheels, uprated brakes, a sporty bodykit with more aggressive front and rear bumper bars, front and rear spoilers, a rear diffuser, and a tastefully dressed up interior with ‘WRC’ seats.
Strangely, interested buyers can start placing an order now but they won’t receive their car until September, 2013. Prices start at 33,900 euros.
