PoloDriver

WITH PERFECT GENES: THE VOLKSWAGEN POLO R FOR THE WRC
Wolfsburg, 05 May 2011

The abbreviation ‘R’ at Volkswagen combines the properties of commanding handling performance and uncompromising powertrain agility with a maximum of safety. The R ennobles Volkswagen models as vehicles with superior dynamics, compelling performance data and sportiness, at a price that offers outstanding value for money. From 2013 on, Volkswagen will contest the World Rally Championship with the Polo R WRC.

Thanks to the Technical Regulations that have been revised in 2011 the WRC offers optimum prerequisites for the fielding of the Polo. The new set of rules prescribes 1.6-litre turbo engines with direct injection, in line with the trend to downsize engines – a discipline in which Volkswagen has been a pioneer with small-volume, turbo charged, and thus highly efficient, powertrains. Combined with clever rules that also stand for cost efficiency, the World Rally Championship offers a very attractive stage for Volkswagen.

Four-cylinder turbo engine with direct injection and 300bhp
The centrepiece of the Volkswagen Polo R WRC will be a 1.6-litre TSI engine with direct injection and turbo-charging that will achieve a power output of about 300 hp and a maximum torque of about 350 Newton metres. In accordance with the regulations the four-cylinder power-plant will have its air intake reduced by a 33-millimetre air restrictor at high engine speeds. The new engine regulations introduced in 2011 thus fit the Volkswagen philosophy of clever downsizing for high efficiency while delivering sporty performance to a T.

To transmit the engine’s power to the wheels a sequential gearbox is planned. In addition, the Polo R WRC will naturally be fitted with a safety cage, four-wheel drive and, last but not least, an aerodynamically ­optimised exterior. According to the regulations the minimum dry weight will be 1,200 kilograms. In the World Rally Championship the technical concept of a world rally car has to be based on the body shell of a production vehicle. Substantial driving assistance systems are prohibited. The aim is to put a reasonable cap on development costs.

[Source: Volkswagen Motorsport]