Volkswagen Polo R WRC

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8 Dec, 2012 7:01pm Damion Smy

VW has revealed a limited-edition version of the Polo, which gets 217bhp and a 151mph top speed

Get set for the most powerful Polo ever: the limited-edition 217bhp Volkswagen Polo R WRC. It’s been Launched to coincide with VW’s World Rally Championship campaign and will sit above the Polo GTI in the range.

It features a racy look with 18-inch ‘Cagliari’ rally-inspired alloys, a unique front bumper and grille and white paintwork with blue and grey rally stripes on its doors and bonnet.

All 2,500 of the Polo R WRCs will be finished in this rally paint scheme, and beneath the glitzy stripes is the hot Polo we’ve been expecting for a while, complete with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual.

The 217bhp output is 39bhp more than the Polo GTI gets, but more important is the massive 350Nm of torque, a staggering 100Nm more than in the GTI. It’s good enough to send the R WRC from 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds and on to 151mph. That’s half a second quicker than the Polo GTI, and two tenths faster than the Mk7 Golf GTI that was shown at the Paris Motor Show in September.

Although VW hasn’t released an interior shot, we understand the hot Polo has WRC-themed seats, an Alcantara-covered steering wheel and aluminium pedals. Yet it’s not a stripped-out special, as there’s cruise control, a centre armrest, climate control and sat-nav as standard.

The Polo R WRC costs €33,900 (£27,320) in Germany, but the sad news is that production is limited to left-hand-drive cars, meaning none are earmarked for the UK. VW has also stated that there are no plans for a full-production Polo R in its line-up, but success in the WRC could prompt a Polo R to join the range.

VW UK is also considering a WRC-themed styling pack for the Polo, which could include the R WRC’s alloys, paint and stripes.

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Submitted by Ben on Sat, 2012-12-08 20:48.

Typical... I've been after a small 2 litre 4wd car for years and when one finally comes along its LHD only!

Submitted by Sam Woolley on Sun, 2012-12-09 12:56.

i want one now!!

Submitted by Brian Langan on Mon, 2012-12-10 01:11.

I dont see 4wd writtin anywhere and I doubt it is...

Submitted by BenS1 on Mon, 2012-12-10 07:40.

Hmmmm, they've updated the article.... it definitely did say 4wd originally!
If its not 4wd then I'm not interested.

Submitted by RA on Mon, 2012-12-10 08:16.

I also did see the word 4wd when I first saw the article. But more important, I wanna know if you kan drive this car lika a man or if it only comes with the retared dsg

Submitted by Jack Kirby on Mon, 2012-12-10 12:02.

The Dsg is awesome if you know how to drive it properly....

Submitted by Jack Kirby on Mon, 2012-12-10 16:31.

Rubbish I wanted one for the UK why do we always get stitched up over here on specs :(

Submitted by Richard on Tue, 2012-12-11 02:27.

If you read the article it says 6 speed manual

Submitted by Morg on Tue, 2012-12-11 13:44.

oooh I love homologation specials!

Submitted by vagfan on Tue, 2012-12-11 15:58.

OK, so it's a full ONE MPH faster than a Skoda Octavia vRS yet costs twice the price and is only a Polo. Hmmm, stick with the Octy methinks :-)

Submitted by Fadyady on Tue, 2012-12-11 20:11.

Cinderella of the VW line-up
If I were to spend on a VW hot hatch, my money would go on Golf. It's bigger, faster, lighter, more economic, etc. VW's treatment of Polo as Golf's step sister continues, especially if you consider entry level Polos are dirtier than Golfs and extremely underpowered except for those who are content to drive in truck lanes.

Submitted by Gordo VRS on Wed, 2012-12-12 14:49.

the golf is quicker, lighter and more economic? its the total opposite. read the review again haha!

Submitted by Danial Sheikh on Sat, 2012-12-15 01:45.

Lol

For an alternative review of the latest Volkswagen Polo Hatchback visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk