The 2013 VW Polo R WRC looks ready to take on the best in the World Rally Championship. It is too bad that Sebastien Loeb, consecutive nine time WRC champion, retired at the end of this season. Well, the show must go on, and Volkswagen is sparing no expense. This racer packs a small 4-cylinder motor that makes huge 315 horsepower. With a light 1,200 kg race car body, the Polo R WRC can do 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds.
Volkswagen is very serious about this WRC entry and it lined up premier sponsors and two of the best young driver/co-driver teams. As you can see in the images: Red Bull, Castrol, and Michelin are on-board. As for the drivers. VW picked up Sebastien Ogier from France and Jari-Matti Latvala from Finland. Ogier is backed by fellow Frenchman, Julien Ingrassia, and Latvala has a fellow Fin, Miikka Anttila, by his side. Both Ogier and Latvala have WRC rally wins under their belts, while competing against the legendary Sebastien Loeb.
Volkswagen Motorsport Director, Jost Capito, is at the helm of Volkswagen’s serious push into motorsports. It is clear the Volkswagen’s goal is to win a WRC championship and do so, maybe not in the first year, but on a very aggressive schedule. Capito also states that the technology on the race Polo R WRC is not that far off what you can see at your local dealership. The 1.4 liter turbo motor in the race car is related to the 1.4 motor in the US Jetta Hybrid, as well as many other models on the European and other markets.
Volkswagen surely hopes that the Polo R WRC can take the phrase “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” far into the 21st century.
Please enjoy this TFLcar video review of the VW Golf R
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, writer, and software engineer. On the weekends – you may find him at a car show, an auction, watching a race, or tinkering with a car in the garage. When not working or spending time with the family – he often scours the internet and other media for various automotive, mechanical, and computer related information.
