The final production form of the Volkswagen Polo R will be unveiled this March at the Geneva Motor Show, according to R&D chief Ulrich Hackenberg. The new 225bhp hot hatch will be launched together with VW’s entry into the World Rally Championship next year. A tuned version of the Mk6 Golf GTI’s 2.0-litre turbo engine will power the Polo R, which was first previewed as the WRC Street concept at the GTI Treffen festival in Austria in 2011. The new model will only be available as front-wheel drive but will be available with a mechanical limited-slip differential. A 0-62mph acceleration time of around 6.0sec was mooted, together with a top speed of 150mph. Hackenberg said that a Polo R was not included in the original launch schedule of the supermini, according to Autocar. However, VW’s rally engineers sought to build a road car to aid in promoting the rally car. After having realized the WRC Street concept, its executives felt they had to closely link the road and rally car programs. Hackenberg said that a Golf R model is also being developed and is likely to arrive in 2013-2014. He shared that it will be powered by a “good, powerful 2.0-litre engine.” It will probably use a 276bhp version of the Mk7 Golf GTI’s new 2.0-litre turbo unit.
Vw Polo R will get a tuned version of Mk6 Golf GTI’s engine
by Andrew Christian, Email, 19 Oct, 2012
Vw Polo R WRC
