Official: Volkswagen Polo R WRC debut 2013

[CodeRedR51]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/05/volkswagen-to-contest-wrc-with-polo-r-in-2013/

The all-wheel-drive Polo R WRC will be powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine, which Volkswagen expects will produce around 300 horsepower. Volkswagen Motorsport has high hopes for its WRC Polo, and hopefully the team can draw on the success that VW experienced with rallying in the 1980s.

 

[aarror]

Looks good! With Mini returning this year and now this for 2013, wrc is finally getting the message: lower costs equal more teams. This is good for the Fans as well, I stopped watching WRC when it just became Citroen and Ford. It hasn't really been worth watching since the days of Makkinen and McRae. Hopefully with these two brands joining, the floodgates will open and more will follow. If only Mitsubishi didn't cancel the evo.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I like it. I've always liked the styling of Volkswagens, particularly their smaller cars (I'm a big fan of the Scirocco).

Now, if we could just get Skoda to reconfigure the Fabia as a WRC car and maybe convince Suzuki to return with the SX4 or Swift ...

 

[Spacegoat]

Looks great, finally the WRC is getting interesting again.

 

[Wiegert]

That Polo R WRC actually looks quite good, shame we have to wait until 2013 to see it in action.

Now, if we could just get Skoda to reconfigure the Fabia as a WRC car and maybe convince Suzuki to return with the SX4 or Swift ...

I want Skoda to return to racing in the WRC as well, moreso than Suzuki (that's just me). Both manufacturers returning to the WRC would be great though.

 

[NFSCARBON1]

Looks good! With Mini returning this year and now this for 2013, wrc is finally getting the message: lower costs equal more teams. This is good for the Fans as well, I stopped watching WRC when it just became Citroen and Ford. It hasn't really been worth watching since the days of Makkinen and McRae Hopefully with these two brands joining, the floodgates will open and more will follow. If only Mitsubishi didn't cancel the evo.

Don't forget Burns and Gronholm. Perhaps Mitsubishi will bring out a Colt Evo? While smaller cars is cheaper now, how long till interest wains again? Isn't that why the old regs were introduced?

 

[Northstar]

I like it. I've always liked the styling of Volkswagens, particularly their smaller cars (I'm a big fan of the Scirocco).

Now, if we could just get Skoda to reconfigure the Fabia as a WRC car and maybe convince Suzuki to return with the SX4 or Swift ...

Wouldn't VW bringing Skoda up to WRC be a waste of money? I guess they could just put a Fabia body on the Polo R chassis but it wouldn't make much sense.

Regardless, this is good news, now we just have to hope that this and the Mini will actually be competitive.

 

[SmittMan]

Looks nice as long as it is competing well and is not a 'hispania', can't wait to see the countryman Wrc in action.

 

[Furinkazen]

Cannot wait... Mini, VW... WRC is coming back to it's good days...

 

[C-ZETA]

Time for a preemptive Polo hot hatch? Me thinks so.

 

[Robin]

Good to see some more manufacturers coming back to WRC after the dry spell it has had for the past couple of years. I'm very surprised VW didn't go with the Scirocco or even a Golf because the Polo seems a tad small.

 

[C-ZETA]

I'm very surprised VW didn't go with the Scirocco or even a Golf because the Polo seems a tad small.

Something to do with the new regulations...it's the only real reason how Mini managed to get in. Ford are using the Fiesta and Citroen are going with the DS3 this year...all smaller hatchbacks than last year, and only to reduce costs really.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

I approve this.

 

[Akmuq]

This is very good. The IRC really shouldn't be more interesting then the WRC so we needed some new manufacturers. Maybe Suzuki and Peugeot would be good as well if they joined soon.

 

[CodeRedR51]

VW should have done the new Beetle.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

The IRC really shouldn't be more interesting then the WRC

The IRC had its chance, and they blew it. Even if it was still just Ford and Citroen in the WRC (with no sign of MINI and no VW project for the future). Just take a look at the IRC calendar - they only have three gravel rallies. Everything else is tarmac. Compare that to the WRC, where there are only three tarmac rallies.

 

[Dan_]

Looks absolutely neat, I like it. 👍

 

[Cap'n Jack]

This is very good. The IRC really shouldn't be more interesting then the WRC so we needed some new manufacturers. Maybe Suzuki and Peugeot would be good as well if they joined soon.

You wont see Peugeot in the WRC as long as Citroën is there, seeing as both brands come under the same umbrella. But I agree completely, WRC badly needs more manufacturer support.

 

[aarror]

Don't forget Burns and Gronholm. Perhaps Mitsubishi will bring out a Colt Evo? While smaller cars is cheaper now, how long till interest wains again? Isn't that why the old regs were introduced?

I definitely didn't forget those two, but McRae and Makkinen were my two favourite drivers. Personally, I can't see Mitsu making a Colt Evo, they seem to focused on eco cars at the moment. It would be nice to see Skoda back in the big leagues, (they already compete in a lower level of WRC) and maybe Seat could make a rally Leon. The more the merrier in my opinion!

 

[prisonermonkeys]

You wont see Peugeot in the WRC as long as Citroën is there, seeing as both brands come under the same umbrella. But I agree completely, WRC badly needs more manufacturer support.

They're getting it. Kris Meeke was running a very solid and comfortable fourth on the first day in Sardenga before a mechanical fault led to him having an accident, and Dani Sordo is currently eighth - and neither of them have driven competitively in at least six months. It's only early days, but they've demonstrated that you can enter the sport and hold your own if you put time into the car, and one car will last for several years. After all, how long did Citroen campaign with the Xsara? Rallying is different to Formula 1 in that the difference in car performance isn't so significant that it's a barrier to entry. I see no reason why the Polo cannot perform, provided they get decent drivers and do their homework.

 

[Ardius]

This is very good. The IRC really shouldn't be more interesting then the WRC so we needed some new manufacturers. Maybe Suzuki and Peugeot would be good as well if they joined soon.

Why shouldn't the IRC be more interesting? There is no law which says only FIA championships are allowed to be the top or the best.

The IRC had its chance, and they blew it. Even if it was still just Ford and Citroen in the WRC (with no sign of MINI and no VW project for the future). Just take a look at the IRC calendar - they only have three gravel rallies. Everything else is tarmac. Compare that to the WRC, where there are only three tarmac rallies.

Blew it? They manage to hold more interesting events than WRC and are much easier to watch because of the Eurosport coverage. WRC are the ones that "blew it" the past 5+ years.

They're getting it. Kris Meeke was running a very solid and comfortable fourth on the first day in Sardenga before a mechanical fault led to him having an accident, and Dani Sordo is currently eighth - and neither of them have driven competitively in at least six months. It's only early days, but they've demonstrated that you can enter the sport and hold your own if you put time into the car, and one car will last for several years. After all, how long did Citroen campaign with the Xsara? Rallying is different to Formula 1 in that the difference in car performance isn't so significant that it's a barrier to entry. I see no reason why the Polo cannot perform, provided they get decent drivers and do their homework.

Ignoring the fact Mini is run by Prodrive of course, a proven WRC-winning rally team. While its been a good debut for the Mini, its not exactly a "new team". If the Polo doesn't have the development time or money spent on it, then it might not perform, exactly the same as in F1. If they don't put together an experienced team, then the car/team will struggle at first.

Also, running 4th isn't saying much when you consider that there are only two other manufacturer teams, so you're filling in the gap of one driver. (yes I know, the Solbergs and others are competitive too, but theres like what 6 or so competitive drivers in good teams?). There is also stuff like punctures and mechanical issues which are way more frequent than in F1.

As I said, its good debut and Meeke was doing very well to get to 4th. But this is by no means proof you can simply turn up and be competitive from the start. If anything, it displays how lacking the WRC field is compared to F1.....

 

[Akmuq]

Why shouldn't the IRC be more interesting? There is no law which says only FIA championships are allowed to be the top or the best.

The IRC is an FIA championship. And WRC should be more interesting as it's the top level rally series and should therefore have better regulations then the IRC and therefore more manafacturers. Instead, manafacturers and the Monaco Rally went to the IRC. It's kind of like Ferrari, Maclaren and the F1 teams moving to formula two and having the Monaco Grand Prix in that series instead. It's not right, the top teams and events should be in the top series.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Blew it? They manage to hold more interesting events than WRC and are much easier to watch because of the Eurosport coverage. WRC are the ones that "blew it" the past 5+ years.

Yes, and the WRC is starting to experience a resurgance. They're finally starting to get more manufacturers in, they've got drivers that can compete with Sebastien Loeb, a format in the Power Stage that means drivers go for it all the way to the end of the rally, and a much more diverse range of events. The IRC might have better European coverage, but their calendar for 2011 is rubbish and the 2010 season was marred by the way Skoda did not enter one of their drivers in the final race, thus handing the championship to their other driver.

Ignoring the fact Mini is run by Prodrive of course, a proven WRC-winning rally team. While its been a good debut for the Mini, its not exactly a "new team". If the Polo doesn't have the development time or money spent on it, then it might not perform, exactly the same as in F1. If they don't put together an experienced team, then the car/team will struggle at first.

Did you even read my post? I quite clearly said that the difference in the cars does not count for as much as it does in Formula 1. Volkswagen have clearly put some thought into this, given that they won't be entering the championship until 2013, so I don't think a lack of development time will be much of a problem. And given that they have experience in the Dakar Rally, they already have a fairly decent base of people to work from.

As I said, its good debut and Meeke was doing very well to get to 4th.

Again, further proof that you've only bothered to read half of what I said. Pay particular attention to this part, please:

It's only early days, but they've demonstrated that you can enter the sport and hold your own if you put time into the car, and one car will last for several years.

I basically said everything that you spent an entire post talking about as if you were trying to disprove me.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

By manufacturer support, I really meant more variety.

 

[alvin23a]

Looks good! With Mini returning this year and now this for 2013, wrc is finally getting the message: lower costs equal more teams. This is good for the Fans as well, I stopped watching WRC when it just became Citroen and Ford. It hasn't really been worth watching since the days of Makkinen and McRae. Hopefully with these two brands joining, the floodgates will open and more will follow. If only Mitsubishi didn't cancel the evo.

Same.Also could anyone tell me when WRC is on in Australia and on what channel as I wan't seen to find it.

 

[TenEightyOne]

Looks very nice! I don't particularly like the 'baby Golf' styling of the new Polo in general but it looks good in WRC trim

Unfortunately this definitely means that we won't see the Audi A3 rallying anytime soon.

 

[Ardius]

Yes, and the WRC is starting to experience a resurgance. They're finally starting to get more manufacturers in, they've got drivers that can compete with Sebastien Loeb, a format in the Power Stage that means drivers go for it all the way to the end of the rally, and a much more diverse range of events. The IRC might have better European coverage, but their calendar for 2011 is rubbish and the 2010 season was marred by the way Skoda did not enter one of their drivers in the final race, thus handing the championship to their other driver.


Did you even read my post? I quite clearly said that the difference in the cars does not count for as much as it does in Formula 1. Volkswagen have clearly put some thought into this, given that they won't be entering the championship until 2013, so I don't think a lack of development time will be much of a problem. And given that they have experience in the Dakar Rally, they already have a fairly decent base of people to work from.


Again, further proof that you've only bothered to read half of what I said. Pay particular attention to this part, please:

I basically said everything that you spent an entire post talking about as if you were trying to disprove me.

WRC's "resurgence" is yet to happen, its still a long way from being the top rally series, at least for me anyway. Especially as the coverage is impossible to watch now its no longer shown on Dave, only on ESPN.
IRC still has much closer competition between more drivers and teams.

I did read your post, and the main theme was that anyone could turn up with a well put-togther car and be competitive. Thats not the case at all, the example here is Prodrive and they know how to win, they have huge amounts of experience. Thats not "anyone".
We will see if Dakar rally is relevant experience or if VW have "thought long and hard about this".

M-Sport had a "well put together car" for years and with only Citroen to compete with, yet they have seemingly struggled. Sure they won rallies and were "competitive" but the Focus seemed to have been slower than the C4. You can get it wrong or you can simply not make a fast enough car..just like in F1, even if you spend a long time developing the car and "thinking" about it.

When more people start returning to WRC, I think you will quickly find out that not just anyone can turn up and be competitive.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I said they're starting to experience a resurgence, not that it had actually happened.

Winning back the Monte Carlo rally is a huge coup (even if it has to share with the IRC - but the WRC cars will be the fastest), plus the Polo project brings more manufacturers. The WRC might not be the premier rallying series, but it's certainly not as bad as it once was.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I said they're starting to experience a resurgence, not that it had actually happened.

You're either in resurgence or you're not, it's like trying to be "a bit dead".

Stop being such a meanie

 

[Ardius]

I said they're starting to experience a resurgence, not that it had actually happened.

Winning back the Monte Carlo rally is a huge coup (even if it has to share with the IRC - but the WRC cars will be the fastest), plus the Polo project brings more manufacturers. The WRC might not be the premier rallying series, but it's certainly not as bad as it once was.

Its improving but its not had a resurgence, it can just as easily fall again. To say its starting to experience a resurgence suggests its a certainty, when its not.
VW could just as easily decide to scrap its plans. As could BMW pull the plug on the Prodrive attempt.

It needs more than just manufacturers to get back to the top, it needs to be viewable on more accessible channels and media. It also needs a much bigger entry list with a higher quality of drivers.

Its almost irrelevant where the rallies take place, the calendar hasn't really been the problem even if it has been missing Monte Carlo.