Volkswagen set to announce 2012 WRC entry

[Weasel 555]

Volkswagen will announce its intention to compete in next year's World Rally Championship later this month, and is expected to bring one of the motorsport's biggest budgets to the competition.

That's according to Autosport magazine, which revealed this week that the manufacturer will follow up its success in the Dakar rally with a big money investment in WRC.

The manufacturer is expected to confirm its new objective at this year's Rally Portugal, although it's unclear which drivers the team has lined up to fill the new seats.

Even the choice of car is open for speculation. Early rumours suggested the Scirocco would form the basis of the new WRC car, but it's now believed the Polo will get the rally treatment.

Volkswagen's involvement in a future rally campaign had been tipped since the regulations were altered to make 1.6-litre turbocharged engines the stipulated powerplants.

If the rumours prove true, the company will join Ford, Citroen and BMW (via Mini) as the works teams for what promises to be an exciting 2012 season.

Read: uk.autoblog.com/2011/03/10/volkswagen

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[josnroh]

Excellent news,now if some of the japanese companies would stepup we'd have something.

[rage-wrx]

Great news,the more ,the merrier.

[Weasel 555]

and from Autoblog:


Volkswagen announced earlier this year that it would be entering the World Rally Championship starting in 2013 with the Polo R, and we got our first glimpse of the race car here in Frankfurt. While it's easy to see the similarities to the road version, the Polo R WRC has been transformed into an all-out rally car with widened fenders, a fully stripped and caged interior, and plenty of carbon fiber on the body. Under the hood is a race-prepped version of Volkswagen's 1.6-liter STI engine producing something in the range of 300 horsepower. 300 HP! This is a Polo, people.

Volkswagen is no stranger to rally racing, having won the 1986 Group A championship with a Golf GTI 16V and more recently finding success in the Australian and Finnish Rally Car Championships. VW also hopes to transfer some of the knowledge gained from competing in the Dakar Rally, which it has won the past three years.

We'll have to wait and see if the Polo R WRC finds similar success in motorsports, but with Volkswagen's backing, we wouldn't be surprised to see it on the podium soon enough. That won't be for a few years, though, so in the meantime, check out our photos of the car on display in Frankfurt.

Click: autoblog.com/polo r wrc

Click Gallery: autoblog.com/polo r wrc gallery



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[Stu_Gotti]

Dang.

[Weasel 555]

VIDEO: Carlos Sainz Tests VW Polo R WRC [HD]



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EXCLUSIVE: Carlos Sainz Q&A



Spanish legend Carlos Sainz was handed the honour of testing Volkswagen's new Polo R World Rally Car for the first time in Germany earlier this week. The two-time world champion spoke exclusively to Wrc.com.

You must have felt honoured to get the first drive of Volkswagen’s new World Rally Car?
“Yes, for sure I was really happy to drive the Polo for the first time, it’s a great honour. Also, you know, I’m really happy for Volkswagen and for the sport in general that finally another new car and another new manufacturer is coming into rally. So it’s a good day, a great day and a happy day.”

Before this test, when did you last drive a World Rally Car?

“Honestly I think it was the Citroen Xsara WRC [Sainz campaigned in 2004]. After that I’ve been doing some driving in Dakar and some circuit racing with the Scirocco in the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring. The most recent rally car I have driven, a few years ago, is the Skoda S2000.”

And how did the Polo R WRC compare?

“Well you need to have in mind that we are at the very beginning of the Polo. This is the first Polo WRC - we call it the zero - so it’s is not 100 per cent what the ‘real’ car is going to be. But for me it was the first time with the 1600cc turbo engine and with the new [world rally car] regulations. In general it felt good. You know with a 1600 engine I was expecting it to be worse than I actually found. I had an idea about the transmission because the Super 2000 car is running basically this system. As a new generation world rally car it felt good. I will say you always want a bit more power and less weight but that’s what every rally driver will say.”

Read More: wrc.com/news/exclusive-carlos-sainz-qa/

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[rage-wrx]

Good to see Sainz back in a car.

[lytlec]

Yes! So now my Jetta is somewhat cool...since its a VW....

That is exciting though!

[Sinister]

That looks like a lot of fun... Glad Sainz is out of the desert, and back on tarmac.

Yes! So now my Jetta is somewhat cool...since its a VW....

No... It's not. lmao