PoloDriver

Buoyed by the success of Marklund Motorsport’s success in a Polo Supercar in the 2013 FIA European Rallycross Championship, experienced Swedish team Kristofferson Motorsport are planning a similar challenge in the world series next year. Running under the ‘VW Dealer Team Sweden’ name, the outfit will run two Polos according to reports surfacing today. The pair of small Volkswagens will replace the Sciroccos which the team has been running this year. Kristofferson will start small and contest its home round in Holjes and the Swedish Rallycross Championship, but are looking to mount a global assault on the series in due course.

Team owner Tommy Kristofferson said: ‘We will do the Swedish round of the World Championship of course, and more, but we need to see the calendar first. This isn’t a one-year project and the plan is to be competing in the World championship full time as soon as possible.’ No doubt sensing a halo effect from the Polo’s WRC success, commenting on the switch from coupé to small hatchback, Kristofferson said: ‘The Polo is the best choice from the marketing side, and also from the technical point of view.’ The near-600bhp VW Dealer Team Sweden Polos will have chassis built in Germany, which will also be where the first complete car will be constructed. The second fearsome car will be built at Kristofferson’s base in Sweden.

[Source: RallycrossRX/RallycrossWorld]

On his 24th birthday, Rahil Noorani was crowned the Volkswagen R-Cup India 2013 champion at the series’ final round yesterday. The Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida hosted the season finalé, where the Indian recorded third, fourth and second place finishes as he overcame his arch rival Prashanth Tharani. The first race was won by South African Polo driver Jeffrey Kruger ahead of his sister Robyn Kruger, who was a guest entrant. In the second race of the weekend, Gaurav Mehta was victorious ahead of Jeffrey Kruger and Lee Keshav Gupta. Victory in the third race was again sealed by Jeffrey Kruger with Noorani in second, and Kartik Tharani on the last step of the podium.

And… there’s another one. The 2013 Essen Motor Show has attracted another tuned Polo R WRC Street to its halls. This time it’s the turn of long-standing Volkswagen tuner ABT. The lowest of the recently-unveiled tuned Polo R WRC Street triumvirate, the ABT car packs 287bhp (a 70bhp increase), and 18-inch DR alloy wheels. No details have been released on chassis modifications, but certainly externally, the car is the least altered from the three tuner specials. Top speed goes up to 162mph from 150, while torque rises to 309lb ft (420Nm) from 258lb ft (350Nm). The engine upgrade costs €1949. ABT will also display the Golf GTI ‘Dark Edition’ and the Audi RS5-R at the German tuning show.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

Volkswagen Group Russia produced the 700,000th vehicle at its plant in Kaluga earlier this week. The anniversary car, a silver Polo Highline was manufactured on 26 November, and heralds a further €1.2 billion in Russia from 2014-2018 by the German car maker. The anniversary Polo was donated to a rehabilitation center for disabled children in the city of Kaluga. The production milestone was attended by Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil, Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, and Anatoly Artamonov, Governor of Kaluga Region. The Kaluga factory has been building Volkswagen Group vehicles for the Russian market since 2007 and currently produces the VW Polo and Tiguan, and the Škoda Fabia.

It would seem modified Polo R WRC Streets are like buses. You wait for ages for one to come along and then two arrive on the scene within two days. The latest super-hot Polo is from MTM, and will appear at the Essen Motor Show in Germany from 30 November to 8 December. Although not as extreme as the B&B car revealed earlier this week, the MTM Polo R WRC Street is still a tasty piece of kit. MTM’s car develops 315bhp – the same as the Polo R WRC rally car – up almost 100bhp over the standard model. A 380bhp version is on the cards, too, which would make it even more powerful than the 362bhp B&B car.

MTM hasn’t just concentrated on engine upgrades, though. Like B&B, a four-piston brake upgrade has been fitted to the Essen show car, along with an MTM ‘Cubsport chassis’ with KW shock absorbers. Wheels are 8J x 18” ‘Nardo’ items, wrapped in 215/35 Continental ContiSportContact 5P tyres. The MTM Polo R WRC Street reaches 62mph (100km/h) in just over four seconds (down from the standard car’s 6.4) and has a top speed of 161mph. No prices have yet been revealed for the cost of the upgrades. If you’re heading for Essen later this week and want to see the MTM Polo, head for the VdAT hall.

[Source: GermanCarScene]