PoloDriver

Round four of the South African National Rally Championship was a tough outing for the Volkswagen Sasolracing team. The Volkswagen Rally, the squad’s home event, was a challenging two-day drive. A glut of punctures on day one caused problems, slowing the Polo S2000 teams down, increasing stage times. Enzo Kuun and Douglass Judd scored the highest result of the weekend with a fifth place at the event, also taking the first stage win of the rally, having had a good start from the off. The pair also won three of the final four stages, while team-mates Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries came in one place behind them in sixth.

Henk Lategan and Barry White claimed two stage wins, taking the team’s total to nearly half of all the victories available. Lategan and White competed under Super Rally regulations on the second day, though, after getting stuck after a flying finish on day one. The recovery time needed to get them back on the road necessitated running in Super Rally. Meanwhile, defending S2000 Challenge champions Gugu Zulu and Carl Peskin were forced into retirement for the first time in two seasons. Gearbox problems sidelined them with four stages to go.

‘It has been a tough weekend for the whole team in Port Elizabeth,’ said Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport. ‘We didn’t achieve the results we were aiming for, but made very good use of the opportunity to do some extended testing with Lategan and White competing in Super Rally on Saturday. The stage wins are a clear indication that we have the pace, the focus now is on tying all those together to clinch the results the pace should be providing,’ Rowe added.

A strong contingent of Polos made up the rest of the field. The older-specification S2000 Challenge class was led by the Team Total Toyota Auris of Jean-Pierre Damseaux and Hilton Auffray, but Morne Janse van Rensburg and Rikus Fourie out up a good fight in the matt black GC Diesel Racing Polo which wore its PoloDriver.com sticker once again with pride. The GC Diesel Racing four-wheel drive Polo Vivo finished the event in eighth place. The two-wheel drive S1600 Polos of Chad van Beurden and Henry Dearlove, and Paul Franken and Henry Kohne started well, but sadly dropped down the event rankings on day two.

Volkswagen South Africa also took the opportunity to unveil the Polo Rally Cup in Port Elizabeth, and while official details are yet to be confirmed, PoloDriver.com believes it to be an FIA-approved R2 class one-make series, using S1600 cars. More details as they are announced. The next round of the 2013 South African National Rally Championship is on 16-17 August, and will see the Volkswagen Sasolracing crews competing in Gauteng.

[Images: ledbitter@quickpic]

As the Polo gains providence in India, Gurgaon-based IDE Autoworks has created the Polo Gloss Black Edition. Basically a cosmetically-modified version of the current fifth-generation model, IDE Autoworks left the mechanical specification of the white-painted base car unchanged – only vinyls and stickers have been added. The beefed-up visuals complement the car’s lines, and are predominantly in black and red. Starting at the front, the grille and VW emblem are treated to a gloss black finish with red accents (even behind the flat face of the badge). The headlamps are finished in matt black with chrome detailing.

Running the length of the car is an asymmetric tricolour racing stripe in black, grey and red, while the driver’s door mirror gets a matching graphic. A similar stripe runs along the bottom of each side of the body, while the roof is finished in gloss black and matt grey. Finally, 16-inch black multi-spoke wheels with 205/50 tyres finish the car off. IDE Autoworks specialises in vehicle graphics, vehicle wrapping and personalised design solutions. The company is run by two automotive designers, Ankit Prashar and Himanshu Bhardwaj.

Amidst the rising popularity of customized vehicle modifications, ensuring the mechanical integrity of these enhanced automobiles becomes imperative. In this regard, Japanese Auto Repair emerges as a reliable ally for enthusiasts seeking both aesthetic enhancements and optimal performance. With their expertise in automotive maintenance and repair, Japanese Auto Repair ensures that the mechanical specifications of modified vehicles are meticulously maintained, guaranteeing safe and efficient operation on the road.

From routine maintenance tasks like oil changes and brake inspections to complex engine diagnostics and repairs, Japanese Auto Repair employs skilled technicians equipped with the latest tools and diagnostic equipment. Whether addressing mechanical issues or conducting preventative maintenance measures, their goal is to uphold the integrity and performance of every vehicle entrusted to their care.

[Source: Indian Autos Blog]

Just as with its other manufacturing plants, Volkswagen runs a factory tour around its Uitenhage production site in South Africa. Visitors can watch the factory produce the two best-selling cars in the country – the Polo and Polo Vivo. However, the cars being made aren’t the only Polo-related link – the visitors see the whole production process from the seat of a ‘Polo-Train’. The factory tour vehicle uses leftover fifth-generation Polo 6R parts, creating a three-carriage train in which passengers sit to take in the sights, sounds, and smells of a modern car production plant.

Custom built by two Volkswagen Motorsport employees using recycled and unused car parts from the factory, the ‘Polo-Train’ took over three months to complete, with each car taking 30 days to build. Johnny Allen and Cobus Barnard used spare parts from the motorsport workshop as well as the Uitenhage plant. ‘We spent most of the time designing, sourcing parts and manufacturing the cars,’ explained Barnard, who has been with Volkswagen for 10 years.

‘We used left over paint from the rally cars, spare nuts and bolts as well trim off-cuts to deck out the cars. We built the chassis out of old tyre racks, which we cut in required lengths. The side panels and doors were moulded from scrapped parts from the factory,’ added Barnard. The factory tour ‘Polo-Train’ can seat 21 people, and is pulled by an electric motor. Matt Gennrich, General Manager of Communications at Volkswagen Group South Africa said: ‘We hope the vehicle will give our visitors a comfortable and memorable tour of our facility where we build world-class cars.’

‘We were initially planning to outsource the project, but we changed our minds after realising we have vast amount of experience in the company which we can tap on for our ambitious project. The decision to use internal expertise saved the company money and delivered world-class, quality work that we are very proud of,’ Gennrich continued. He hoped that the vehicle will be helpful in speeding up the factory tours especially with the senior citizens that can struggle to walk around the site.

In the past five years, nearly 43 000 people have visited the Volkswagen manufacturing factory. The Uitenhage factory tours take place during weekdays. There are two tours on Monday to Thursday at 09h00 and 12h00. On Friday, there is only one tour at 09h00. Bookings can be made through the Volkswagen AutoPavilion on (041) 994 5941/3. The visit includes the tour of the AutoPavilion, where some of the Volkswagen South Africa classic cars are on display.

Valid from 8-25 July, Volkswagen customers in India can buy a Polo or Vento with extra benefits under the ‘Fully Loaded’ scheme. Volkswagen India offers car finance, an annual maintenance contract, insurance, an extended warranty and roadside breakdown cover, all for a single EMI (Equated Monthly Installment) payment. Buyers pay 20 per cent of the car’s price upon purchase and the remaining amount over a period of 36 months. The Polo’s EMI is Rs 9999, while that on the Vento is Rs 14,699. The Polo is priced from Rs 4.95 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) while the Vento saloon costs from Rs 7.32 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

In related news, the CrossPolo has been seen testing in India. Not sold in the UK, the SUV-styled CrossPolo is popular in Europe. Indian Autos Blog reports that Volkswagen India has completed all the ARAI homologation formalities for the CrossPolo, so it’s ready for a market launch. The motoring site also claims that the car will only be launched as a diesel version, costing INR 25,000- 35,000 more than the Polo Highline TDI.

After just two weeks behind the wheel of Marklund Motorsport’s guest driver rallycross Polo R, Mattias Ekström took second place at his home track of Höljes in round six of the FIA European Rallycross Championship last weekend. The three-times Race of Champions winner and DTM star placed fourth at the X Games Munich in the Red Bull-liveried Polo the weekend before Sweden, and the Swede was first in heats three and four, with the fastest times of the meeting. In the semi-final, Ekström started third, played his joker on the first lap, chasing down the rest of the pack from last place. As every other driver played their jokers, the Swede crept ahead, stealing the lead from Timmy Hansen, and finishing one second ahead.

Ekström started from third in the final, behind Andreas Bakkerud and Petter Solberg, dropping to fourth behind Hansen as he played his joker. Ekström stayed close behind, keeping tight to Hansen as they both moved forward a position when Solberg pulled out on lap three. Shortly after Bakkerud took his joker, Ekström flew past Hansen, continuing to hold him back for the remaining two laps, awarding the DTM regular a well-deserved second place in only his first RallycrossRX competition. ‘The whole experience of this weekend has really been 10 of 10 – the way the event is run, the spirit of the spectators, and the passion and commitment of the Marklund Motorsport team is incredible. I’ve said it before but the way the car handles is amazing, I’ve never felt the way I have this weekend in my entire career, and I really hope I’ll be back on a rallycross track soon,’ enthused Ekström.

As in Munich, it was a more disappointing weekend for Marklund Motorsport’s lead driver Anton Marklund. A knock with Kristoffersen lead to a puncture on the first lap, putting Marklund in 28th place after heat one and then 32nd overall as he was driven off the track by a race-ending crash with Valle in heat two. Although he set fast times on day two of the meeting – winning his third heat and placing second in his fourth – Marklund was unable to reach the semi-finals in Höljes. ‘What a great result for the team – Mattias had amazing pace, he’s an incredible driver and really showed how awesome the Polo R Supercar can be! I had a tough weekend, and was knocked out of the running in my first two heats, but even though I had a better day today it just wasn’t enough to get me any further,’ commented Marklund.

[Imnages: Johnny Loix, QBA/Qnigan.com]