PoloDriver

The Polo was once again in the UK best-selling cars top 10 for October 2011. Dropping one place since September, selling 3289 units, the small Volkswagen is also number seven in the UK’s top 10 cars for the year so far, with 39,944 sales recorded. Continuing its 2011 sales success story, the Ford Fiesta was October’s top seller, while the Vauxhall Corsa was the runner-up, selling 7308 and 6300 units respectively. The latest set of figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) state that new car registrations rose by 2.6% in October 2011 to 134,944 units, the second increase in three months. Total figures for the year so far are down 4.5%, though, when compared to October 2010.

‘October’s new car market rose 2.6% on last year – a positive result despite the uncertain economic climate,’ said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. ‘Vehicle manufacturers and their dealer networks are working hard to offer consumers value for money through improved fuel efficiency, low running costs and innovative finance. We expect market conditions to remain challenging and hope that the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement later this month will help to boost both economic growth and consumer confidence,’ Everitt continued. The SMMT also says that the Polo’s supermini segment is up 17.4%, while Volkswagen’s evergreen Golf was the best-selling diesel model in October. The top 10 best-selling cars in the UK for October 2011 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 7308 (84,508, 1st)
2 Vauxhall Corsa: 6300 (67,259, 3rd)
2 Ford Focus: 5203 (72,875, 2nd)
4 Volkswagen Golf: 4400 (54,413, 4th)
5 Vauxhall Astra: 4159 (53,201, 5th)
6 BMW 3 Series: 3664 (37,314, 8th)
7 Volkswagen Polo: 3289 (39,944, 7th)
8 Vauxhall Insignia: 2923 (41,309, 6th)
9 Nissan Qashqai: 2789 (33,552, 9th)
10 Honda Jazz: 2472

(The 2011 year-to-date top 10 best-seller absent from October’s sales figures is the Mini, selling 30,305 units in 10th place.)

It’s all about rallying Polos this week. Last night, after Volkswagen Motorsport officially released details of the first Polo R WRC test in Veldenz, near Trier, Germany, Rallye-Mad.com posted another video of the premiere run, this time from day two. Another two-minute film, the rally Polo gets really angry, slipping, sliding and handbrake-turning into all sorts of leaf-covered, tree-lined hairpin corners. Once again, 1980s rally legend Carlos Sainz and Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management for the Development Division are the drivers. Sounding as sensationally pent-up as it did yesterday, click here for yesterday’s official preliminary testing details and atmospheric film from Volkswagen Motorsport, and here for the first Rallye-Mad.com video.

[Source: Rallye-Mad.com]

It wouldn’t have been long before Volkswagen officially released some details about the first test of the Polo R WRC in Germany, and here they are. Complete with a set of pictures and an official beautifully-shot video, rally legend and Dakar winner Carlos Sainz completed the first test in the vineyards of Veldenz, near to the location of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland stages with co-driver Timo Gottschalk alongside. ‘Next year we’ll be running an extensive testing programme on tarmac, gravel, mud and snow in order to prepare ourselves for the 2013 season as best we can,’ explained Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. The full Volkswagen Motorsport press released and images follow.

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We’d heard rumblings (and we bet folk in the vicinity of this forest did, too) that the Polo R WRC had turned a wheel in anger recently, and here’s the proof. Breaking last night and causing a flurry of WRC love on the internet last night, this two-minute video shows Volkswagen’s near-300bhp WRC weapon undergoing its first shakedown test through the German countryside in Veldenz. Tearing through the forest at full chat, the four-wheel drive Polo R WRC sounds sensational, and somehow better than we’d hoped. After what seems like an eternity – but in reality has only been six months – after its reveal at Rally d’Italia Sardegna, the wait has been worthwhile. Roll on 2013!

[Source: Rallye-Mad.com]

We thought the AutoMuseum Volkswagen had enough ‘old timer’ Polos in its collection, but we’ve recently heard that another has joined the ranks. Michael Dreisbach’s immaculate Riad Yellow Series 1 Polo L has been installed in VW’s oldest car museum in Dieselstrasse, Wolfsburg (the AutoMuseum Volkswagen opened in 1985) on a temporary loan. The Polo made the 400km journey from Michael’s home under its own steam and without problems. Audi-50.de reports that there should be a news item on the latest acquisition soon on the AutoMuseum Volkswagen website. We’re hopping across to Wolfsburg in the next few weeks as part of a pan-German trip, so we’ll keep an eye out for the latest arrival when we visit.

[Source: Audi-50.de]