PoloDriver

To celebrate Volkswagen Motorsport and the Polo R WRC’s success in the FIA World Rally Championship, Volkswagen Group Malaysia has launched the special edition Polo Trophy. Very limited in number, only 100 units will be available.

While the body work and paint scheme bring to mind the all-conquering and three-times world championship winning 318bhp Polo rally car, that’s where the similarities end. The Polo Trophy is unchanged mechanically from the 103bhp 1.6-litre petrol-engined Polo on which it is based. It even has the same wheels!

‘Designed especially for Malaysian WRC fans’ according to Volkswagen Group Malaysia, the six-speed automatic-only Polo Trophy is priced at RM89,888 plus on the road costs. WRC-inspired cosmetic touches include blue and grey Volkswagen Motorsport-type decals on the bonnet and sides and black wing mirror caps.

There is also a Polo R WRC Street-look rear hatch spoiler, ’Ecotint’ darkened window film and a seven-inch Blaupunkt Philadelphia 835 infotainment unit with satellite navigation.

Celebratory it may be, but the Polo Trophy isn’t quite the four-wheel drive super-Polo Volkswagen should be building to celebrate the Polo R WRC’s rallying successes…

Appetite-whetted? To see more pictures of the Malaysian-only Polo Trophy head here.

Geoffroy Thirion is a European Polo enthusiast. Currently residing in Belgium, he is an active member of the Typ86.be club and owns an immaculate 1979 Polo GLS. What’s so special about a Polo GLS in Belgium? This one is right-hand drive and an ex-UK car, that’s what…

Geoffroy first saw ELF 247T on a trip to the UK in September 2007. He was visiting the annual Beaulieu Autojumble held at the National Motor Museum in Hampshire, and the low-mileage silver top-spec Polo was for sale. What immediately struck Geoffroy was not only was the immaculate, but is was also registered the same year as when he was born. He had to have it! ‘I did not hesitate to import into Belgium,’ he says.

Optional and desirable
The third owner of the car, Geoffrey knows what he likes most about the small VW from the 1970s. ‘They remind me of my childhood and transports back me in time,’ he remarks. His particular Polo GLS has the optional and desirable sliding steel sunroof as well as an extra mirror on the passenger side and driver and passenger window deflectors.

Geoffroy had problems importing the Diamond Silver car into Belgium due to customs clearance issues. Only the third owner of the car in 36 years, he intends to keep ELF 247T standard and as much in its original state as possible. His only plan is to make it more well-known through national and international Volkswagen rallies.

A lovely-looking and highly original car, it’s a shame the UK lost this Mk 1 Polo from its shores. However, in Geoffroy, we know it has a very enthusiastic and caring keeper and therefore a safe and welcoming home for years to come.

POLO GLS: RANGE-TOPPER
Following the launch of the Polo N and L in 1975, the Polo GLS was launched in 1979 and superseded the LS which was introduced in 1976. Equipment highlights included chrome headlight and grille surrounds, polished hubcaps, a quartz clock, a trip mileage recorder and a cigarette lighter.

A coveted factory-fitted steel sunroof was an option and the Polo GLS shared its 50bhp 1093cc engine with the defunct LS. A corresponding version of the Derby saloon was also launched, but was fitted with the sunroof as standard as well as a larger 1272cc 60bhp engine.

The Volkswagen Polo was the fifth best-selling car in the UK during August, the latest monthly sales figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) state. A rise of two places from July’s chart position, 1911 Polos found new owners last month. In a repeat of past months, the Ford Fiesta was the most popular new model, with 4753 examples sold.

A total of 79,860 cars were registered in August, a rise of 9.6 per cent on the same month in 2014 with gains made across the business, fleet and private markets. It was the 42nd consecutive month of UK car sales growth. 2015 year-to-date sales meanwhile are up 6.7 per cent to 1,634,369 units.

The UK’s top 10 best-selling passenger cars during August 2015 and the year so far (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 4553 (85,247, 1st)
2 Ford Focus: 2673 (54, 795, 3rd)
3 Volkswagen Golf: 2456 (45,597, 4th)
4 Vauxhall Corsa: 2154 (57,165, 2nd)
5 Volkswagen Polo: 1911 (34,511, 7th)
6 Audi A3: 1838 (31,334, 8th)
7 Vauxhall Mokka: 1751
8 Vauxhall Astra: 1614 (34,767, 6th)
9 BMW 3 Series: 1337
10 Ford Kuga: 1325

(The 2015 top 10 best-selling cars absent from last month’s sales figures are the Nissan Qashqai in fifth place, the Mercedes-Benz C Class in ninth place and the Fiat 500 in tenth place with 39,596, 28,488 and 27,104 cars sold respectively.)

It’s taken three attempts, but Volkswagen Motorsport has finally conquered its home event of Rally Germany, with double World Rally Championship (WRC) winner Sébastien Ogier emerging victorious at the event set around the vineyards of the Trier region. The win means Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia could take a third drivers’ crown as soon as Rally Australia next month.

Dream homecoming
In a dream homecoming in front of 225,000 enthusiastic spectators, the Polo R WRC was also on the runners up steps of the podium. Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen finished the event second and third respectively and created a podium lock-out and clean sweep in all senses of the words.

After disappointment in 2013 and 2014, the outfit from Wolfsburg was set on victory on home soil and the first all-asphalt rally of the year. It dominated from the outset with Latvala and co-driver Miikka Anttila recording the fastest average speed of 115.84km/h. Mikkelsen and co-driver Ola Fløene were second and Ogier and Ingrassia were fourth.

Masterclass of driving skill
Latvala and Anttila pushed Ogier and Ingrassia hard and were always within touching distance of their leading team-mates. That was until Ogier pulled out all the stops and put on a masterclass of driving skill on the Hinkelstein-laden ‘Panzerplatte’ stage on the Baumholder military training ground. He and Ingrassia showed their world-class credentials and blasted ahead of the competition.

After Latvala and Anttila’s emotional win at Rally Finland, the Finns at least collected the top three bonus points on the Power Stage. Citröen’s Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle were second, followed by Hyundai’s Dani Sordo and Marc Martí.

Ogier enjoyed an emotional victory: ‘I am absolutely delighted with this win! The fact that Julien and I are finally able to present our fantastic team with the long-awaited home win makes both of us extremely proud. Now we have finally done it, with a one-two-three. An incredibly emotional moment!

‘Everyone in the team does so much to ensure that we can challenge for victories. This win at the Rally Germany is our way of saying thank you – and it goes without saying that this success would not have been possible without that great Volkswagen team spirit.’

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Volkswagen’s Indian factory in Chakan shipped the 100,000th car built for the Mexican export market on 20 August. Taking less than to years to reach the production milestone, the fifth-generation Polo-based Vento (Polo saloon) landmark model set sail for Mexico on a seven-week journey from Mumbai.

‘High demand’
The red 1.6-litre petrol model was flagged off by a number of Volkswagen India representatives. Carsten Goransch, Executive Director – Logistics, Volkswagen India Private Limited said: ‘The highest quality is in the DNA of Volkswagen around the world. We have been building world class cars in Pune which have resulted in high demand for our products in the global market. We are extremely proud of what we have achieved.’

The Vento’s Mexican success story started just two years ago. It replaced the Jetta Classico in the Mexican market and became a popular model with buyers due to its elegant styling, high build quality, safety and comfort levels, as well as its spacious interior.

The notchback Polo 6R-based model is offered in ‘Vento’, ‘Startline’, Style’, ‘Active’ and ‘Highline’ trims, with both petrol and diesel engines. The fifth-generation Polo hatchback is also available for the Mexican market as a singular ‘Polo’ model.