PoloDriver

The latest version of the Polo GTI been extensively upgraded by German tuning company HG Motorsport. Among the key features of the modifications package is an HF-Series carbon intake system, a ‘Bull X’ 3.0-inch exhaust downpipe mated to a ‘sound flap’ exhaust with carbonfibre tip finishers, as well as a modified intercooler.

The package adds 71bhp to the standard 2015 Polo GTI’s 189, with 258lb ft (350Nm, an increase of 20Nm) of torque. Exterior add-ons are limited to a red finish on the 17-inch ‘Parabolica’ alloys wheels, although a visibly-lowered ride height is courtesy of the coilover suspension system.

The Bull-X downpipe retails from €639,00, while the carbon intake kit costs €549,00. For more information and details on prices, visit HG Motorsport’s website here.

[Source: inautonews.com]

The Volkswagen Polo R WRC claimed another World Rally Championship (WRC) one-two finish at Rally Poland from 2-5 July, its 12th in 33 starts. Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen performed well on the gravel tracks in the Masurian Lake District, with Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia taking victory by 11.9 seconds.

Thrilling duel
Not for the first time, fans were treated to a thrilling duel between two Volkswagen drivers. In temperatures upwards of 30 degrees C, Ogier and Mikkelsen produced flawless drives with the young Norwegian keeping the pressure on the Frenchman right until the final power stage.

Aided by co-driver Ola Fløene, Mikkelsen put in one of his strongest performances to date. It’s been a privilege to watch the development and rise of one of WRC’s hottest young stars, and its; no wonder Volkswagen Motorsport has renewed the 26 year-old’s contract.

Mikkelsen was very pleased with his performance: ‘That was by far the best WRC rally of my career. I like the characteristics and high-speed rallies like the one here in Poland. I came close to bagging a first win, and it ultimately just came down to a few minor details.

‘I am incredibly proud of our performance here in Poland. Sure, we came close in Sweden too, but that was our home rally. To be battling for victory on a par with the world championship here is of a completely different, far higher significance. I am confident it is only a question of time before we get our first win,’ he proclaimed.

Mikkelsen posted the fastest stage time on the fastest two stages of the season so far: ‘Gorklo’ saw an average speed of 131.09kph while the Norwegian’s speed on ‘Wieliczki’ even out at 128.13kph. Ogier averaged 121.41kph across the whole event, with over 60 per cent of the rally taken at full throttle. He’s not a two-time world champion for nothing.

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Henry Kohne, co-driver of the Manitou Group SA rally team Polo S1600 recalls how the team took the S1600 top spot at the 2015 Volkswagen Rally on the Eastern Cape, the fifth round of the 2015 South African National Rally Championship

Heavy rains
The 2015 Volkswagen Rally took place in Port Elizabeth on the weekend of 17-19 July and the Manitou Group SA Rally team won the S1600 class ahead of Matthew Vacy-Lyle and Schalk van Heerden’s Toyota Etios R2 in very tricky conditions.

The event consisted of twelve gravel stages running over two days – the second day provided extreme weather conditions with heavy rain fall. Two of the twelve stages were cancelled due to the heavy rains but the teams had to battle it out in the remainder of the stages.

The conditions made it especially challenging for the S1600 teams, being only front-wheel drive and difficult to handle in the wet conditions. Many of the teams were caught out and forced to retire, but the Manitou Group SA rally team managed to steer clear of trouble and finish on the top spot of the podium.

‘According to plan’
‘We were hoping for a good event as it is almost like a home event to us with Volkswagen being based in Uitenhage. We had a good test before the event and were confident with the car and in the team that we could finish well, providing that we didn’t have any issues on the event,’ said driver Paul Franken.

‘Our car was great and everything just went according to plan. This was a special win for the Manitou Group team as it also puts our championship back on track,’ Franken added.

The Manitou Group SA rally team is supported by Manitou Group, Supa Quick Birchleigh, Volkswagen Motorsport and SASOL Racing. Round six of the 2015 South African National Rally Championship is the Cullinan Rally in Gauteng on 14-15 August.

[Image: RunRideDive.com]

The South African Volkswagen Sasolracing team missed out on podium places at its home event, the Volkswagen Rally, through adverse weather conditions which affected the teams’ performance. Despite the highest Volkswagen crew being place fifth, the Manufacturer Award went to the car maker based at Uitenhage.

Heavy rains
The 17-18 July event around Port Elizabeth on the Eastern Cape was round five of the 2015 South African National Rally Championship. Severe inclement weather resulted in the cancellation of two stages, but did add in extra excitement for the spectators who braved the heavy rains.

The highest-placed Volkswagen Sasolracing crew was Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries. Their Polo S2000 finished fifth on their the pair’s third outing together. By the end of the first day, the duo were fifth overall. And by the end of stage 10 on day two, they had shown they were quick enough to hold on to that spot.

‘It was a very good event, as every Volkswagen Rally proves to be,’ said Fekken. ‘We had a character-building weekend together and Pierre and I pushed hard for fast stage times. We can’t quite match the pace of the leaders yet, but we are adapting well to the left-hand drive layout and will reach our goal sooner rather than later.’

Bent wheel
Sixth place went to Henk Lategan and Barry White, who posted good stage times, with seven in the top five. A bent wheel lost them some time, but they recovered well and during day two charged from a deficit of nearly one-and-a-half minutes behind Gugulethu Zulu and Hilton Auffray to 28 seconds ahead at the end of stage 10.

‘We started the rally a little conservatively,’ said Lategan. ‘It was, however the flat wheel and damage we got in stage two that really posed a problem. We hit something and bent the wheel. We couldn’t get it off to change the tyre. That cost us around five minutes, in just stage two of the rally, and it was very difficult to try and recover from there.’

‘Major moment’

Zulu and Auffray rallied their Polo S2000 to one spot below Lategan and White, coming home in seventh place. Stage one gave them a fourth place result, while the second stage yielded a fifth spot.

‘We always look forward to the Volkswagen Rally,’ said Zulu. ‘We had a good start in stage one, but a major moment saw us lose a lot of time. The technicians did a great job getting the Volkswagen Sasolracing Polo S2000 repaired and then we did decent times,’ he continued.

‘Adverse conditions’
‘I am proud of the Volkswagen Sasolracing team members for their performance under some really adverse conditions,’ said Mike Rowe, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport. ‘The service crews performed their task well, made sure the Volkswagen Sasolracing Polo S2000s were ready to compete throughout the event and displayed good camaraderie in the face of some terrible weather and working conditions.’

‘In motorsport there is a saying that you cannot win an event that you sponsor and the Volkswagen Rally seems to prove it. The Volkswagen Sasolracing team rallied hard, but were just not quite able to hold its competition at bay,’ Rowe continued.

The S1600 class was won by Paul Franken and Henry Kohne from the Manitou Group SA in another Polo. Round six of the 2015 South African National Rally Championship is the Cullinan Rally which takes place on Friday and Saturday, 14 and 15 August.

We’d heard earlier in the year that a special exhibition celebrating 40 years of the Polo was to open in the famed AutoMuseum Volkswagen, and on 23 July a small gathering of enthusiasts were in Wolfsburg to mark the start of the jubilee display.

21 special Polos
The ’40 Years Polo’ exhibition runs until 4 October at the former Odermark factory Dieselstrasse site in Volkswagen’s home city. Twenty-one special Polos are on show. The display largely focuses on the early Mk 1 and Mk 2 cars, but later models can be seen among the museum’s regular exhibits.

As well as production cars, unique prototypes can be seen, too. As well as the well-known 1983 rear-engined rear-wheel drive Polo Sprint built to evaluate handling characteristics and the 1985 G40 endurance record-setting car, one very special Mk 1 Polo features, awaken from its slumbers from the annals of Volkswagen’s heritage collection.

Eco-Polo prototype
The ‘VW 80’ eco-Polo prototype is fitted with a supercharged three-cylinder diesel engine, much the same technology as in the later Öko-Polo (Eco-Polo) from 1987, which is also on display. The VW 80 Polo dates from 1980 and looks odd with its faired-in front grille section, half rear wheel arch covers and aerodynamic body kit.

Other highlights include a Mk 2 Polo designed by Rainer Buchmann. On sale in limited numbers during 1986, the BB Polo Paris features a digital dash, uprated sound system, alcantara Recaro seats and very unique square-edged body kit.

Motorcycle and sidecar
The first Mk 2 Polo GT is also on show, as well as the VW Motorsport-created wide-arch Polo G40. One of the least known Polo exhibits is the motorcycle and sidecar, which was built by Volkswagen employees.

Our friends at the VW Polo IG Germany e.V. have helped bring the special Polos together, so the exhibition is one of the most diverse collection of early models. A special brochure is also available for €5 which describes all the exhibits in fascinating detail.

We’re heading over to Wolfsburg for the day in early September, so will report back in greater detail. We’d really encourage a visit anyway, as it’s a fascinating place full of unique production cars and prototypes and really is a must-visit place for Volkswagen fans. Head over to the AutoMuseum Volkswagen website to find out more.