PoloDriver

A springboard for young racing driver talent in South Africa, the Volkswagen Polo Cup has a new sponsor for 2024. Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa is partnering with Astron Energy who becomes the title sponsor for the upcoming season. The 2024 Astron Energy Polo Cup runs as part of the South African National Championship Extreme Festival over seven rounds across the country, and marks the one-make racing series’ 28th year of competition.

Excellent platform
With a network of 850 service stations being rebranded over the next four years, Astron Energy is a leading supplier of petroleum products in South Africa. The field of Polo GTI and Polo GTC SupaCup racing cars will use the company’s Quartech fuel, which has claimed friction reduction properties to help deliver improved protection against damage from combustion. Astron Energy sees the young racing drivers’ championship as an excellent platform to promote its reimagined fuel brand.

‘We are delighted to confirm our partnership with Volkswagen Motorsport as the title sponsor for the 2024 Astron Energy Polo Cup,’ said Astron Energy head of marketing, Thayuri Moodley. ‘The MSA South African National Championship Polo Cup has discovered some of South Africa’s most exciting racing talents over the years, with past champions Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde, Jordan Pepper, and Leyton Fourie among others, going on to great things in local and international motorsport. Astron Energy looks forward to being an integral part of the next chapter of the thrilling Polo Cup story,’ continues Moodley.

‘Great impetus’
‘As Volkswagen Motorsport, we are delighted to welcome Astron Energy aboard as our Polo Cup title sponsor from 2024,’ said Head of Volkswagen Driving Experience, Mike Rowe. ‘Not only will Astron Energy bring great impetus to the Volkswagen Polo Cup, but we look forward to proving Astron Energy’s new premium additive Quartech Petrol in our field of Polo GTI Cup racing cars in action on track,’ Rowe continues.

The series gets underway on 15 March at Killarney in Cape Town, and the winner of the 2024 Astron Energy Polo Cup champion will earn a drive in a Polo GTC SupaCup racer in the 2025 GTC SupaCup championship.

Alongside the series production-based Polo GTI Cup racers, the Polo GTC SupaCup competes in the exclusive-to-South Africa GTC (Global Touring Car) Championship in the SupaCup class. Devoted to more production-biased machines, as opposed to the ‘silhouette’-type racers of the top-level GTC class – in which Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa fields a Golf 8 GTI GTC – the Polo GTC SupaCup still has almost 300bhp, and wears a square-arched body kit, echoing that of the Polo GTI R5 rally car.

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The fifth-generation Volkswagen Polo enjoyed huge success in motorsport, not only winning the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) four consecutive times from 2013-2016, but also taking the spoils in the frenetic and punishing World Rallycross series, too.

Driven by Johan Kristoffersson and three-time FIA world champion and WRC legend Petter Solberg among others, it’s been five years since the Polo graced the top level of rallycross with Solberg behind the wheel. But on the weekend of 4-7 May, the Norwegian driver and hillclimb star will be reunited with the 570bhp Polo R WRX at the 2023 Simola Hillclimb in South Africa.

Most successful modern rallycross car
Plucked from his retirement and driving for Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa, Solberg will be piloting the fire-spitting machine which Kristoffersson drove to victory in 2017. With a pair of drivers’ titles and two team FIA World Championship wins, the Polo R WRX Supercar could just be the most successful race car of the modern rallycross era.

Developed from the Polo R WRC rally car but more of a ‘silhouette’ racer, the Polo R WRX Supercar’s standout features include engine cooling with an emphasis on aerodynamics, making it far more efficient. The rear wing of the Polo R WRX creates more downforce and allows a wide range of set-up options. Powered by a four-cylinder engine with a massive 570bhp (419kW), peak torque of 650Nm (479lb ft) is developed at 5,000rpm. Power is put down using a six-speed sequential racing gearbox, and it takes just 1.9 seconds to complete the 0-62mph sprint.

‘Polo R WRX Supercar from the museum’
‘The guys at Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa are so professional,’ said an excited Solberg. ‘They agreed for me to come and drive at the Simola Hillclimb event, and then agreed to bring the Polo R WRX Supercar from the museum in Wolfsburg. This is the proper way of doing things – I like it!’ he continues.

‘Can I win? Let’s see. They told me the winner’s average speed last year was 200km/h (124mph) – my car will only do 200km/h! You know me, I will try. We will push and see what is possible. One thing is certain, it’s going to be fantastic to be back with this car again. I have such good memories of the Polo R WRX Supercar. We ran these cars for me and Johan, with our family team (PSRX Volkswagen Sweden) winning all the titles through 2017 and 2018. Good times,” reflects Solberg.

‘We are very excited to announce that Petter Solberg will be making his way to South Africa to race in the Polo R WRX Supercar,’ said Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa. ‘Solberg’s partnership with VW goes back to 2017 when he set up PSRX Volkswagen Sweden with factory works support from Volkswagen Motorsport and we are thrilled to have brought Petter back to race for us in South Africa,’ Rowe continues.

Volkswagen Polo SupaCup
Alongside Solberg, seasoned racer Graeme Nathan will also be representing Volkswagen in a Polo SupaCup car, a 308bhp racer built specifically for South Africa’s GTC SupaCup support series. The 2.0-litre turbocharged ‘EA888’ four-cylinder engine has 420Nm of torque, and as Nathan and the SupaCup Polo came second in the Class B2 finals in one of the closest margins – 0.016 seconds – in the history of the Simola Hillclimb in 2022, he will certainly be up for the fight in 2023.

Joining Nathan’s and Solberg’s Polos will be an eighth-generation Golf R, driven by Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa drivers Jonathan Mogotsi and Daniel Rowe. Solberg’s rallycross-driving brother Henning will also compete on the 1.18-mile (1.9-kilometre) hill in Knysna, Western Cape.

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2021 was a busy year for the Volkswagen Polo. Celebrating the model’s 46th anniversary, the refreshed sixth-generation car was unveiled and arrived in the UK towards the end of the year. The second-generation Polo commemorated the 40th year since its debut in the autumn of 1981.

The Polo Harlekin (Harlequin) marked its 25th birthday in 2021, and more teams took the Polo GTI R5 rally car on global stages. New models were launched in Germany, India and the UK, and the Polo’s popularity remained strong, its sales in selected markets remaining high.

Below, we round up the Polo’s biggest achievements in 2021. (Bold entries are illustrated by the picture above that particular month’s list of events.)

January

• Niclas Grönholm and Polo GTI R5 finish sixth at the 2021 Arctic Lapland Rally
• Polo Vivo crowned 2020’s most popular car in South Africa, selling 19,750 units from Volkswagen’s total sales of 53,319 units, giving the company an all-time local market share of 21.6 per cent
• Volkswagen Netherlands creates a new version of the Polo Harlequin to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original model
• Nikolay Gryzin takes his Polo GTI R5 to fifth place in the RC2 class at the 2021 Rallye Monte-Carlo
• Polo GTI R5 of Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel wins 2021 Qatar International Rally, their 15th victory at the event
• Polo Active special edition launches in Germany.

February

• Victory for the Larsen Motorsport Polo GTI R5 of Frank Tore Larsen and Morten Abrahamsen at the 2021 Lygnasprinten (image: Larsen Motorsport)
• The Polo GTI R5 of Egon Kaur and Silver Simm takes first place in the Rally2 class at the 2021 Otepää Rally. Georg Linnamäe and Volodymyr Korsia’s Polo GTI R5 finish second.

March

• 108bhp Polo Matt Edition 1.0 TSI launches in India: special features include matt grey paint, gloss black door mirror caps and rear spoiler, cruise control, multifunction steering wheel and a colour touchscreen infotainment system
• Polo GTI R5s take first and second places at the East Safari Rally with 10 out of 10 stage wins. Reigning champions Simos Galatariotis and Antonis loannou finish first ahead of Alexandros Tsouloftas and Stelios Elia
• Luca Pedersoli and Anna Tomas win Rally del Bardolino in their Polo GTI R5 – their maiden outing in the car
• First victory for Marco Signor and Francesco Pezzoli in their Polo GTI R5 at the Rally Ronde del Canavese
• Another debut win, this time for the Polo GTI R5 of Francisco Dorado and Roi Torrente at the 2021 Rallysprint de Valdelaguna
• Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov are victorious with their Polo GTI R5 at Valasská Rally ValMez
• Jurie Swart wins both races at the opening round of the 2021 Volkswagen Polo Cup in Cape Town, South Africa – the 2021 season celebrates the 25th anniversary of the one-make series. In the first round of the 2021 GTC SupaCup series, Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa Polo SupaCup driver Jonathan Mogotsi finishes second.

April

• Polo Active joins UK model range
• Refreshed MY22 Polo revealed in digital online premiere featuring more digital technology and updated looks
• Sixth-generation Polo evaluated for possible Indian launch on MQB A0 IN platform
• Carl Flash Tundo and Tim Jessop win the FIA African Rally Championship Equator Rally Kenya in their Polo GTI R5
• Kristian Poulsen and Ole R Fredriksen win Rally Himmerland, round one of the Danish Rally Championship – the second victory for Polo GTI R5 chassis #44 in Denmark
• First place for Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel’s Polo GTI R5 at Rallye Tierras Altas de Lorca
• Tomasz Kasperczyk and Damian Syty win the 2021 Tech-Mol Rally in their Polo GTI R5. Zbigniew Gabrys and Krzysztof Janik’s Polo GTI R5 also finishes on the podium at the first rally of the year in Poland.

May

• MY22 Polo GTI revealed in official Volkswagen design sketch
• Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel win the Jordan Rally in a Polo GTI R5 – their ninth overall victory in the Volkswagen rally car
• 1-2 for the Polo GTI R5 at the Larnaca Rally – Alexandros Tsouloftas and Stelios Elia win the event, followed by Simos Galatariotis and Antonis loannou
• Jurie Stewart and Arnold Neveling victorious in the Volkswagen Polo Cup races held at Aldo Scribante, near Gqeberha. Jonathan Mogotsi drives his Polo SupaCup to a maiden win during the GTC SupaCup race
• Volkswagen Polo named the third most popular car in the UK during May 2021.

June

• The Polo GTI R5s of Osian Pryce and Noel O’Sullivan and reigning champions Matt Edwards and Darren Garrod debut at first round of the 2021 British Rally Championship at Oulton Park
• 1-2 for the Polo GTI R5 at the Super Prime Alpasa rally in Paraguay. Miguel Zaldivar Jr and Victor Aguilera finish first, followed by Diego Dominguez Sr and Edgardo Galindo
• 2022 Volkswagen Polo order books open in Germany
• Refreshed MY22 Polo GTI revealed with updated looks, DSG and 204bhp
• Frank Tore Larsen and Morten Abrahamsen steer their Polo GTI R5 to victory at the 2021 Aurskog-Holand Rally
• Volkswagen Polo named the sixth most popular car in the UK during June 2021
• With 11,560 cars finding homes in the first six months of the year, the Polo Vivo remains the most popular new car in South Africa. In second place, the sixth-generation Polo sells 9,045 examples.

July

• RacingLine releases Polo GTI ‘AW’ sport springs and turbo muffler delete products
• Volkswagen Polo crowned the UK’s most popular car, based on official registration figures, finishing ahead of the Toyota Yaris and Kia Sportage.

August

• The second-generation Polo celebrates four decades since it was launched to the press in Sardinia
• Jurie Stewart, Arnold Neveling, and Leyton Fourie win one Volkswagen Polo Cup race each at the East London Grand Prix circuit.

September

• The new MY22 Polo goes on sale in the UK, priced from £17,885 to £23,355
• Polo Trendline MPI, Comfortline TSI, Highline Plus TSI manual, and Highline Plus TSI and GT TSI automatic models demand a five-month waiting list in India, along with the Polo saloon-based Vento Highline TSI manual
• Sixteen-year-old Leyton Fourie claims both South African Volkswagen Polo Cup wins at the Red Star Raceway.

October

• Jurie Stewart wins Volkswagen Polo Cup South Africa races at Zwartops Raceway.

November

• MY22 Polo GTI joins the UK model range with a starting price of £26,430
• Polo Vivo Black Style launches in South Africa. Special equipment includes black 16-inch ‘Portago’ alloy wheels, gloss black mirror caps, roof and B and C pillar covers, black sill covers, a body-coloured boot spoiler, privacy glass, a chrome exhaust tip as well as anthracite headlining and sun visors
• Autocar publishes its first UK drive of the new MY22 Polo.

December

• What Car? long lists Polo as a Car of the Year Awards 2022 small car entrant
• Auto Express, Carbuyer and What Car? publish the first UK drives of the new MY22 Polo
• MY22 Polo announced for sale in South Africa from January 2022
• 2022 Volkswagen Polo Cup unveils CompCare Medical Scheme as sponsor; Jurie Stewart wins Killarney races at final round of 2021 series, but Leyton Fourie crowned 2021 Volkswagen Polo Cup champion
• South African Volkswagen Polo GTC SupaCup tested during Killarney 9-Hour race ready for 2022 season
• A panel of broadcasters, car designers, engineers, motorsport legends and auto industry journalists and media professionals announces MY22 Polo as one of the Best Cars of the Year 2021/2022 award winners in tenth place.

As another year passes, we would like to thank our readers and followers old and new, and we’ve got lots more stories and features coming to the website in 2022.

[Click on the ‘Polo 2017-’, ‘Polo Vivo’, ‘Polo GTI R5’ and ‘Motorsport’ tags in the category drop-down list in the right-hand sidebar to see all entries relating to the sixth-generation Polo, Polo GTI R5, and Polo motorsport activity respectively. Choose other category or month sections for relevant entries.]

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PoloDriver.com may centre on Polos, but we’re big fans of other racing Volkswagens, too. And when it looks like this, the latest VW-badged racer from Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa piqued our interest. Ladies and gentleman, say ‘hello’ to the Golf GTI Global Touring Car.

That’s right, Global Touring Car (GTC). Different to the Golf GTI TCR which is raced in Europe, the GTI GTC has a chassis and running gear which is also common to other GTC racers. Other strict control measures include a single, shared ECU, tyres, suspension and other components. The GTC series was introduced in 2016, and is South Africa’s premier circuit racing series, and includes both the main GTC Championship (GTC1) as well as the second-tier GTC2 class. Five manufacturers will line up on the 2020 starting line when motorsport comes out of hibernation following the COVID-19 pandemic.

First motorsport-prepared Golf 8 GTI
Perhaps more significantly, the Golf GTI GTC is the first motorsport-prepared eight-generation Golf, and beats the road car to South Africa by at least six months. Reports state that the GTI GTC has around 500bhp and 442lb ft of torque from its highly-tuned ‘EA888’ engine, which has improved con-rods and pistons. ‘New features in the Golf 8 GTI racing car include an all-new chrome moly-tubular chassis which is much stiffer and lighter than the previous GTC Jetta,’ commented Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport at the car’s virtual unveiling today.

‘For the past four years we have been racing with the Jetta. Since the Jetta is no longer offered in right-hand drive markets, we had to find an appropriate successor, and that is where the idea to use the Golf 8 GTI came from. Even though the Golf 8 GTI will only be officially launched and available from South African dealers in 2021, we wanted to use this opportunity to showcase the Golf 8 GTI’s performance attributes ahead of the local market introduction,’ said Martina Biene, head of the Volkswagen Brand.

Newly developed SupaCup Polo
Two Golf GTI GTCs will compete in GTC1, driven by defending 2019 champion Keagan Masters and Daniel Rowe, winner of GTC2 in 2016. Volkswagen Motorsport will also be represented in the SupaCup, which replaces the GTC2 classification. The 2016 Driver Search winner and 2017 Polo Cup Rookie winner, Jonathan Mogotsi will be racing the SupaCup Polo, which is a newly developed car for the second tier class, producing 200kW and fitted with a locally sourced six-speed M-Trac sequential gearbox.

‘Even with five manufacturers competing in the GTC, it is one of the most premier circuit racing series in South Africa due to its competitive nature. It is a tough championship to win, consistent scoring of points at every round is very important,’ said Rowe. ‘Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we have not been permitted to race. All the motorsport fraternity is hoping that by August we can get the cars on the track, although it will most likely be without any spectators.’

The start of the official 2020 South African Motorsport circuit racing season is still unconfirmed, but it is hoped that motorsport events can resume in August 2020 and the first round will likely start at Zwartkops Raceway in Johannesburg.

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