PoloDriver

Volkswagen performance specialist RacingLine has released a series of upgraded parts for the 2017 onwards sixth-generation Polo GTI ‘AW’. Along with a set of sport springs, there is also a new turbo muffler delete for MAF-engined EA888 2.0 TSI ‘Gen.3B’ models.

The sport springs package for the ‘AW’-chassis coded Polo GTI lowers the car by 30mm at the front and 35mm at the rear, and is, RacingLine says, ‘just how it should have come from the factory’. Manufactured in Europe from the same factory that produces many of the OEM springs, RacingLine uses progressive rate springs to preserve the ride quality in normal use, but then stiffen the rates at the ends of the travel. 

It states that a comprehensive development programme gives a ride quality just as good as that of the standard car. There are no official prices available yet – just a part number: VWR31P2GT. Head over to the RacingLine website to find out more.

Turbo muffler delete
Alongside the springs, RacingLine has made changes to its EA888 ‘Gen.3B’ turbo muffler delete (part number VWR160001) so that it now fits MAF-coded 2.0 TSI engines. The turbo muffler delete also forms part of RacingLine’s whole ‘MAF’ intake package which includes an R600 intake with cotton or trifoam R600 filter choice, a turbo inlet elbow, a turbo inlet hose, as well as a coolant underhose.

The turbo muffler delete is CNC constructed from single-piece billet T6-6061 aluminium, with a maximum diameter smoothed internal bore for max airflow. Hand-polished and anodised in gloss midnight black, it can be installed in just 30 minutes. By smoothing the airflow path out of the turbocharger and eliminating the restriction and turbulence caused by the OEM part, RacingLine confirms that ‘a small but useful’ power gain is made.

For more information on RacingLine products for the 2010-2017 Polo GTI ‘6R/6C’ and the 2017 onwards sixth-generation Polo GTI ‘AW’, visit the RacingLine website, or locate a nearby dealer from the company’s global network of retail partners.

RacingLine Performance has announced details of its new turbo inlet and high-flow filter specially developed for recent Volkswagen Group models fitted with a 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine. The performance components will fit both fifth-generation ‘6C’ Polos from 2014 as well as current, 2017 onwards ‘AW’ models fitted with VW’s three-cylinder, ‘EA211’ 1.0 TSI engine. The Polo-based T-Cross 1.0 TSI SUV will also benefit from the upgrade.

Turbo inlet kit
Compatible with both factory and aftermarket intake boxes, RacingLine’s turbo inlet elbow will complement the company’s upcoming cold air intake, too. Ready to support higher power outputs and even future turbo upgrades, the kit consists of a high-flow turbo silicone inlet hose and a ‘Turbo 90’ inlet. Increased airflow is said to be one benefit, resulting in faster turbo response and a ‘worthwhile’ jump in power.

Made from reinforced, high quality silicone to prevent deformation under boost pressure or heat, a formed lip on the joins of the inlet hose ensures smooth airflow transition. The inlet elbow is manufactured from ultra-thin wall 6061-T6 aluminium, and has a gloss black anodised finish with an enlarged and smoothed internal bore for optimised airflow. RacingLine quotes a combined fitting time for both pieces of just 15 minutes, and has published a handy fitting guide.

High-flow filter
RacingLine’s high-flow filter will fit the same versions of the Polo 1.0 TSI as the turbo inlet kit. The triple-layer filter is handmade in the UK from Trifoam to OEM standards of design, materials and quality for improved, higher air flow, as well as economy and power gains. Removing the restrictions imposed by the factory paper filter, RacingLine quotes increases in mid-range power, without damaging any remaining manufacturer’s warranty.

RACINGLINE HISTORY
Originally formed in 1997, RacingLine was originally named Volkswagen Motorsport UK, and was fully owned by the Volkswagen Group in Germany. Competing in the 1990s British Rally Championship, the company raced a 285bhp third-generation Golf ‘Kit Car’, and won the 1997 series. In 1999 the fourth-generation Golf ‘Kit Car’ brought a second place in the British Rally Championship, and in 2000, a TDI version was the first diesel rally car in the series.

In 2001, RacingLine focused its efforts on the new Super 1600 category, with the Volkswagen Motorsport-built Polo GTI S1600 fitted with a high-revving Lehmann engine. Rebranded as Volkswagen Racing, the team took second place in the rallying championship. In 2002, the Volkswagen Racing Cup Championship had its inaugural season and the inclusion of a Golf 1.9 TDI racer was unusual. So unusual in fact, the car’s first win at Thruxton entered the record books, claiming the world’s first ever victory in a sprint race format for a diesel car. A Caddy van racer replaced the Golf in 2004, and followed a Polo-based Caddy circuit machine, the first racing van which debuted in 2002. A fifth-generation Golf TDI racer was also the first of its kind, and the team switched to a GTI in 2005.

Fast forward to 2013, and the UK’s first Golf R was upgraded with every applicable RacingLine part to become a circuit safety car to support the British GT Championship, and in 2016 an Audi R8 24-hour race car joined the fleet. In a partnership to take on the World Time Attack world finals in Australia, another R8 followed, this time a twin-turbo V10 with over 1,200bhp! At the same time, RacingLine partnered with Volkswagen Motorsport, Audi Sport and SEAT Sport for race car sales of the TCR series, along with parts and engineering support.

Find out more about the 1.0 TSI turbo inlet kit and the high-flow filter at the RacingLine website.

The latest 197bhp Polo GTI is the most powerful ever, and with as much power as a fifth-generation Golf GTI of 2004, Barracuda Racing Wheels Europe thought VW’s small firecracker deserved a more striking set of rims.

The German tuner’s Tzunamee EVO alloys pictured here are 8×18-inches in size, wrapped in 215/35R18 rubber. With a dark gunmetal finish, the company quotes a pronounced concavity of fifty millimetres and state that as the brushed regions of the spoke ends extend to the edge of the rims, the wheels appear larger than they really are.

Priced from €299, optional €69 eight millimetre spacers on the rear ensure perfect alignment between front and rear and lend the sixth-generation Polo GTI a more aggressive appearance. This is helped on Barracuda’s show car by a set of €249 special “JMS made by H&R” springs which lower the pumped-up, go-faster Polo’s body by 40mm at the front, and 30mm at the rear.

Barracuda Racing Wheels’ range of rims are available from car dealerships as well as tyre and specialist stores. They can also be bought online from www.barracuda-europe.de, and the company has extensive social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The latest 197bhp Polo GTI may be the most powerful version of Volkswagen’s smaller hot hatch icon to hit the roads, but it’s the not the most powerful series production Polo ever. That honour goes to the 217bhp limited edition 2013 Polo R WRC Street. But don’t worry: the take on the current Polo GTI offered by Siemoneit Racing blows the R WRC Street well and truly out of the water.

Based in Ottenbecker near Hamburg, the German tuner’s modifications packages will take the current Polo GTI’s power up to 316bhp. Siemoneit’s Stage 1 option boosts the standard car’s 2.0-litre engine from 197bhp to 242bhp (the same as the larger Golf GTI Performance in factory tune), with torque up to 302lb ft, 66lb ft over the original figure. The cost? Around £535 (€598). For a little extra, Stage 1+ adds a further 5bhp and 11lb ft.

2019 Siemoneit Racing Volkswagen Polo GTI

2019 Siemoneit Racing Volkswagen Polo GTI

2019 Siemoneit Racing Volkswagen Polo GTI

316bhp, 317lb ft
But the full-fat Stage 3+ is where the real fun and games begin. The Golf R-bothering 316bhp and 317lb ft comes courtesy of an enlarged turbocharger, a new intercooler and plumbing pipes, as well as a performance sports exhaust, and tweaks to the DSG gearbox to handle the beefed-up power. Super-Golf performance doesn’t come cheap, though: at £8,000 (€8,998) once the cost of the donor car has been factored in, the price is right in Golf R terrority, too.

But if that’s still not hardcore enough (rarely has the word ‘hardcore’ been used in conjunction with a Polo GTI before), for around £11,000 (€11,630), Siemoneit Racing will turn your Polo GTI into something of a Porsche 968 Clubsport. Kind of. The rear seats are ditched and replaced by a full roll-cage, Recaros with Sabelt harnesses keep you pinned in your seat as the Siemoneit Polo GTI’s pace catapults you towards the horizon and KW Clubsport suspension and 18-inch ATS rims wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber keep the performance Polo pinned to the tarmac.

2019 Siemoneit Racing Volkswagen Polo GTI

2019 Siemoneit Racing Volkswagen Polo GTI

2019 Siemoneit Racing Volkswagen Polo GTI

All that translates to a 0 to 62mph time of 5.2 seconds – 1.5 seconds faster than the standard Polo GTI – and a top speed of 159mph. With little evidence of a more powerful official Polo GTI Performance model in the offing, Siemoneit Racing’s programme of upgrades offer exciting, if expensive, ways to turn VW’s second-smallest hot hatch into a real road-burner. If you like what you see, find out more at www.siemoneit-racing.de.

While some Polo drivers may yearn for the GTI, its high tech-focused and corresponding high performance mean high prices. Not to worry, though, as Forge Motorsport has announced details of its air intake kit for those with sixth-generation Polo 1.0 TSIs who want to up the performance ante of their small-capacity models.

Billed as a ‘high performance intake’, the Forge replacement channels more air into the inlet of the engine thanks to its free-flowing design, and forms a good springboard from which to plan further modifications. Finished in aluminium, its bespoke housing draws in cold air from an inlet on the slam panel and also shields the same incoming air from residual heat generated by the engine.

Forge Motorsport Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI air intake kit

Forge Motorsport Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI air intake kit

Lifetime warranty
As well as the intake itself, a silicone hose is also included in the kit, along with a Pipercross air filter element. The high quality hose is available in three colours – black, blue and red – and has a smooth inner bore as well as larger diameter than the OEM Volkswagen part. It’s also offered with a lifetime warranty. The filter meanwhile is fully serviceable and replaceable, and according to Forge’s research and development team, is the the only one to offer adequate filtration to the small-capacity engine, in addition to feeding in enough air to increase performance.

The Forge Motorsport Polo 1.0 TSI intake kits come with detailed fitting instructions – said to be easy enough to be bolted into place within half an hour – and as a replacement for the OEM parts, there is no danger of damage to your Polo’s engine bay. The price for the FMINDK15 kit is £191.61 plus VAT. For more details, head to the Forge Motorsport website, or call 01452 380999.