PoloDriver

Volkswagen premiered a number of new models at the Moscow International Automobile Salon 2010 when the doors opened yesterday. One of the star exhibits on the German giant’s stand is the latest notchback Polo, the sedan. It’s the first public viewing for the handsome saloon version of the new Polo, which, the company say, was ‘specially-designed for Russia’ (we’ll ignore the fact that it’s also on sale in India as the Vento, then). Tested in extreme weather conditions to cope with the harsh Russian winters, the car has a ‘cold climatic zone package’, and suspension adapted for badly-surfaced roads. The Polo sedan is based on the fifth-generation Polo hatchback launched in 2009, and is powered by a 1.6-litre 104bhp engine. Prices start at 399,000 rubles for the Trendline model. Manufactured locally in Kaluga, the Russian factory also produces the Golf, Jetta, Passat, Passat CC, Tiguan and Touareg.

The full and official Volkswagen Polo sedan press release from June 2010 and a gallery of pictures follows.

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On 3 July 2010, Volkswagen Classic (the company’s ‘heritage’ division) sent 12 teams to compete in the Youngtimer Tour 2010, a 220km-long road rally organised by German motor magazine Auto Zeitung. Seventy teams took part in the circular run to the Nürburgring from Euskirchen and among Volkswagen’s entries were an example of the stylish Porsche 914 (we’re big fans of the chunky 1970s VW/Porsche baby here at PoloDriver) and a 1973 Apal Buggy. The bulk of the company’s entires were made up of early VWs, though, with old Golfs, Passats and even a K70 joining a classic Polo. Nestled in the exhibits at the Volkswagen exhibition at the Euskirchen start and finish venue were the Eco Racer concept from 2005 and the Golf GTI W12 from 2007.

Only cars built between 1969 and 1990 were eligible to take part in the Youngtimer Tour 2010, and all of Volkswagen’s teams completed the event, the K70 of Volkswagen Executive Vice President Dr Rudolf Krebs, Plant Manager of Salzgitter (and Manager of the brand’s Future for Electric Vehicles division) crossing the line in third place overall. The more modern era of the Volkswagen Group was represented by a Lamborghini Jalpa, a Series 2 VW Scirocco, and a Škoda Fabia vRS. It’s not the first time Volkswagen has entered vintage Polos into road rally events; in 2005 it entered two older examples of its supermini on the Hamburg to Wolfsburg Creme 21 Youngtimer Rallye (pictured above), both of which were taken from the AutoMuseum Volkswagen.

It was a Volkswagen finish all the way on the Osram Rally, which took place on 21-22 August. The BP Volkswagen Racing Polo S200s of Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson, and Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries finished the sixth round of the Sasol South African Rally Championship in first and second places respectively, while the third factory-backed car of Jan Habig and Douglas Judd came in fourth. A Polo-filled podium was broken by the Ford Fiesta S2000 of Conrad Rautenbach and Peter Marsh. Kuun and Hodgson finished the event 23.7 seconds ahead of Fekken and Arries, while the next Polo to finish was the car of Theuns Joubert and Carl Peskin, which came across the line of the 164km event in ninth place.

Further down the field, the A7 class Polo of Gavin Cronje (the current Le Mans Series Champion) was beaten in the first stage by Leeroy Poulter and Henry Dearlove in their Toyota RunX. The Japanese-driving duo finished 13th overall, a fraction under eight seconds ahead of the 2-litre factory Polo S2000 of Gugu Zulu and Cindi Harding. Other Polo finishers included the Motorite Racing car of Evan Hutchison and Elvéne Coetzee in 12th place, and the privateer Polo of Nicholas Ryan and Armand Du Toit, which was placed a disappointing 17th out of the 25 teams that completed the event after Ryan bent the Jonnesway car’s suspension. The penultimate round of the 2010 Sasol South African Rally Championship is the Swartland Rally in the Western Cape on 17-18 September.

[Images: QuickPic]

We’ve been doing a bit of late summer sprucing here at PoloDriver. There are still some parts of the site that we’ve still got to go through, but today, we’ve added more information about two Series 2 Polo special models; the Polo Mikado and the Polo Peppermint. The Peppermint (pictured above), was, as far as we know, only available in France and was basically a rebadged Fox. Available from September 1991, the Peppermint was available with a 1043cc 45bhp petrol engine and a 1398cc 48bhp diesel unit. Also built around the base-model Fox, the Polo Mikado was on sale year later, and featured special paint finishes (including the unique Violet Blue) and brightly-coloured interior trim. Other embellishments included exterior colour-matched wheel trim rings. Head over to the Series 2 specials page to find out more, and to let us know of any unique models we may have missed.

Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen is a special place for Volkswagen fans. Tucked away from the global headquarters of the German giant in a side street in Wolfsburg, its long been a mecca for Volkswagen enthusiasts. How long? 2010 marks 25 years since the innocent-looking building opened its doors to the public, and laid bare its secrets for all to see. Jam-packed to its industrial rafters are Volkswagen Group models of all shapes and sizes, most of them prototypes which have rarely been on public view. A sizable chunk are Beetles of the air-cooled variety, but there really is something for everyone. There’s now more than a handful of Polos, including a Series 1 of 1975, a pair of record-breaking G40 Polo coupés from 1985, and the very first Series 3 Polo from the production line in 1994.

To celebrate Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen’s quarter of a century, its doors are open for a special ‘25 years AutoMuseum Volkswagen’ exhibition. Running until 19 September 2010, it worships the car’s ever-changing role in the culture, economic, social and technological arenas and celebrates its contribution since 1985. Twenty-five specially-selected exhibits tell the story, and to ensure that visitors can see all the jewels in Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen’s crown, its opening hours have been extended. Now accepting visits from 10am to 6pm, if you find yourself visiting the ‘Volkswagen town’ of Wolfsburg, make sure you take a trip to Dieselstrasse. Although there’s a new, purpose built and brilliant car museum – the ‘Zeithaus’ – at nearby VW theme park AutoStadt, you just might uncover something extra special at Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen…

• Keep visiting PoloDriver for a series of features on the different Polo exhibits in Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen