PoloDriver

Until the dawn of the internet, did we know what went on behind the scenes of our favourite TV shows or commercials? Following the recent posting of First Frame Films’ clip of the making of the new Polo ‘Ready For A New Class’ TV spot, is this one which shows what went on behind the cameras shooting the Grease/Back To The Future-inspired and 1950s-themed ‘Cool’ commercial. It would appear that it was created for the Spanish market if the official-looking caption and design of this short film is anything to go by. There’s no making of stats this time, but it looked fun filming it all the same. If you missed it, catch the finished TV spot here.

Polo in European Car of the Year 2010 winner shock. Yes, the fifth-generation of Volkswagen’s supermini has gone and done it. Snatching victory from the clutches of the Toyota iQ, the Polo was announced the winner today in Madrid. Beating 33 contenders for the title, it drove over the six other finalists with its total of 347 points.

We’re still reeling in surprise. Volkswagen must be more than happy – it’s the latest accolade for its new baby and will do nothing to harm already booming sales. It’s not the first time a Volkswagen has taken the gong (the last was the Series 3 Golf in 1992 which beat the Citroën ZX and Vauxhall Astra), but it is a CoTY debut win for the Polo. It beat the innovative Toyota iQ by a mere 10 points.

Fifty-nine European motoring journalists make up the voting committee with 25 points to allocate each. The Polo received 25 selections as the number one car, 5 more than the iQ and received 59 scoring votes in total from the 59-strong judging panel; the baby Toyota ended up with a very close 58.

Professor Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management, Volkswagen Group said: ‘The new Polo stands for German engineering craftsmanship and superior cutting edge technology. The fifth-generation Polo was designed to address customer expectations with even greater uncompromising standards. That is why we are naturally very pleased to see our efforts validated in the form of this award.’

Hakan Matson, president of the jury, had this to say at the award ceremony in Madrid: ‘It was the Polo’s comprehensive safety equipment and its advanced range of engines that impressed us the most. On the Polo BlueMotion, Volkswagen was also able to add a very fuel-efficient yet affordable car to its car programme.’

The full list of winners in order of their placings in the final reckoning is as follows:

1 Volkswagen Polo, 347 points
2 Toyota iQ, 337 points
3 Vauxhall Astra, 221 points
4 Škoda Yeti, 158 points
5 Mercedes E-class, 155 points
6 Peugeot 3008, 144 points
7 Citroën C3 Picasso, 113 points

Last time we caught up with Simon Kimber and his 1991 Polo GT Coupé, new standard-length and uprated front shock absorbers, bump stops and top mounts had just been fitted. Was he pleased with the results?

On first impressions the Koni shock absorbers are softer than the Weitecs fresh out the box, but it is something I can get used to in time. The knocking noise from the front nearside of the car has now vanished; the bobbling sounds on uneven surfaces are nowhere to be found. The braking now seems to be much improved, too; it’s a fact that a seriously worn shock absorber can increase the braking distance by quite a margin or make a car a bit uncontrollable in an emergency, at least.

The result of all this work was that when H714 ERP went for its MoT, it passed with flying colours, with not even an advisory item being, well, advised.

The MoT test is not a black art despite what you may think. If you know what to look for and even notice it early enough, you should have no nasty surprises (for the past few years I’ve worked in garage workshops, so like to think I know the basics). You could have your car serviced before its MoT to make sure, but I find it better to do all that around a month ahead of the test to give you time to sort it all out. Of course, it may not help if the tester is having a bad day.

Costs this month: £0

We’ve had the P!nk soundtracked TV commercials, the Heidi Klum promotional interviews and the ‘Timeless’ UK website tie-ins, but Volkswagen clearly wasn’t sure that the new Polo message is getting across fully. So, to appeal yet further to the younger generation of drivers and buyers that it hopes to attract, its made a computer-animated video of the new car to impress them.

And it is impressive. At some points in the short film, you’re left wondering where the virtual and real cars meet (clue: there’s no real car in it), and the detail is stunning. The original film is being used on a Polo ‘web special’ microsite, which can be found on many of Volkswagen’s country or region specific websites, sometimes under the ‘configurator’ banner. We found it on the Volkswagen Ireland Polo promotional pages and we know that it was also available at www.volkswagen.de too.

The stills illustrated here don’t do the film justice. There are two versions, each with differing middle sections. As promotion tools go, it looks incredibly sharp and fits in with the new technology platforms that Volkswagen is using to market the car, which in turn should appeal to the core market the company’s after. View the first film above, and click here to see the second version.

Minichamps, maker of superbly detailed diecast model cars have recently announced a new version the Series 1 Polo to add to their Volkswagen collection. In popular 1:43 scale and finished in Cadiz Orange (not an original colour we think, but close enough to Marino Gelb), it looks the part and based on the company’s previous Polo releases, it should make an excellent addition to any Polo model collector’s garage.

Minichamps has released models of Series 1 Polos before. A few years ago, it released a Phoenix Red version of this same model limited to 2,736 pieces (this new one is to be made in only 744 examples), and versions in three other colours. Three of the Polo’s sister car, the Audi 50 were produced, too, one in bright vivid green.

Exquisitely detailed from the steel wheels and rear hatchback badges to the interior wooden-panelled dashboard, at around €20 each, they sound expensive, but you won’t find another Series 1 diecast so well-detailed. The new orange version can be found on eBay now for upwards of €25, or if you’re in the UK, you can order it from Grand Prix Legends.

If you look hard enough, though, there’s an even rarer Series 1 diecast circulating the well-known auction site. Based on a Minichamps diecast, the Jägermeister Racing Polo is old school cool to the core, and at the same scale as the regular model, would look very smart on the same shelf. We’re unsure as to whether the racing model is custom-made, but the decals are all there, along with a lack of bumpers and large, deep-dished, gold-centred wire racing alloys. Perfect.

Exclusivity comes at a price, though. Whereas the original model is €25, this touring car replica one starts just over 79. Think about it – almost £72 for a 1:43 model. While we’d love to have it parked in our 1:43 garage, at this price it would only get an outing on high days and holidays; sadly not enough to justify the expense.