Limited edition €33,900 217bhp Polo R WRC ‘Street’ launched in Monaco
In addition to the unveiling of the Polo R WRC rally car in Monaco on Saturday evening, Volkswagen also pulled the covers off its road-going counterpart, the Polo R WRC ‘Street’ (VW also confusingly refers to the full-fat rally car as Polo R WRC, so we’re adding the ‘Street’ suffix). A few hours before the competition car announced the arrival of the company’s 2013 World Rally Championship, the most powerful production Polo ever was launched in the Monte Carlo Sporting Club.
Looking much the same as the Polo R WRC Street Edition concept car seen at the Wörthersee GTI Festival back in May, the production R WRC Street loses the bold blue flashes that adorned its sides (keeping its Volkswagen Motorsport-inspired bonnet and sill graphics), but has otherwise made the transition to from idea to reality unscathed.
Available as a three-door and in white only, the Polo R WRC ‘Street’ has a tuned 2.0-litre TSI engine borrowed from the Mk 6 Golf GTI, developing 217bhp and 258lb ft of torque, enough to get the 1324kg car to 62mph from rest in 6.4 seconds, and onto a top speed of 151mph. That’s 39bhp and 74lb ft more than the high-performance Polo GTI.
Powering the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox with short shifts, the Polo R WRC ‘Street’ transfers its power to the road via 18-inch ‘Cagliari’ multi-spoke alloy wheels with 215/35 R18 tyres. Volkswagen describes the car’s underpinnings as a ‘sports chassis’. Let’s hope so!
WRC-style front and rear bumpers and spoilers dominate the Polo R WRC ‘Street’’s appearance, along with blue brake calipers, which up front house 16-inch discs. Bi-xenon headlamps add more visual aggression, while inside, WRC-branded sports seats, multifunction steering wheel, black roof lining, racing pedals, cruise control, light and rain sensors, winter package, climate control, alarm and radio with USB/MP3 connectivity all feature. Just what you need when negotiating the urban jungle. Only 2500 units worldwide will be sold, partly to homologate the competition vehicle.
The price for all this kit and exclusivity? €33,900 or £27,258 to us UK buyers at current exchange rates. However, all Polo R WRC ‘Street’s will be left-hand drive, so it won’t be officially sold in the UK. But, we hear that Volkswagen UK is assessing a potential market for the car. Order books officially open on 11 December 2012 – the first customer cars will be delivered in September 2013.
Yes please!
If this does end up being made into a RHD version I’m so up for ordering, but what are the chances with only 2500 being made worldwide?