PoloDriver

In the latest issue of Volkswagen’s digital magazine ‘Das.’ the Polo GTI is captured on camera by German photographer Uwe Breitkopf. The seven stunning images feature a Shadow Blue three-door out on the streets, and the dynamic angles really catch the spirit of the small tearaway Volkswagen. With CGI used to complement the car, Breitkopf sates that, ‘Instead of revealing every detail, high contrast and a reduced colour code gives the images a strong and powerful graphic composition, inspiring the imagination.’ See the set of fantastic images for yourself at www.volkswagen-das.co.uk/#/spectacularview where you can also subscribe for future issues of the interactive magazine.

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Three months ago, Rich Gooding bought a 10 year-old Polo GTI, a (some would say much-needed) more modern foil to his 1994 Polo GT coupé. Is the new relationship in still in its first flush, or is the honeymoon period well and truly over?

I still can’t quite believe that I’m driving something so much newer than the small 18 year-old hatchback (despite what VW say, the Mk 2 Polo coupé is a decidely usual hatchback shape) that has been part of my life for the last 12 years. The first three months with Y464 GHJ have largely been spent getting to know the car, and, as a freelance graphic designer, have been spent on the UK’s A-road and motorway network. Buying the car must have been an omen; little did I know at the time of purchase that I’d be regularly spending time driving to jobs. Something which in the elderly coupé, while enjoyable, would have been much less relaxing.

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Performance braking systems manufacturer Tarox has released details of its ‘Motorsport’ kit for the 6R Polo GTI, which will also fit SEAT Ibiza Cupra and Skoda Fabia vRS models from 2010 onwards. The company states that each kit is manufactured in the company’s Italian factory, and is based around race-proven B30 six-piston billet calipers, and uses two 323mm heat-drilled discs which come in either ‘F2000’ (grooved) or ‘Sport Japan’ (drilled and grooved) options. The rotors are made from European high carbon casts, meaning the disc will withstand much greater heat without distortion.

All the Tarox kit’s components bolt onto Volkswagen’s OEM mounting points, and also integrate with the car’s original ABS system. The Tarox conversion also has a weight saving of over 1kg per corner, and ‘Strada’ street, or ‘Corsa’ circuit pads can be specified. Everything is included in the B30 6 550×366 kit, which comprises of all fittings, all-braided stainless steel race-quality lines and fluids. All are covered under a lifetime guarantee. For more information on the Tarox range, visit http://en.tarox.com/.

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Leading performance exhaust supplier Jetex now offers a cat-back system for the latest 6R Polo GTI 1.4 TSI (2010 onwards). Costing £460 including VAT, the half-system is made from 2.5-inch (63mm) T304 stainless steel with twin 80mm round pipes, providing an enchanced, but not intrusive, exhaust note. The 6R GTI performance system also features reduced back pressure to complement the supercharged and turbocharged TSI engine’s performance. Interested? Contact Jetex on 01789 298989 (quoting part number 27-HADR) or visit the company’s website for more details and to find out about its products for older Polo models.

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In late summer, one of Volkswagen UK’s press fleet Polo GTIs came to rural Dorset with us for a 1000-mile test. J6 VWW experienced country lanes, motorways, and town roads in its time with us, and today, we’ve published a 14-page digital mini-magazine of our 14-day findings with the car. We first drove the latest performance Polo back in June, but the lanes in and around and south coast really gave us a chance to stretch its legs. As a cut-price Golf GTI, it’s an enticing proposition. Read what we thought of the controversial DSG gearbox, the searing performance, and how the car marries performance and refinement. Click the magazine graphic below, or if you can’t see the preview, visit this link. The sixth of our special digital mini-magazines, check out the PoloDriver bookshelf for our previous five titles. The first issue features mini-tests of the current Polo range in general, while the third is an account of our first drives of the SEL 1.2 TSI and 1.2 BlueMotion TDI.

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