PoloDriver

The 218bhp 2.0 TSI Polo R WRC was a left-hand drive, mainland Europe-only limited production model produced in 2013 to celebrate the introduction of the two-time World Rally Championship-winning Polo R WRC rally car. Milltek Sport offers a stainless steel exhaust system to further enhance the performance of the most powerful production Polo to date.

With twin 80mm ‘GT’ tailpipes, the Milltek Sport SSXVW263 cat-back system for the Polo R WRC has been designed to reduce dynamic pressure and to improve heat dissipation. With a guide tube cross-section of 70mm, the system is claimed to give more power by reducing the back pressure.

There’s also ‘plug and play’ compatibility, as the system uses OEM mounting locations with no re-working of mounts required. Milltek Sport exhaust systems are also precision and quality-control manufactured to ISO 9001 standards.

The Polo R WRC system is made up from the F5076 adapter sleeve, MSSE134 centerpiece, MSSE135 muffler, and MSVW369 tailpipes. At the time of writing, any lucky UK owners can upgrade their cars for £545.87 (including VAT) plus £16.74 shipping. We’ve also seen the system on popular auction site eBay for €869 including VAT.

Milltek Sport exhausts are also made from high-quality type 304 aircraft-grade stainless steel. This material is anti-magnetic (other manufacturers’ stainless steel systems may not be) and, the company says, is less susceptible to discolouration.

Distributed in the UK by Pumaspeed, for more details on the Milltek Sport Polo R WRC exhaust system, visit the Milltek Sport website.

Continue Reading

The Polo R WRC Street is, for now, the ultimate performance Polo. With 217bhp from its 2.0-litre TSI engine, it can scamper to 62mph from rest in 6.4 seconds. Top speed is 151mph. Built in limited numbers, 2500 have been sold to promote Volkswagen’s high-profile World Rally Championship campaign.

But all that power is nothing without control. Eibach has announced a Pro-Kit Performance Springs kit to make the Polo R WRC Street handle with even more precision. The car’s ride height and centre of gravity is lowered and the kit gives ‘more agile handling’.

Eibach’s own Anti-Roll-Kit Performance Sway Bars decrease body roll and improve cornering stability still further and aluminium Pro-Spacer Wheel Spacers lend a wider-tracked WRC-like air to the Polo R WRC Street’s assertive appearance. All Eibach suspension components are provided with a high-quality corrosion protection and are TÜV-certified.

For further information and to find a stockist, visit Eibach’s website or call +49 2721 511 342.

Continue Reading

Modified Polo GTI 6N2s are nothing new. But Davie Fraser’s is something special. A track day special in fact. With 300bhp and 330lb/ft of torque, Davie recalls what modifications the car has to give it a more than double standard power output

I have been a VW fan for years and have had several Golf 2.0 TDIs, both standard and remapped versions. My wife runs a Touran 2.0 TDI 170 which I use to tow my Brian James tilt bed trailer to Knockhill racing circuit, our nearest here in Scotland. And the track car which sits on the trailer? That’s a 2000 6N2 Polo GTI. It’s not standard, though…

I bought the Flash Red five-door ‘X’-registered 6N2 Polo GTI in 2010 with 83,000 miles on the clock just after we moved house, as I had to commute back and forth to work. It was certainly no minter but I have had a soft spot for the Polo GTI for years and always wanted one.

It soon became apparent that the gearbox was on its last legs, and after a bit of research, I found out that it was actually on its third gearbox, soured from a diesel Polo! (6N2 Polo GTIs are known to have gearbox issues.) I had toyed with the idea of building a track car, so made the decision then to use it on-track instead.

After sourcing and fitting a CWX gearbox from the 100bhp 16V 6N Polo, Raceland exhaust manifold, cone filter and a set of coilovers, it was ready for its first outing at Knockhill – a 130-mile hike from my home. The Polo was still road legal at this point so I had to be careful when I was out on the track, and couldn’t drive it like I had stolen it as I still had to drive home.

That first track day was really great. The GTI handled really well, even though it was on standard road tyres. I had a few spirited runs against a Golf VR6 and surprisingly the Polo did very well against it on the track. From then on I was hooked!

My second track day was also great fun, until I started to get blown into the weeds on the straights by bigger cars. Knockhill is only 1.3 miles in length and is a ‘power track’, so the Polo was never going to cut it with the big boys. The majority of cars that were attending the track days then were Subarus and Evos.

I made my mind up on the way home that I was going to build something that would put the cat amongst the pigeons and said to my mate Steve, ‘watch this space’. I then totally stripped the Polo including all wiring and interior in preparation for my build. I should have taken more time and thought it out but I was eager to get started on the transformation. I have a double garage at home so I was fortunate to have somewhere to carry out the work, much to the frustration of my understanding wife…

> Read More

Continue Reading

German tuner KW Automotive has announced a range of suspension kits designed for the high-performance Polo R WRC road car. With a 2.0-litre engine developing 217bhp, the limited edition Polo celebrates Volkswagen’s World Rally Championship success.

KW has five coilover kits available, ranging from the Variant 1, 2, and 3, up to the comfortable Street Comfort, through to the track day-focused KW Clubsport. All KW coliover suspension kits are made from stainless steel and have been TÜV tested to allow a continuously adjustment range of between 15-40mm on the front and 20-50mm on the rear.

Variant 1 features a factory-set damping adjustment, while the remaining four kits can be adjusted in either rebound damping or compression and rebound. Camber can be finely-tuned, too, depending on which kit is chosen.

‘As with all of our coilover suspensions, the continuous lowering is made directly on the stainless steel strut via the dirt-resistant trapezoid thread or on the rear axle height adjustment of the Polo’, explains KW Product Manager Johannes Wacker.

‘Through our damper setup that we have developed in numerous road tests, the KW coilovers for the Polo R WRC have – even at maximum lowering and depending on the wheel/tyre combination – excellent driving comfort.’

Variant 3 combines ‘everyday practicality and sporty driving dynamics’, with patented valve technology for the separate compression and rebound adjustment based on developments in motorsport. Sixteen clicks determine the adjustability of the rebound damping, while 12 clicks adjust the the compression.

Enhancing the driving dynamics of the high-performance Polo, KW states that drivers will see a noticeable benefit immediately. The Clubsport two-way coilover kit includes top mounts for amateur sport and drift use. Its dampers are of a higher performance standard than the Variant 3 kit, while the top mounts are added.

Both Clubsport and Variant 3 dampers can be adjusted without any tools thanks to the click adjustment wheel.

The Street Comfort kit meanwhile offers sports handling with long distance comfort. ‘The spring rates and the dampers are characterised by a comfort-oriented setup’, explains Wacker. ‘Despite the increased driving comfort, the Street Comfort allows direct handling.’

The Street Comfort version also has an adjustable rebound adjustment that allows the damping characteristics to be adjusted to be even more comfortable or stiffer for more sports-orientated handling. With 2500 Polo R WRC road cars produced, there could be demand for the KW coilover kits, but as of yet there are no details on pricing.

All KW Clubsport kits have been tested at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, are fully road legal, and also enjoy a valid German TÜV certificate.

Continue Reading

Following in the wheel tracks of the trio of tuned Polos by ABT, B&B Automobiltechnik and MTM, comes this Romeo Ferraris black Polo 6R.

While the German tuners’ specials were based on the limited-edition Polo R WRC ‘Street’, the hatch from the Italian outfit uses the lower-output Polo GTI as its foundation. A new CDA (BMC filter) air filter, and a new complete exhaust system with downpipe and 200-cell catalytic converter have been fitted, resulting in a 38bhp, 74Nm power increase.

Now with 216bhp, this upgraded Polo GTI also benefits from an extensive electronics overhaul, including a Romeo Ferraris module.

Chassis-wise, the car gains new Bilstein/Eibach shock absorbers and springs, making the three-door body sit closer to the ABT five-spoke matt black alloy wheels.

Externally, red detailing on the edge of the rims complement the standard red grille strips and brake calipers. The inside, though, is a different story. We’re not sure about the green leather interior to be honest, preferring the standard car’s ‘Jacky’ checked cloth with its red and grey accents.

Romeo Ferrari says that its Polo GTI is ‘ready to astonish enthusiasts of this car around the world’. While it may not be the wearer of extreme modifications, it’s one of a select band of specials based on the mainstream hot Polo. Find out more: bit.ly/1ffRlUw.

[Source: VWTuningMag]

Continue Reading