Volkswagen Reveals Polo R WRC [Video]

After months of rumors and whispers, Volkswagen officially announced that it will enter a factory team to the World Rally Championship starting with the 2013 season. The announcement was made in Italy, where journalists had the chance to take a first look at the car VW will throw in the competition, the 300HP Polo R WRC, shown here as a prototype.

Still under development, the rally-prepped supermini will be powered by a turbocharged, direct injection 1.6-liter TSI turbo engine and will use a four-wheel drive system. The four cylinder engine will develop around 300 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque (258 lb-ft) and will be fitted with a 33-millimeter air restrictor at high engine speeds, according to regulations. It will be paired to a sequential gearbox. The minimum dry weight of the car will be 1,200 kilograms (2,645 lbs).
As the pictures show, the Polo R WRC will have an aerodynamically-optimised body, with a massive wing at the back and extra-wide wheel-arches. Hopefully, we’ll see the “R” badge ending up on a road going version of the Polo as well.
The factory team will be run by Volkswagen Motorsport, the racing division that has won the past three Dakar rallies. Work on the vehicle concept design for the Polo R WRC started in February, while preparation of the first chassis is planned for later this year. The team will start an extensive testing program in 2012 and will familiarize with the WRC starting this year, as the VW group will enter Skoda cars at selected rally events at the end of the season.
Scroll down to watch the launch video of the Polo R WRC.

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Steel Drake’s Volkswagen Concept Sports Car

Imagine for a second that, in the very near future, Audi is facelifting the TT to look more like its big brother R8. Then, halfway through the project, Audi cans it and hands over all its sketches and prototyping model to Volkswagen which then decides to put the two-door coupe into production.

Kyrgyzstanian graphic designer “Steel Drake” has created something very much fitting with this scenario in the form of his Volkswagen Concept Sports Car. Looking like a scaled-down, front engined Audi R8, Steel Drake’s Concept Sports is a simple-yet-sleek design let down only by some questionable design choices.

Take for instance the drooping taillights that seem more befitting a Chinese car than one built in Germany, or the peculiar concave curves around the doors that seems stuck on rather than an integral part of the design. Otherwise it’s quite good looking, though perhaps more something Infiniti would produce than Volkswagen.

You can check out our full gallery below and / or leave your comments below.

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Volkswagen New Body Kit for Golf Mk6

Volkswagen has released a new set of accessories for its best selling model, the Golf MK6. The most important of these is a new aerodynamic package, which includes slightly redesigned bumpers, side skirts and a larger roof spoiler. Other than making the Golf look sportier, VW claims these new components improve the car's aerodynamics.
Other accessories for the Golf's exterior include two new sets of alloy wheels, both 17-inch large and painted in different hues of silver: the 15-spoke “Silex” and the 5-spoke “Onyx”. For the interior, Volkswagen's aftermarket division prepared a decorative trim set that consists of five pieces finished with a carbon look. The parts are destined for the instrument panel and door panels.
Volkswagen Accessories also offers new gear for utility purposes, such as a roof-box available in three different sizes that uses the DuoLift system, allowing the opening and loading of the roof-box on both sides. Another accessory is the luggage compartment tub made of washable plastic that can be divided into different sections according to needs.
All accessories are available through VW's dealer network.


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Volkswagen Microbus Concept

It has been ten long years since the last modern adaptation of the iconic Volkswagen T1. The Microbus concept captivated audiences in 2001 with its modern and evolved design that brought the famed hippie-cruiser into the 21st century. The new Bulli concept aims to bring back the sense of freedom and "free-love" in a more compact and environmentally conscious form.  

Images of the Bulli have already been released yet there was still much anticipation for the official reveal from show-goers and Microbus fans alike. The new study is an pure electric vehicle that focuses on practicality and simplicity.
The interior is a delightful blend of VW's bauhaus, modern simplistic design and practicality. The 3x3 seating allows for a few of the drivers most personal friends to join in on a theoretical 300 km (185 mile) road trip before having to recharge. The Bulli's practicality doesn't stop there, the seats can retract to form a bed turning the mircobus into a little camper.
The Bulli is actually a concept that makes a lot of sense while also being highly practical. An electric vehicle harking back to the days of the start of the environmental movement; it's a genius idea.
No matter how futuristic the design is, there are many details and elements that pay homage to the original model and its following. A modern day Hippie mobile. Whether it be the two tone paint, classic hub caps and the improved audio system that ensures "the music sounds as though it were being performed live. At Woodstock in 1969. We now seem to know its target audience.
The cars small 40 kWh electric motor allows for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 11.0 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph). So if you have the time to relax and watch the world go by, then this is the small EV for you. The modern take on a classic design is a unique step from Volkswagen and it is nice they let the Vision of the last model mature like a fine wine.


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