Volkswagen Motorsport, the sports-oriented subdivision of the worldwide leading German car manufacturer, has unveiled their latest rally car, the 2018 Polo GTI R5. The vehicle is fully compliant with WRC-2 requirements and shall directly compete with Citroen DS3 R5, Ford Fiesta R5 and Skoda Fabia R5. Interestingly, Volkswagen doesn’t intend to participate in the WRC again, but instead offers technical support to its participating customers.
The Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 sports hatchback flaunts a stylish aerodynamic body kit which considerably improves its steerability, light alloy wheels and a slew of safety-oriented features.
The rally car houses a 1.6-liter V4 turbocharged engine capable of 272 hp with 400 Nm torque. The 2018 Polo GTI R5 needs 4.1 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (60 mph) – not a bad result for a vehicle weighing 1,320 kilograms (2,910 lbs).
Photo: Volkswagen Motorsport