Skip to main content

WRC: Reliability Improvements Coming to Volkswagen Polo R WRC for 2016 Campaign

  • Gentle evolution: few, systematic improvements to the Volkswagen Polo R WRC
  • The most successful car in WRC history is now even better

Wolfsburg. The most successful car in the history of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) is now even better. Volkswagen has made detailed improvements to the Polo R WRC ahead of the new World Championship season, which kicks off with the iconic Rally Monte Carlo from 21 to 24 January 2016. The few cautious changes to the equipment used by three-time world champions Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), as well as Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) and Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), were undertaken with a view to increasing the car’s reliability. Minor modifications have been made to the Polo R WRC – and not just under the bonnet. Changes have also been made to the design of the front of the car, giving the 318-hp four-wheel drive powerhouse an even more striking appearance. With 34 wins from 39 WRC rallies, the Polo R WRC is the most successful rally car of all time after just three seasons.

“We are about to defend our world championship title for the third time in a row,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. “The opposition has not been sleeping, and has modified its cars for the new season. So have we, of course: the changes to the Polo R WRC are basically fine-tuning and detailed improvements to make the world championship-winning car even better. You have to bear in mind that the regulations in the World Rally Championship only allow a few modifications within a homologation period. Thanks to this stability, it is possible to challenge for the title for several years with an existing car, making only detailed improvements. That is precisely our goal for 2016.”

Under the bonnet: an even more powerful Polo R WRC

The second generation of Polo R WRC is now even more reliable: two systematic changes to the chassis have optimised the stability of the car. The front subframe has been strengthened, as have the rear-axle wishbones for the gravel specification of the Polo R WRC. The pistons in the 318-hp engine have also been the subject of a minor modification, which is barely visible to the naked eye, in order to further optimise its reliability. As such, it is virtually identical to the engine used in the 2015 Polo R WRC.

On the bonnet: changes emphasise the beefy front

The changes to the exterior design of the Polo R WRC are far more visible. The fundamentals of the 2015 design remain unchanged, while minor modifications emphasise the beefy front of the World Rally Car. White stripes and areas make for a vivid front, emphasising the clear lines and striking design of the best-selling car from Wolfsburg.

2016 season: 14 outings around the world for the Polo R WRC

From Monte Carlo to Australia, via Europe, Argentina, Mexico and China – the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) features 14 rallies, as opposed to the 13 events of the past three years. A round in China has been added to the tried-and-tested WRC calendar. This will form the only overseas asphalt rally in 2016, giving the logistics experts, in particular, something of a headache when it comes to supplying spare parts. The season kicks off with the iconic Rally Monte Carlo in less than two weeks.

The 2016 World Rally Championship
21/01–24/01/2016    Rally Monte Carlo
11/02–14/02/2016    Rally Sweden
03/03–06/03/2016    Rally Mexico
21/04–24/04/2016    Rally Argentina
19/05–22/05/2016    Rally Portugal
09/06–12/06/2016    Rally Italy
01/07–03/07/2016    Rally Poland
28/07–31/07/2016    Rally Finland
18/08–21/08/2016    Rally Germany
08/09–11/09/2016    Rally China
29/09–02/10/2016    Rally France
13/10–16/10/2016    Rally Spain
27/10–30/10/2016    Rally Great Britain
17/11–20/11/2016    Rally Australia

The post WRC: Reliability Improvements Coming to Volkswagen Polo R WRC for 2016 Campaign appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1Ps586B
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Saying Goodbye to the CC V6

For all its size and its global reach, Volkswagen is still, in many ways, a deeply human company. There was, for instance, the Bugatti Veyron an ego project if ever there was one. Then the purchase of Ducati, a move most called folly. And then there was the Phaeton, the Volkswagen that most folks can’t afford. Not only were these moves all strange, I’m sure that they made VW’s accountants furious. None of them made good business sense, but they were all deeply interesting and they all are evidence of the heart that beats at the center of VW. Among these follies is the CC, a car that everyone agrees is rakishly handsome, but that no one really wanted to buy. The car couldn’t last, but the world is brighter for its having been in it. With the approach debut of the Arteon, it seems like a good time to look back on its sadly departing predecessor. The version I drove, because I live in Canada, is a V6 Wolfsburg Edition, which apparently isn’t available in the States. Nor is the V6, not as...
Post a Comment
Read more

T-Prime Makes World Premiere at Beijing

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The SUV segment is one of the fastest growing segments in the world and Volkswagen is showing the world how to do it. With the new T-Prime Concept GTE that was revealed today, the company is showing off all of the technology you can look for in its coming models. The T-Prime is a full-size hybrid SUV that can go up to 31 miles on a charge and gets 87 mpg. The hybrid power station is good for 375 hp and 516 lb/ft of torque and puts the power down with 4MOTION all wheel drive. It’ll get you up to 60 in six seconds. The concept’s real party piece, though, is its interior, which features exclusively touch, gesture, and voice controls. Everything from the infotainment, to the display, and even the gears are controlled by touch-screen. The T-Prime Concept GTE is bigger than the Touareg, and design elements are likely to find their way into all of their SUVs, of which there will be many. Volkswagen is also announcing that they expect to make an S...
Post a Comment
Read more

Watch: The Stig Drives (nearly) Seven Generations of Golf GTI

With Volkswagen announcing “major” updates to the Golf, it seems an appropriate time to look back on what we’ve had so far. And who better to guide us through the rich history of the most popular European car ever made than Ben Collins, the former Stig? Some say he’s never met a GTI he doesn’t love, and that he can’t grow any of his own facial hair. All we know is … Ben Collins is actually a pretty solid presenter. Working his way through seven generations of the GTI (skipping over the Mk6) Collins tells us a little bit about each one and matches each mark to its corresponding facial hair craze. The Mk1 GTI for instance, is light and quick, but can lose traction under hard acceleration (in heavy rain). Despite that, Collins calls the Mk1 a “pure gem.” The Mk4, meanwhile, is a powerful return to form after the perhaps too sensible Mk3. Collins ends in the only way he could, with the Mk7, which accelerates faster than a Lamborghini Countach and is all kinds of wonderful. Watch, ...
Post a Comment
Read more