Set on defending its World Rallycross Championship title, Volkswagen Motorsport and PSRX Volkswagen Sweden have taken the covers off their latest Polo R supercar.
The new vehicle is an evolution of the previous car rather than a complete overhaul. This new WRX car offers a tweaked bumper and frontal area compared with the 2017 championship winner, and now incorporates wings to assist with aerodynamics as well as engine cooling. The rear spoiler, however, closely resembles that of the previous car.
The powertrain again comes in the form of a 2,0-litre four-cylinder engine providing a whopping 425 kW, while a six-speed sequential gearbox that was initially developed for Volkswagens rally cars is carried over from the 2017 vehicle. Thanks to a permanent four-wheel-drive system, the car can launch from 0-97 km/h in a claimed 1,9 seconds, before topping out at 209 km/h.
PSRX Volkswagen Sweden dominated WRX in 2017, with Petter Solberg and Johan Kristoffersson taking eight victories during the 12-race season. The new season gets underway in Barcelona on 14 April and ends with the grand finale in Cape Town late in November.
