Volkswagen launches WRC assault

Volkswagen has confirmed it will join the WRC ranks from the 2013 season.

The four-wheel-drive Polo R WRC will conform to the same Super 2000 regulations as its competitors, such as the new-kid-on-the-block Mini Countryman WRC, and will be powered by a turbocharged direct-injection 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine.

The challenge comes off the back of its recent success in events like the Dakar Rally, and motorsport boss Kris Nissen is keen to continue that momentum. “We look forward to this new challenge and are working on this project with the same passion with which we won the Dakar Rally in the past three years,” he said.

“Even though the WRC is new territory for us and involves learning in many areas, the team already meets some important prerequisites now as it brings an unwavering professional attitude and resolve to deliver absolute perfection to this commitment.”

The last time Volkswagen achieved success in a rally formula that is comparable to the WRC was with the Mk 2 Golf GTI in 1986, when Swede Kenneth Ericksson claimed the Group A World Championship.