Volkswagen Polo R WRC Street Car is a Next-Level Hot Hatch

Jason Siu
by Jason Siu

Overshadowed by the new Golf’s debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen treated its Polo R WRC street car like yesterday’s news, tucking and hiding it from plain sight in its massive booth.

Formerly introduced in December 2012, the Polo R WRC street car is one hot hatch with 217 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. It’s also good enough to be the fastest Polo ever produced as well as taking top honors as the most powerful car in the subcompact hatchback category.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Geneva Motor Show Coverage

Unfortunately with the new Golf storming Volkswagen’s stage, the German automaker is treating the poor ‘ol Polo R WRC like a redheaded step child. But never fear, we haven’t forgotten about the hatch that’s powered by a 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder and weighs in at less than 3,000 pounds. The Polo R WRC street car is limited to just 2,500 units and will be built in left-hand drive only.

The saddest part of seeing the Polo R WRC live is that it’ll probably (certainly) never make it to America.

GALLERY: Volkswagen Polo R WRC Street Car

Discuss this story at VWForum.com

Jason Siu
Jason Siu

Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.

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