Volkswagen is not horsing round with its Polo supermini hatchback. The German automaker is celebrating 50 years because the metropolis automobile was launched, so naturally it has constructed itself a race automobile. Seven-time World Rallycross champ Johan Kristoffersson is out for a Gymkhana-style blast in not one, however a number of hopped-up Polos across the South African manufacturing facility in Uitenhage, which has been one of many many crops constructing the Polo because it began in 1996. And it is the one plant that builds the warmer GTI mannequin.
Polo Mission Drift is not about fancy grass and little balls. It is a few rally driver doing what he does finest, and in the event you’re among the many hundreds of thousands who adored Ken Block’s decade of Gymkhana movies, sit again and benefit from the nostalgia.
Volkswagen’s Tiny Racecar Means The Enterprise
The video begins off sizzling with a four-wheel burnout on a delivery pallet with Kristoffersson in a Polo WRX. Some critically quick and livid drifts across the port quickly comply with, seeing him driving sideways underneath and round cranes. He maneuvers by way of a couple of stacks of delivery containers with a message, and all of it reminds us of Ken Block’s Gymkhana Two from method again in 2009. Oh, the feels.
Then one other Polo exhibits up. The 2 do some synchronized skids earlier than Kristoffersson hops right into a Polo R WRC, a automobile that gained 4 World Rally titles. He begins this automobile within the final place you’d count on, however shortly strikes onto the manufacturing facility grounds. Drifting round one other new Polo that’s up on two wheels, Kristoffersson is in his rally aspect in between manufacturing facility equipment and stacks of elements and panels. The Block vibes hit us as soon as once more, mixing just a little little bit of Gymkhana 5’s San Francisco enjoyable with the city components of Gymkhana 10.
After releasing some birthday balloons, it is time for an additional automobile change. This time, Kristoffersson jumps into one thing lots quieter however simply as furry. It is the Polo RX1e, an all-electric FIA World Rallycross Championship automobile, and Kristoffersson has gained two titles with it. The electrical motors make 671 horsepower, lots to blow the tires off each time the driving force feels prefer it. Kristoffersson finds himself in a sea of Polo race vehicles. They’re Polo SupaCup vehicles, a single-make collection run in South Africa that appreciates the extreme competitors you will discover with reasonably priced spec-series race vehicles.
How Many Polo Race Vehicles Can There Be?
After blowing previous that subject and getting buzzed by a Pink Bull aerobatics aircraft, Kristoffersson goes for his massive drift finale. This time he is within the slowest automobile however with the best stakes. Kristoffersson is drifting a brand new Polo GTI round dozens of different brand-new Polos in a manufacturing facility parking zone. And the large end? He handbrake-slides subsequent to the way forward for the Polo. We cannot spoil the video with each element, however we do wish to whet your whistle.
The 2 older Polo race vehicles and the most recent one within the video all share one thing apart from the title. All get totally different takes on the long-lasting Volkswagen Harlequin livery. The 1996 Golf Harlequin is likely to be the better-known mannequin in North America, nevertheless it was a Polo that did it first.
VW created a fleet of 10 of the four-color Polos in 1994 to point out off its personalization choices with the brand new mannequin. It was a success, so VW constructed 1,000 for 1995 and round 3,806 whole over three years. Will VW do it once more now? In all probability not. It has teased it with an electoluminescent ID.3, however do not count on it on a Polo this time.
Now, if we will simply get a crazy-powerful AWD rally Polo for the road, we may sleep simpler at night time.