If an automobile ever broke the internet, it might be this. And we got a risk to stand up close and personal with India’s first (mid) rear-engined, rear-wheel drive Volkswagen Polo. It’s were given the 1. Eight-litre TSI rapid from the Ameo Cup vehicle, rated at 205PS and 320Nm torque on the wheels, and a six-velocity sequential gearbox from 3MO. But what makes it extreme is that it contains its engine in a place typically reserved for the most exceptional supercars. It wasn’t built with some European boutique aid; it was constructed using the VW Motorsport India crew in Pune! Sirish Visa, head of VW Motorsport, says, “We’re searching on the Customer Sport music cars as an alternative for clients walking their supercars on the tune. The charges can quickly spiral, with the supercars needing a provider, brake, tires, etc., each few music days. With something like the Polo RX, you get all the amusing you want at a fragment of the charge.”
As they call it, this’ winter challenge was constructed inside the scraps of spare time near the final year’s season and getting ready for the following. “I’ve built this vehicle in my head approximately 15 times earlier than we were given down to building it for real,” Sirish comments, and that without the meticulous making plans, engineering, and measuring completed before even touching the metallic, the construct would’ve taken ways, some distance longer than the stunning ten days that it did. Turning the front-engined, front-wheel pressure hatchback into this isn’t always as clean as taking the engine and plopping it into the returned.
Starting with an Ameo Cup vehicle, the complete engine becomes cut out from under the hood, apron, sub-frame, etc. And then welded well into the gap that might’ve been taken up by using the rear seats. The group had to regulate the whole lot from the B-pillar lower back to be capable of doing this. The entire floor plan at the rear was cut out, and the suspension mounting points had to be moved similarly lower back to match the 1.8-liter turbocharged engine and sequential gearbox as is; even the driveshafts failed to want any change. The gas tank was removed and changed using a gas cell below the hood just ahead of the front axle. The intercooler is positioned low, almost below floor degree, and is fed air from the bottom of the automobile, way to a touch plate that allows a little perspective to float directly to it. To pinnacle matters off, the Polo’s shell was delivered.
Calling the Polo RX rear-engined isn’t correct, although. The engine surely sits just ahead of the rear axle, making this Polo even more ideal considering it’s mid-engined. It is desirable because, while the Polo Cup car had a front-to-rear weight balance of 65:35, this monster is away in the direction of impartial, with a forty-five fifty-five credit. Luckily, the fuel mobile only holds around 25-30 liters of gasoline, so the weight stability would not alternate much closer to the end of a song day consultation.
We had been itching to get at the back of the wheel of the Polo RX while we first walked as much as it was in the pit lane at MMRT. Then, we got to enjoy it from the passenger seat. Looking at VW Motorsport’s resident test driver, Karthik Tharani’s struggle with the little Polo around quickly helped us recognize the Polo RX isn’t always for amateurs. It’s a severe little racecar, notwithstanding the extensive grins we had when we climbed out of it. It might also just be the most serious VW Motorsport has ever created.
It’s hotter and louder than any others because all that sits among you and the engine is a slice of steel and a foot-and-a-half of air. It’s additionally inherently snappier, wanting sharp reflexes to seize. With more weight on the rear, it desires to change ends if you bring too much speed into a corner. And with all that torque going to the rear wheels, it wants to do it again in case you get an excessive amount of at the throttle getting out of a nook. As it stands, it is like a frustrated pass-kart. The news is that on the second day of testing and with minor setup adjustments, we’re advised it was getting simpler and more rewarding to walk that tightrope.
And it is the mark of a great automobile. One that scares you but also brings the widest grin to your face. VW Motorsport estimates owning one on this spec will cost approximately Rs 60 lakh. They may even construct one with a -liter engine up to 350PS or a stick-shift gearbox if you’re masochistic enough. Lucky for VW Motorsport, a mid-engine, rear-wheel pressure Polo is certainly more distinctive and faster than whatever else in that fee variety. Now, if only we should power one home.
Our Renault Captur lengthy-termer has been equipped with an automobile monitoring tool from Let’s Track over the past month. Our unit, the Let’s Track Premium, comes with a host of capabilities that allow you to recognize what’s occurring together with your vehicle while you are not in it. These functions are accessed through an app via which you can sign the car’s movement in real-time, ship emergency messages, and manage some of the automobile’s features over the air. Users can also create zones to permit an app consumer to recognize while their vehicle has crossed these limits. The app receives Google Maps aid and can be used for navigation; however, these brought functions.
