Volkswagen has confirmed recent speculation it will contest the World Rally Championship from 2013 - and revealed these images of the car it's going to do it with, officially described as "the hottest Polo of all time".
After three consecutive victories at the Dakar Rally Volkswagen has set itself new aims in top-calibre sport, ran the official announcent yesterday: "With three car corporations currently involved in the championship and global media coverage, the WRC offers an attractive, highly competitive environment for Volkswagen.
By 2013 the Wolfsburg-based brand will develop a near-300-hp rally vehicle with a 1.6-litre TSI engine and four-wheel drive based on the Polo."
Speaking at a press conference a company spokesman said: "The new Technical Regulations of the World Rally Championship are an ideal fit for Volkswagen's philosophy with respect to the development of production vehicles.
"Downsizing, high efficiency and reliability are top priorities for our customers. The timing of the WRC debut is optimal for Volkswagen. The big task of engineering a vehicle that is competitive and capable of winning at a large number of challenges holds great appeal for us."
The World Rally Championship project will be handed to the VW factory team that has won the Dakar in the past three years.
Rally fans will know this isn't entirely new ground for the German company. In 1986 the Swede Kenneth Eriksson and his German co-driver Peter Diekmann in the Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V claimed the world champion's title in the newly incepted Group A.
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