Wolfsburg (17 January 2013). Impressive outing at the classic: Volkswagen once again made a good impression on day two of the Rally Monte Carlo. With the Polo R WRC making its competitive debut, Volkswagen duo Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia (F/F) added a second stage win and currently lie second overall after just over half the distance. Ogier and Ingrassia had previously won the very first stage of this year’s “Monte” on Wednesday.Having overcome extremely challenging conditions, with snow, ice and strong winds dominating the second leg of the rally, their team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) are sixth at the end of day two. In total, Volkswagen picked up five top-three results over the course of Thursday’s six special stages.

Tyre selection plays a major role at the Rally Monte Carlo. The extremely icy conditions at the 2013 event are making spiked tyres a hot commodity: no more than 20 are available for each car. As such, the teams are constantly faced with a strategic issue: how best to use the spikes. The question that just keeps on raising its ugly head is: when is the right time to use used material and when should they switch to new rubber? The closing stages of the “Monte” – including Saturday night’s classic on the Col de Turini – will reveal who played their cards right and used their tyres correctly.

Quotes, day two of the Rally Monte Carlo

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director

“The ‘Monte’ is our first rally with the Polo R WRC, and it is fantastic to see how well the team is already working with the car, and how smooth the processes have been from the word go during our services. This is just as important as the stage times themselves. We are obviously pleased that the cars have had absolutely no problems so far, and that the drivers have largely been returning to the service area with nothing more than a few scratches on their cars, despite the difficult conditions. All in all, the performance of the team at the halfway point has been absolutely excellent. What makes it all the nicer is that Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala have repeatedly been able to reward the good preparation and the great work put in by the mechanics at the rally in the form of top times. The guys have earned it.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7

“I tried a softer car set-up on the first three special stages of the day. Unfortunately that resulted in some edgy and inaccurate handling. On top of that, we picked up a puncture on the very first stage this morning after hitting a stone that we were unable to avoid at a very

narrow point on the route. In doing so I stalled the engine briefly. That explains the lost

time. After that we found a better rhythm. I have had an idea how we can adapt the set-up to better suit my driving style tomorrow.”

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8

“Today’s conditions on the ‘Monte’ were even more difficult than yesterday. The fact that once again won the first stage of the day in so much wind, ice and drifting snow was another welcome surprise. Although we took a cautious approach, we still had a spin in a left-hander on the second stage of the day. Despite that, the rally has been perfect for us so far. It will be even more perfect when we reach the finish on Saturday evening. Until then I will be concentrating solely on myself. Nobody should place too much value in the fact that we were in the top group again today: only when we get to the Rally Portugal will we be able to make reliable statements about how competitive we really are with the Polo R WRC.”

And then there was ...

... Ogier’s spy on ice, Nicolas Vouilloz, who has been providing Volkswagen with the latest information on the conditions out on the special stages throughout the Rally Monte Carlo. What does he have in common with Sébastien Ogier? The love of adrenalin sports: Vouillozis a ten-time downhill world champion, five-time World Cup winner and four-time European champion on his mountain bike. As if that were not enough, he has also started out on a second career: Vouilloz won the drivers’ title in the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).

Volkswagen’s compact city car, the up!, has retained its small car crown at the What Car? awards. The accolade was presented last night at a prestigious event held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

The up! was launched last March and has proved a big hit with customers and the media alike since then.  Commenting on the award, Chas Hallett, What Car? editor-in-chief, said: ‘The Volkswagen up! was last year’s Car of the Year because it offers class-leading ride and refinement and is great to drive. Low running costs and strong residuals make it sensational to own.’  Since it arrived on the market the up! has had to face stiff competition from a number of rivals, however, according to What Car? ‘none could match the up!’s sheer talent’.

As well as high quality, high levels of equipment and class-leading ride and refinement, the up! also offers excellent value for money.  Prices start at £8,095 (RRP OTR) for the entry-level Take up!.  What Car?’s chosen model, the High up! 1.0-litre 75 PS three-door, costs £10,665.  Standard equipment on this car includes ABS, four airbags, ESP (with the option to add the award-winning City Emergency Braking system for just £225), alloy wheels, air-conditioning, a variable boot floor, front fog lights, heated front seats and the innovative ‘Maps & More’ mobile Personal Infotainment Device which can be used to manage the car’s navigation, telephone, information and entertainment systems.

All up! models have a refined and economical three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine which produces 60 or 75 PS.  A BlueMotion Technology variant is also offered in combination with both power outputs, giving a combined consumption figure of 68.9 mpg (67.3 mpg with 75 PS) and CO₂ emissions of 95 g/km (98 g/km for 75 PS).  An automatic gearbox option is also available. 

From now until 31^st March 2013, retail customers can get behind the wheel of an up! for
£79 per month on a Solutions PCP scheme through Volkswagen Financial Services. 

For full details and Ts & Cs please visit your local Volkswagen Retailer or www.volkswagen.co.uk

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

The Stage is set: Polo R WRC makes its debut at the Rally Monte Carlo

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Monte Carlo

Wolfsburg (11 January 2013). When the first World Rally Car sets out on the opening stage of the Rally Monte Carlo, from Moulinon to Antraigues, at 09:00 on Wednesday 16 January, it will mark the start of something rather special: Volkswagen’s first season in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). 20,000 kilometres of testing, 1,700 parts designed completely from scratch, 17 months of preparations – all for this one moment, thedawn of a new age. The appearance of the Polo R WRC in the FIA World Rally Championship heralds a new era in motorsport for Volkswagen – and where better to makeyour debut than the legendary Rally Monte Carlo. In Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) and Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), the works team from Wolfsburg lines up at the WRC season-opener with two young crews who nevertheless already possess a wealth of experience. From 15 to 20 January, Volkswagen will face strong opponents and a new technological challenge. The WRC is regarded as the biggest all-round test in international motorsport and, alongside Formula One, it is the most iconic of the FIA’sworldchampionships.

“I cannot wait to finally getting going. The entire team at Volkswagen is looking forward to the WRC debut of the Polo WRC,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. “World Championship rallies in the top WRC class are new territory for the team. Furthermore, the Polo R WRC has been developed from scratch, features a lot of innovativeideas, and will be making its competitive debut. The ‘Monte’ will give us our first indication of how we compare with the opposition – our rivals already have two years’ experience of the regulations that came into force in 2011, and have been driving in the WRC for many years. Our goal for the Rally Monte Carlo is to gain as much experience as possible and to finish with both cars.”

Debut time: Volkswagen, the World Rally Championship and the Rally Monte Carlo
The Rally Monte Carlo is a first for Volkswagen in many regards: the team is competing at a World Championship rally in the top category for World Rally Cars. At the same time, the Polo R WRC will make its first competitive outing and the team will be working with a new driving duo for the first time under rally conditions. Finn Jari-Matti Latvala and his compatriot and co-driver Miikka Anttila officially joined the Volkswagen outfit at the start of the year. Prior to their appearance at the “Monte”, the duo with seven WRC wins to their name have completed a number of test drives.

Latvala and Anttila start the 2013 season in the number 7 Polo R WRC. In the cockpit of the number 8 Polo will be Frenchmen Sébastien Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia. They have been under contract as Volkswagen works drivers since the end of 2011 and have played significant roles in the development and testing of the Polo R WRC.

Together with co-driver Ingrassia, Ogier, who was born in Gap (F), has already won his home rally on one occasion. In 2009 the French pair won the classic as guest starters in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC). Like Latvala and Anttila, Ogier and Ingrassia currently have seven WRC race wins to their name.

Simply legendary: the “Monte” challenge in the snow and ice of the mountains
The Volkswagen Motorsport team could hardly be facing a tougher challenge. After all, the “Monte” is the oldest rally in the world and the “mother of all rallies”, having been held for the first time in 1911. The majority of the Rally Monte Carlo is held on narrow tarmacked roads in the French Maritime Alps to the north of the principality of Monaco. While the lower roads close to the Mediterranean are regularly dry, the drivers are often faced with black ice and snow on the many mountain passes they are required to negotiate. This makes it essential to select the right tyre – and makes the “Monte” one of the most difficult and complex rallies on the World Championship calendar.

Thoughts ahead of the Rally Monte Carlo

Jari-Matti Latvala, Polo R WRC #7
“I can hardly wait for the season to get started. I may already have five years as a works driver in the World Rally Championship under my belt, but both the Volkswagen Motorsport team and the Polo R WRC are new to me. As such, I will be making my debut in two regards. The tests up to now have shown that the Polo R WRC is very reliable. This is probably the most important finding so far – and a good basis for future technical developments over the course of the season. I have already developed a good feeling for the car on asphalt and snow, which is a good sign ahead of the Rally Monte Carlo. It is greatfun driving the Polo R WRC. It is very stable and the driveability of the engine is also very good. I would like to get the season off to a good start at the ‘Monte’. The result is not the top priority yet, although I would obviously love to pick up some World Championship points.”

Sébastien Ogier, Polo R WRC #8
“The ‘Monte’ is a very special rally. After all, it is my home rally. However, the season- opener near my home will be an extraordinary experience for the entire team, as it is the first rally with the new Polo R WRC. We have been working towards this moment with Volkswagen for over a year. We can hardly wait to finally get started. However, it is difficult to judge how we will compare to the opposition, as we have not yet raced against the other teams under competitive conditions. Making your debut in a world championship with a completely new car is a big challenge, particularly as the other manufacturers have several years more experience than we do. For this reason we must be patient and concentrate at first on reaching the finish without any problems. Experience shows that this is anything but simple at the Rally Monte Carlo, as anything can happen at this event.”

Volkswagen in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)

The start in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) sees Volkswagen continue its successful history in motorsport. Volkswagen claimed overall victory at the Rally Dakar in 2009, 2010 and 2011 with the Race Touareg to claim a hat-trick of titles at the toughest marathon rally in the world. The Polo R WRC is the first World Rally Car to come out of Wolfsburg, with the manufacturer now entering its own works team at the pinnacle of rallying for the first time. This presents Volkswagen with the opportunity to prove itself in direct sporting competition on a global stage. No model is more suited to the challenge than the Polo, which is one of Volkswagen’s most internationally manufactured and distributed cars.

Three questions for ... Jost Capito

If you could have chosen a rally for the Polo R WRC to make its debut at – would you have taken the Rally Monte Carlo?
Jost Capito: “The Rally Monte Carlo is not only the most iconic rally on the World Championship calendar, but also the most difficult and complex. The surface alternates regularly between ice, snow, rain and dry asphalt, which can make the strategy difficult and tyre selection something of a lottery. We are obviously delighted that the Polo R WRC will make its debut at this highlight.”

In Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala you have signed two very quick drivers. Who do you feel is the stronger?
Jost Capito: “They are both equally strong. As a Scandinavian, Latvala grew up on gravel – however, he has made huge progress on asphalt in recent years. The same applies to Ogier, who also has what it takes to win on any surface. Both have seven WRC wins to their name. In the end it will come down to who performs best on the day to determine who is the quickest.”

What goals does Volkswagen have for the 2013 season?
Jost Capito: “We are aware that we will be up against strong opposition with decades of World Rally Championship experience. The Polo R WRC, on the other hand, is making its debut this year and the team also has a new look to it. As such, we have to set realistic goals. We want to make it onto the podium under our own steam in the second half of the year.”

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk