VW Polo R WRC Race and Street in pictures

The annual Worthersee tuning festival has kicked off in Austria and, as ever, it’s introduced us to some very tasty metal. Nestled next to the lovely e-bike and a couple of sexy Golf GTI concepts were a pair of hot Polos known as the Polo WRC Race and Polo R WRC Street.

Here's the Polo R WRC Race doing what exactly what it says on the tin. — Here’s the Polo R WRC Race doing exactly what it says on the tin.

As you might expect from cars with WRC in their names, both are substantially quicker than the current range-topping Polo GTI. Whereas that car produces a respectable 178bhp, the R WRC Race’s hotted up 1.6-litre TSI lump throws out a disturbingly high 300PS (295bhp). That’s enough to provide a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.1 seconds. And painful whiplash.

VW is also producing a slightly tamer version, known as the R WRC Street. Actually, tame is quite wide of the mark. This bad boy uses a 2.0-litre TSI engine tuned to produce very impressive 220PS (217bhp). VW isn’t quoting any performance figures, but we expect it’s considerably quicker than the Polo GTI — and that thing can shift (0-62mph in 6.9 seconds and 142mph, anyone?).

The Street definitely looks the part. It isn’t as aggressive-looking as the R WRC Race, which is all flared wheel arches and terror, but its rallying influence is clear to see — not least because it has WRC written on the side.

Sadly, your chances of getting your hands on the R WRC Race are slim to none. However, the Polo R WRC Street is headed for a showroom near you. VW means business with this one and has confirmed it will be launched in late 2013.

No price has been confirmed as yet, but we’re busy saving our pennies as you read this. We suggest you crack open your piggy bank and assess your financial situation post haste. As ever, you can leave your feedback in the comments below or on our Facebook page. Pictures are below.

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