Volkswagen has published a very early sketch of the 2017 Polo R WRC, a next generation racer that is built to welcome a more spectacular rallying season. This is courtesy of new regulations that permit cars which are lighter, given more aerodynamic freedom and with more power.
Volkswagen has been developing the third generation polo R WRC since the summer of 2015 and will generate about 380 hp. That is roughly 60 hp more than the current car (318 hp).
“The 2017 WRC regulations include many spectacular technical innovations for the World Rally Championship,” said Jost Capito (below), the McLaren F1-bound Volkswagen Motorsport Director. “The World Rally Cars of the future will incorporate all the experience that teams have gained in recent years. They will be considerably more dynamic, whilst at the same time being safer. The key between now and the start of next season is to achieve the best possible prerequisites to allow the 2017 Polo R WRC to be as successful as its two predecessors.“
The 2017 VW WRC car will be about 50 millimetres wider, 25 kilograms lighter, and with an output of roughly 380 hp. This increase in performance of about 60 hp is achieved by widening the air restrictor from the current 33 millimetres to 36 millimetres. Furthermore, electronic centre differential can now be used for the power transmission.
The most visually striking changes are the larger rear wing and broader front spoiler. The minimum length of the car is now 3,900 mm, whilst the minimum weight is reduced from 1,200 to 1,175 kg.
Although the new technical components have already been applied in numerous tests, the appearance of the Polo R WRC will still change significantly by the start of the season at the Rally Monte Carlo in January 2017.
