The weather was not sunny in the morning in southern France, the mood of most VW team members more. For just the new factory rider Sebastien Ogier had come surprisingly to the test after Corbieres. However, the third placed of the 2011 World Rally Cup had to wait before he was allowed to take the first time in the Polo WRC place. First was auto motor und sport with the track test in the series. Promised is promised. ?S is not a pardon.
While the team rally to Ogier and increasing impatient of a foot on the other, the car neatly comes motor und sport man sweat. Rather than because it would have been especially hot. But it puts the burden of responsibility. Even if it so clearly says not one of the technicians, the mines of the men in dark blue uniform speak volumes: nothing TU on our car just! Otherwise, you can experience what! This Polo is our single test car at the moment!
Fortunately, the Polo WRC turns to the first m as grundehrlicher, reliable companion: who is ever sat in a rally car, will close fast friendship with the little ones from Hanover. The 1600 Turbo is greedy at the gas itself as yet the electronic mapping with the number 1 is enabled.
"This is the key field for the stages of connection in normal traffic," said passenger Timo Gottschalk, who won the Dakar Rally for VW in January 2011 on the side of Nasser Al-Attiyah. "If turning the rotary switch on the steering wheel to 5, the full power of is at hand" "With the air circulation system."
The ALS (anti lag system) keeps the turbocharger in the push operation in a good mood and makes for absolutely without delay response of the engine, as well as for the fine Sprotzeln and pop of the exhaust. Unfortunately the technicians like it not particularly if the motor the track test is so enslaved. So a compromise must be made, mapping 2.
No problem, because after days flood the underground in Corbieres is softened so, that the Nice, polished to a shine Polo looks in no time like an Aardvark after a mud cure. Needless to mention that in the muddy terrain the struggle for traction is more important than the question of whether the engine strammer is a still a sentiment to the point.
The button is much more important than the electronic dial switch top left on the wheel. Here, the windshield wiper is switched on. In the lower-lying places of Speedway smacks of the mud in cow cake-sized lump of against the disc. Here, the Polo calls for a tight reins. Because the rear would now like to push forward. So: be brave on the gas, but with feeling. And quickly draw against. Thanks to the extremely direct steering - from stop to stop it only one and a half revolutions - it is not too difficult to Parry lunges of the stern.
The swallowing power of the chassis is amazing: no wonder, because in the gravel vote are stately 275 mm total spring distance available. They are 25 mm more than on the Dakar winning car limited by the rules and regulations, the Race Touareg. "The more travel, the better the traction", explains Polo designer Francois-Xavier Demaison.
"But we must also know: the longer the travel, the greater the friction." "And there is indeed no World Cup for the longest stroke." Small dig at Ford-Technology Director Christian Loriaux and its credo "Travel about everything" - a jokes for insiders.
On the higher sections of Corbieres, suddenly fierce grip adjusts for the resistant rolled natural slopes. The Polo gets started as the fire department. In 4.1 seconds he will Sprint to 100 km/h create, it was said by an official body. Absolutely credible. Especially since the Schaltpausen are felt in the single digit millisecond range.
The reloading of the six gears works very simple: determination pulling on the outstanding immediately next to the Volant in the cockpit switch stock that wars. This quiet further can be pedal to the metal. As soon as you touch the gear lever, the ignition is interrupted briefly.
Since 2010, a fairly restrictive engine regulations applies to World Rally cars: only 1.6 instead of two liters displacement are allowed, the boost pressure is limited to maximum 2.5 bar, also of the cylinder through an air volume limiter with just must snorkel 33 mm in diameter. Gasoline direct injection is required. In practice, the difference between the old engines is reasonably small: 300 HP create the 1600s. Only at the moment, it is important to make trade-offs: instead of over 700 nm commands the pilot now only about less than 400 nm.
On a quick s-curve to go in sixth gear: short stop, two gears down button, give way. And again full throttle. You can safely forget the old school of the spirit of the rally with wild to swing of the rear frame in modern cars. The Polo is a almost automatically the drift. And: the cross is wonderfully easy to control.
It's easy to 4WD-Technik of based on a Skoda Fabia Super 2000 rally cars first Volkswagen WRC: are there in the Middle differential rigid drove through, on the front and rear axle, simple multi-plate differential do service. No comparison with the excesses of the technology center of the 2000s, as the diffs of a complicated system of electro-hydraulic control was taken over. This is like the semi automatic via regulations prohibited today.
Ogier is diplomatically
After a half hour drift pleasure, the Polo WRC is back safe and sound service. All breathe on, Ogier assumes the Volant. When he comes back from his first aboard, forms a thick cluster of VW men on the driver's door. All want to know: where do we stand? Ogier, who won five World Cup races in the Citroen DS3 WRC as well as world champion Sebastien Loeb 2011, replied diplomatically: today this is not the issue, he says. "Importantly, planned to work on the Polo World Cup debut in January 2013."
In the meantime, Ogier is a busy man. "Around 20 tests with each three days be in 2012 on the program", says VW-Sports Director Kris Nissen. "Also want we Ogier and alternately Abbring Kevin and Andreas Mikkelsen deny all 13 World Cup races with a Skoda Fabia S2000 team to train and practice procedures."
Designer Demaison confirmed: "the only thing missing in comparison with Citroen, VW is the experience." And rider Ogier know: "My girlfriend begins to understand that I will at home be 2012 quite rare."
