Just short of 11,000 kilometres as the crow flies separate Asunción, the capital of Paraguay in South America, and a remote wooded area near the North German town of Sulingen. Miguel Carrizosa, President and Managing Director of Diesa S.A., local Volkswagen importer in Paraguay, made the long journey: “This occasion is worth travelling any distance.”

Two minutes later, Carrizosa sits on the passenger seat of the Polo GTI R5. A quick handshake with Volkswagen test and development driver Dieter Depping and Volkswagen Motorsport’s latest rally car roars off into the labyrinth of asphalt roads that wind their way through the former ammunition depot.

“There is already huge interest”

For Carrizosa, this “taxi ride” offers a glimpse of the future. Just a few days ago, the racing car, developed by Volkswagen Motorsport specifically for customer sport, has been officially approved for motorsport purposes. “Despite this, there is already huge interest,” says Juliane Gründl, head of sales at Volkswagen Motorsport. “All 15 cars planned for production in 2018 are sold out.” A further 40 cars are planned for 2019.

Volkswagen Motorsport invited the recipients of the first batch – private teams from Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Paraguay, Portugal and Sweden – to visit the team base in Hannover and to meet the Polo GTI R5 at the test facility in the North German province.

Jan-Gerard de Jongh is the technical project leader and responsible for the Polo GTI R5. Up until 2016, the Dutchman was the race engineer for Sébastien Ogier, who won four World Rally Championship titles with the Polo R WRC. “We have hardly been able to use any parts from the Polo R WRC,” says de Jongh, referring to the strict restraints of the motor sport’s worldwide governing body, the FIA, for R5 cars. “Production parts are mandatory in many areas, in order to keep a lid on costs,” de Jongh explains. The FIA has also limited the net sale price to 180,000 Euros.

The concept: affordable and manageable technology

R5 cars start in the WRC2 class here – the second division of the world championship. “The Polo GTI R5 is affordable and, with the help of Volkswagen Motorsport, can be managed by our own technicians. That would not be possible with a World Rally Car like the Polo R WRC. That is ideal for us, as we primarily field talented young drivers,” Räikkönen adds, preparing himself for his turn in the hot seat next to professional rally driver Depping.

The next time the multiple German rally champion precisely parks the Polo GTI R5 in the service area and the mechanics briefly check the technology, Kai Roger Waaler climbs out of the passenger door, grinning. The Swede works for Johan Kristoffersson’s team – the reigning World Rallycross Champion with the Polo GTI Supercar. “I can hardly wait to receive our Polo GTI R5. I am really excited to see how it fares in WRC2,” says Waaler.

Dress rehearsal at the Rally Spain

The first indication of what the new car is capable of will come at the RallyRACC – Rally de España (25 to 28 October), which forms part of the world championship. The Spanish leg of the world championship, which takes place to the south of Barcelona, is the only rally held on both gravel and asphalt. “That is a perfect opportunity for us to demonstrate how competitive the Polo GTI R5 is at the highest level and on different surfaces,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets, looking ahead to October. The Polo GTI R5 is well prepared for its debut. “By the time the car goes racing for the first time at the Rally Spain, we will have completed about 10,000 kilometres of testing,” says project leader de Jongh.

On top of that come the kilometres completed during the demonstration runs in the forest just outside Sulingen. However, Miguel Carrizosa has not selected the asphalt chassis in the purchase agreement for his Polo GTI R5. “We compete solely on gravel,” he explains. “However, the Polo GTI R5 will be just as impressive in Paraguay as in Germany!”