Rallying at the Hillclimb

KNYSNA MOTORSPORT NEWS – Volkswagen Motorsport has announced the line-up of drivers and cars that will be competing in the annual Simola Hillclimb on behalf of the German automotive manufacturer.

"We are very excited to announce that Petter Solberg will be making his way to South Africa to race in the Polo R WRX Supercar. Solberg won the [WRX] Team's Championship in both 2017 and 2018 before his retirement from full-time racing. We are thrilled to have Petter come out of retirement to race for us in South Africa," said Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport.

With two Drivers titles and two Teams FIA World Championship wins, the Polo R WRX Supercar is one of the most successful cars in the modern Rallycross era.

Standout features of the Polo R WRX Supercar include engine cooling, which has an emphasis on aerodynamics thus making it far more efficient. The rear wing of the supercar creates more downforce and allows for a wide range of set-up options.

The Polo R WRX Supercar's engine develops 419kW of power with a torque peak of 650Nm at 5 000 rpm. The four-cylinder engine is coupled with a sequential, six-gear racing transmission and it takes just 1,9 seconds to complete the 0 - 100km/h sprint.

The Volkswagen Motorsport line-up at the Hillclimb this year will also include its factory drivers Jonathan Mogotsi and Daniel Rowe, who will be competing in the new Golf 8 R. The Golf 8 R's drive output is generated by a 2,0-litre four-cylinder EA 888 engine. The Golf 8 R accelerates to 100km/h in just 4,8 seconds with the top speed being 250km/h. The Golf 8 R impresses with the combination of 400Nm of torque, cutting-edge running gear and the most progressive all-wheel drive in its class.

Graeme Nathan will be the fourth driver representing Volkswagen Motorsport.

Last year, Nathan came in second in the Class B2 finals in one of the closest margins in the history of the Simola Hillclimb: 0,016 seconds. Graeme Nathan will be competing in the Polo SupaCup racing car yet again this year. - Supplied, Volkswagen Motorsport

Last year, Volkswagen also featured two electric VW Golfs too.