2018 Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 #49
Pilots: P. Solberg / V. Gulbæk Engan
Team: Volkswagen Motorsport
Race: 14th overall (3rd in RC2 class) at the Catalunya Rally 2018
Ixo - RAM742 (diecast)
Published 17/02/26
Classified in Europe as a “supermini car” (B-segment), Volkswagen introduced the Polo in 1975. At first, the Polo was a rebadged Audi 50 from 1974. Yet, since Audi wanted to concentrate on more luxury models, they stopped production in 1978. From then on, the Polo became an exclusive VW model, and VW even circulated that it was a Bertone design. The truth was that Bertone’s involvement was minimal, and it was a de facto in-house Wolfsburg project. Even without the illustrious pedigree, the Polo was a commercial success. The first generation (Mark I) ran from 1975 to 1981, without modifications. In 1981 VW introduced the Mark II, with minimal body changes, and in 1990 came a facelift.
To keep up with the market, in 1994 came the Mark III, a completely new car with a new chassis. Available as a three- or five-door hatchback, it was the last European supermini to receive rear doors. Then, in 2001, came the Mark IV, and was the first Polo to go rallying. Volkswagen Racing fielded a Polo S1600 in the 2003 Junior WRC, winning the Rally of Turkey. At the 2009 Geneva Motor Show VW unveiled the Mark V, winning European Car of the Year for 2010. From 2013 to 2016 VW raced the Polo in the WRC1, winning the Drivers and Manufacturers titles four years straight. However, despite the huge success, in late 2016 VW announced they were withdrawing from the WRC. But business being business, in June of 2017 Wolfsburg released the Mark VI version of the Polo.
However, out of the blue, at the same time when the Mark VI came out, VW announced that they were going back to rallying 😳. Yet, there was a catch: they were not going back to the RC1-top class (at the time). They were making the Polo GTI R5, a model for the R5 rally class. The R5 rally class (nowadays called Rally2), is a cost-effective FIA specification for high-performance 4WD rally cars. So, in other words, VW was looking into the privateer market, with two main objectives. Firstly, they would still have all the PR benefits generated from being a “rally brand”. And secondly, there wouldn’t be the huge costs of development and maintenance of an RC1 team. Therefore, a R5 car would compete mainly in the WRC RC2 class and in smaller European races and championships.
The difference between a WRC RC1 car and a RC2 car is mainly power output. While the RC1 can deliver up to 279 kW (380 hp), FIA limits a RC2 to 199 kW (270 hp). The GTI R5 was, in theory at least, the same Mark VI Polo produced in VW’s plant at Navarra, Spain. However, Volkswagen Motorsport grabbed each chassis directly off the production line and took them to their Hannover, Germany facility. There, each chassis was hand-finished to R5 specs. The initial run consisted of 15 chassis, with all being sold when announced. The debut of the GTI R5 was at the Catalunya Rally, in October 2018. To promote the car, VW came as a works team, with two cars, GTI R5 #47 and #49. Though #47 finished in 35th place, #49 came in 14th and third in the RC2 class.
The 2018 Catalunya Rally was the only race to have a GTI R5 works team. VW didn’t want the hassle and didn’t want to compete against their customers, so it was a one-time event. Commercially the GTI R5 was a success, with 117 chassis produced so far. Up until to 2025, this Polo GTI R5 #49 holds the title of best WRC result. Nonetheless, in rallying in general it has been 1440 podiums in 3974 starts – impressive to say the least. In scale, it’s a great model. I can’t say it’s impressive, but is definitively very nice, just like my #21. Between the two I think I like more #49 just because of the war paint. And of course, it was the GTI R5 debut race. So, unless you’re a Polo rally fan, I think this one is the version to have.