For years, Subaru, Ford, Citroen and Mitsubishi have been the big names in the World Rally Championship, but it looks like there’s a new contender on the stage. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia claimed top honors in the Rally Sweden back in February, and continued that streak to win the World Champion Driver and Co-Driver titles for 2013. 2013 is Volkswagen’s debut season in the FIA World Rally Championship, and the manufacturer is still in contention for the championship with one race left to go.
The 315-horsepower Polo R WRC carried Ogier and Ingrassia to victory in four of its first six rallies after its debut this season. Powered by a 1.6 liter turbocharged engine, the racing Polo went on to collect three more victories. Volkswagen is on track to win the manufacturer’s title and would be the first ever to perform that feat in its rookie season.
