The Volkswagen Polo has turned 50 years old this year, so the company invited a Polo R WRC, a Polo R Supercar and an all-electric Polo RX1e to frolic around and do some crazy stunts.
The cars in the video are driven, launched into the air and drifted by Johan Christofferson, seven-time FIA Rallycross champion and two-time winner of the Gymkhana Grid. The Swedish driver said he had “a lot of fun” doing the tricks. He admitted that every Polo had its distinct character, but said that you could extract the maximum driving enjoyment from any of the three.
The director is none other than John Richards, a man with more than 20 years of experience in filming cars, including for the Top Gear show. He chose Gqeberha, SAR, for the filming location. All three Polos drove around the local bay, through one of the region’s main highways and at the premises of a local VW factory where the modern Polos are made and shipped worldwide, including Europe.
The Polo R WRC brought its tuned 1.6-liter engine with 315 PS (311 hp / 232 kW) to the filming set. The R Supercar relied on its trusty 2.0-liter mill with 570 PS (562 hp / 419 kW). The all-electric Polo RX1e outdid them all with 680 PS (67 hp / 500 kW) headed to all four corners.
And if the liveries seem familiar, that’s because they were once again designed by the legendary livery designer Sean Bull. Back in the mid-1990s, Bull adorned the Polo with a Harlekin livery composed of four vivid colors. The trio seen here pays a tribute to that special edition.
