Volkswagen is to start competing in the World Rally Championships with a Polo R WRC car in 2013.
This follows three consecutive victories in the Dakar Rally, the company is developing a 4WD WRC car with a 1.6 TSI engine developing nearly 300hp.
New technical rules have come into effect in the WRC this year. For the first time, engines with a maximum displacement of 1,600 cc, direct injection and turbochargers are prescribed.