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VW Polo G40 - Little whirlwind

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Created on November 28, 2022

Reading time 5min

Written by:

Sven Jürisch

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Sven Jürisch

Volkswagen / Werk

Bruno von Rotz

Sven Jürisch

Volkswagen / Werk

Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – auf dem Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – nur als Coupé mit Schrägheck erhältlich, nicht als Steilheck

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – in der Farbe "Windsorblau"

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – stets nur dreitürig

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – Rückleuchten mit getöntem Blinker ab Modelljahr 1992

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – erst den Nachfolger gab es auch mit fünf Türen

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – mit 113 PS ein kleines Kraftwerk

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – Kühlergrill mit schwarzem Emblem und rotem Schriftzug

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – Farblose Blinker gab's zum Modelljahr 1992

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – Jetzt ohne Leerzeichen zwischen G und 40

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – serienmässige Leichtmetallräder BBS RA im Format 5,5 J x 13

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – zeitgenössische Tester lobten das Handling

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – schneller als der Golf GTI

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – unaufgeregtes Cockpit (fast) ganz in Grau

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – Lederlenkrad und -schaltknauf serienmässig

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – Kassettenfach und Sitzmuster als Merkmale der Neunzigerjahre

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – Drehzahlmesser serienmässig

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – im mittleren Drehzahlbereich fühlt sich der Lader am wohlsten

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – Vierzyliner mit 113 PS aus 1,3 Litern

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – 1,3-Liter-Vierzylinder mit 113 PS

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1992) – der Ladeluftkühler ist gross angeschrieben

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Volkswagen Polo G40 (1991) – frühe Werbeanzeige noch mit orangen Blinkern

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VW Polo Coupé GT G40 (1987) – auf einem zeitgenösssichen Werksfoto

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VW Polo GT G40 (1987) – Schnittzeichnung des aufgeladenen Motors

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VW Polo Coupé GT G40 (1987) – Zeichnung des Ladeluft-Kreislaufs

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Summary

The Polo G40 was the first VW with a G-charger in 1985 - and the last in 1994. Although mechanical turbocharging impressed contemporary testers and worked better in the smallest Volkswagen than in any other, it died along with the second generation of the Polo, the 86C. Today, the limited first edition is particularly sought after. This article introduces the Polo G40.

This article contains the following chapters

Polo Cup causes a stir
Charged into the nineties
GTI killer with great handling
A one-off
Technical data

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

In August 1985, Volkswagen presented its first model with the mechanical G-charger developed in-house . In the Polo Coupé, the turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1.3 liters and 115 hp provided plenty of driving pleasure. However, only a few customers were able to enjoy this legitimate successor to the GTI, as Volkswagen did not officially offer the first edition and even kept 45 of the 500 vehicles produced for the Polo Cup. The racing series had replaced the Golf GTI Cup in 1983 and was intended to promote young talent. From the 1986 season onwards, the Cup Polos raced with G40 engines in order to test customer response to such a powerful small car and to prove the performance of the new technical concept. The basis for the models hand-built by Volkswagen Motorsport was the Polo Coupé. With stripped-down equipment and racing technology, the ready-to-drive car had a fighting weight of 750 kg, which made light work of the turbocharged 1.3-liter engine. The Polo sprinted to 100 km/h in just 8.4 seconds in race trim.

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