VIC P-plater exemption 2011 Polo GTI

[dribs]

I really dont' think they will excempt the Polo GTI. The Golf GTI is already banned and the 118TSI, while not officially banned, does require permission first.

You can argue all you want, bold all the words all you want but at the end of the day, its up VIC Roads and its very highly unlikely it will be exempt -unless in special cases. You can prove us all wrong by going up to them and asking.

Until, then I honestly don't think there's much up for discussion. Its a sport variant of the normal Polo as others have already pointed out. Much akin to the Golf GTI, being a sport variant of the normal Golf's.

[pologti18t]

Who is stirring up all this debate anyway? P platers who have mistakenly ordered a car? Parents who may or may not own the car when their own children are of driving age?

The laws are their to restrict new drivers from having access to to high performance vehicles. I think the NEW Polo GTI is such a vehicle.
Guy from APR dyno'd the new Polo GTI and got 115kw at the wheels. To put this into perspective that a figure that Mazda MX5 SP would get. A Mazda MX5 SP was the locally developed turbocharged MX5. The Polo GTI has progressed from a warm hatch, in the last model, to a hot hatch similar in performance to a Golf GTI!

[jamesatfish]

Who is stirring up all this debate anyway? P platers who have mistakenly ordered a car? Parents who may or may not own the car when their own children are of driving age?

I'm stirring the debate from the 'parents who may or may not own the car when their own children are of driving age' camp.

To me the issue is that power-to-weight and 0-100kph sprint times are not the only measure of whether a car is 'safe' or 'suitable for P platers', but the rules applied by the various state RTAs don't take anything into consideration other than those factors.

Assuming the ACT doesn't go down the same path as VIC and NSW with their restriction lists, when my daughter is old enough for her P plates I'll buy her an early 2000s Porsche Boxster:

•~150kW and 7.6s 0-100 are sufficient for safe overtaking on the highway but not too much to get her into trouble - my Boxster S had a hard time getting to more than 180 down the straight at Eastern Creek and that had another 40+kW.
•2 seats means that she can only ever drive one passenger, greatly reducing the risks associated with peer pressure pushing her to drive in an unsafe manner.
•Standard PSM (ESP), ABS, multiple airbags and fantastic passive safety means a greatly improved chance of surviving a crash should one occur.
•German reliability hopefully means less chance of breakdowns or other mechanical issues

My first P plate car was a (then new) Mitsubishi Lancer 1.5L coupe of roughly the same vintage as the Boxster outlined above. Whilst it would have been perfectly legal for me to drive that car under the new restrictions, there is absolutely no way that anyone can convince me it is a safer vehicle than the Boxster. No airbags, no ABS, no ESP, rear drum brakes(!), 5 seats to cram full of teenage mates, very poor passive safety (tap the roof and it sounds like tinfoil stretched across the A pillars). The lack of power didn't stop me from driving it like an idiot, reaching stupidly unsafe speeds or otherwise pushing it well beyond my abilities should anything have gone wrong, and if it had gone pear shaped the outcomes would have been a whole lot worse than the same crash in the Boxster.

My issue with the Polo GTI ruling is exactly as above. How can it be that a 2011 model VW Polo with full electronic safety features and fitting within the RTA's own power-to-weight restrictions can be considered less suitable for a novice driver than a late 90's Japanese car with nothing but thin sheet metal and immature skills between the driver and a crash?

[Gladiator]

Who is stirring up all this debate anyway?

The laws are their to restrict new drivers from having access to to high performance vehicles. I think the NEW Polo GTI is such a vehicle.

This thread is rather more aimed at highlighting the inadequacies of the Vicroads low powered turbo charged or supercharged exemption vehicle screening process, in particular the words "sports variant" rather than critisizing the reasons any buyers/owners may have for wanting an exemption for the 2011 Polo GTI.

Yes the laws are there to restrict new drivers from having access to high performance vehicles and the Polo GTI is not one of them. Lets look more closely, the Polo GTI comes with a tiny 1.4 litre engine and an additional turbo and supercharger unit to give it that extra near 2.0 litre performance. Can a 2.0 litre, 5 door hatchback be called a high performance vehicle???

Let me make this clear, Vicroads has NO quarrel with this car in terms of its performance and agrees that yes, the Polo GTI is a low turbo charged/supercharged vehicle (111kw/tonne falls within their 100-125kw/tonne range).

What Vicroads may appear to have a problem with it is it being the sports variant.
To put it in context as it appears on the exemption application form is that the vehicle must not be designed more for sports performance than as a family type car.
Under Vicroad's power-to-weight ratio test, the Polo GTI does not qualify as a high performance vehicle but as a low powered turbo/supercharged vehicle (not designed for sports performance).
If you have any doubt as it not being a family type car, please read my earlier post.

[pologti18t]

If you have any doubt as it not being a family type car, please read my earlier post.

You just keep going don't you

Evidence 1 from the Vic Roads application form

A family type vehicle is typically a sedan, station wagon
or hatch used to carry families with 4 or more seats and
when manufactured was equipped with child restraint
anchorages. A family type vehicle does not include
sports cars (eg a two door coupe) or the sports oriented

variant of a specific model range.

And they even give you some examples of 4 seater sedans that DO NOT match the criteria.

MAZDA 6 MPS 5D SEDAN 4 2261 cc TURBO F/INJ 6 speed Manual

If you do the sums you will find that this vehicle has a power to weight of 118kw/tonne.

So, I think ViCRoads has it covered in this situation. It's perfectly obvious what that are trying to achieve and the Polo GTI does not
meet the criteria of a low powered turbo car by their definition.

[Gladiator]

So, I think ViCRoads has it covered in this situation. It's perfectly obvious what that are trying to achieve and the Polo GTI does not
meet the criteria of a low powered turbo car by their definition.

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All this highlights inadequacies of the vicroads low turbo/supercharged vehicle exemption process.
A car such as the 2011 Polo GTI can fall within their (Vicroads) acceptable power-to-weight ratio range (100-125kw/tonne) and have all the imaginable characteristics of a family type car (5 doors, hatchback, child achorages, 5 star ancap) and yet because it is the 'sports variant' of the Polo range which has nothing to do with the performance or safety features of the car, by Vicroad's definition it somehow does affect the performance and safety features of the car is not considered a 'low turbo/supercharged vehicle'.

[Frostee]

All this highlights inadequacies of the vicroads low turbo/supercharged vehicle exemption process.
A car such as the 2011 Polo GTI can fall within their (Vicroads) acceptable power-to-weight ratio range (100-125kw/tonne) and have all the imaginable characteristics of a family type car (5 doors, hatchback, child achorages, 5 star ancap) and yet because it is the 'sports variant' of the Polo range which has nothing to do with the performance or safety features of the car, by Vicroad's definition it somehow does affect the performance and safety features of the car is not considered a 'low turbo/supercharged vehicle'.

Perhaps a letter to your member of Parliament if Vicroads reject and you consider it unjust?

[Hail22]

Won't be exempted, Vicroads will laugh and say, dear lord he could just buy a 77tsi.

mate they may be state Governments but they look at details for power to weight ratio etc.

[pologti18t]

All this highlights inadequacies of the vicroads low turbo/supercharged vehicle exemption process.
A car such as the 2011 Polo GTI can fall within their (Vicroads) acceptable power-to-weight ratio range (100-125kw/tonne) and have all the imaginable characteristics of a family type car (5 doors, hatchback, child achorages, 5 star ancap) and yet because it is the 'sports variant' of the Polo range which has nothing to do with the performance or safety features of the car, by Vicroad's definition it somehow does affect the performance and safety features of the car is not considered a 'low turbo/supercharged vehicle'.

I understand where you are coming from but you are dealing with Governments. Why bash your head against a brick wall trying to make them see your point of view?

If this really is about your children being able to drive a certain car down the track then I suggest you buy a car that meets the criteria. A lot less heart ache in the end. Life's way too short to be arguing with Government authorities.

[Gladiator]

Life's way too short to be arguing with Government authorities.

Currently awaiting the reply from Vicroads for the exemption application. Will keep you all posted.