After the rather bizarrely-timed recent arrival of the previous generation Golf 6 Volkswagen R Cabriolet, Volkswagen has clearly decided to hustle the development program of the R model in the seventh generation Golf into high gear. The Golf R’s venerable underling, the Volkswagen Golf GTI made its world debut at Geneva earlier this year, sporting a somewhat modest power output against its rivals.
Now it seems as though the top-shelf Golf R hatch will quell any suspicions that Volkswagen can’t keep pace with the quick boys anymore. Recent rumours suggest that the new Golf R’s performance capabilities will grow substantially for its 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder, which is matched to a lighter fifth-generation Haldex all-wheel-drive system. The next models power output is expected to range anywhere between 205 kW to an Audi S3-matching 221 kW.
Allied to that, the brand new Golf R has been spied testing around the famed Nurburgring racetrack in Germany, fitted with a roll cage and some bespoke bucket seats for safety. The Golf R was spied wearing a unique front bumper, along with corner-mounted exhaust tips that replace the central setup of the current Golf R model.
VW engineers may have placed red GTI badges on the front fenders of the prototype, but a quick look at the back and the quad exhaust pipe arrangement as well as the visibly larger front and rear brake discs leave no doubt that this is the new Golf R. Rumour also suggests the smooth shifting seven-speed DSG transmission option threatens to capture a 0 – 100 km/h time of 5.0 seconds dead in the next Golf R. That’s quick.
The new Golf R will benefit from the same weight-saving changes featured across the all-new Golf range, with at least 100 kg expected to be cut from the previous Golf R, but 100 kg heavier than a standard Volkswagen ‘MQB’ platform. We can’t wait for its Frankfurt Motor Show debut this September.
