I had a lovely first date with the Volkswagen Golf R a couple of years ago, blasting through the French Alps just before attending the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. I loved that car, and I'm super stoked to get behind the wheel of this new, 2015 model.
Why? This R is based on the lighter seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf, or more importantly, the sweet new GTI, with a potent 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, tuned here to deliver 290 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque – gains of 34 hp and 37 lb-ft versus the outgoing model. And unlike the previous Golf R, the new model will be offered with both a six-speed manual transmission or the company's lovely six-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox (the old car was a manual-only affair). With the stick-shift, Volkswagen claims the Golf R will hit 62 miles per hour in 5.3 seconds, and that time is reduced to 4.9 with the DSG. As an extra bonus, the manual-equipped car will reportedly achieve up to 31 miles per gallon on the highway.
Like before, Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system is used in this new Golf R, with the latest-generation Haldex coupling. The automaker says a full 100 percent of the engine's available torque can be sent to the rear wheels, should the need arise, and the XDS cross-differential lock at the front and rear helps make the vehicle more agile, and allow for faster cornering.
I'll admit, I don't love the way the seventh-generation Golf's styling has lent itself to the R, but it is indeed aggressive and absolutely sets itself apart from lesser GTIs out on the road. I'm sure it'll be a total hoot. Bring it on.
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