VW’s upcoming R420 spotted during testing
Carmakers are in a new arms race for hot-hatch dominance.
YOCHANAAN COETZEE
With production of the next generation Volkswagen Golf slated to commence in June next year, the carmaker is pushing to getting its prototypes tested and tweaked before giving them the final sign-off.
Besides a number of derivatives planned to fit the needs and budgets of the different market segments, all eyes are on the new Golf R420, which is rumoured to be packing a manic 400 horsepower and 298 Kw, thanks to a mild-hybrid powertrain and the possible replacement of the outgoing model’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, for Audi’s 2.5-litre inline-5, borrowed from non-other than the RS3 Sportback.
The 48 volt mild-hybrid system will not only improve fuel-economy, but will help the R achieve its lofty power goals.
Speaking to British publication Auto Express, the brand’s sales and marketing boss, Jurgen Stackmann, didn’t reveal much on the specifics of what will power the new R, but did confirm its reportedly ravenous power-rating.
“The R-brand is going extreme,” he said. “The role of the R is that it can go beyond the rational. Nobody needs a compact car with 400 hp, but is there a place for it? Certainly, and that’s the turf of the R,” he boasted.
The beast of Wolfsburg, howling through the Green Hell
Having been spotted doing undisguised testing at the Nurburgring recently, rumours are rife that that not only the engine has been ratcheted up, but so too its visual appeal, thanks to much more aggressive styling.
One visual feature which has also gotten online forums buzzing is what looks to be the addition of circular exhaust tailpipes, much like that found on its equally carnivorous cousin, the RS3 Sportback.
With this halo model sorely missed after its development was overshadowed, by the [i]Dieselgate-scandal, fans worldwide cannot wait to see the realisation of the naughty dream VW planted in their heads, when the concept was first unveiled at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show.
While the world waits to see whether Mercedes’s upcoming A45 AMG will be the first to smash through the 400 hp barrier, no one can deny the R’s cult appeal will widen even further once this fire breather hits the streets, even if it comes at a premium.
With production of the next generation Volkswagen Golf slated to commence in June next year, the carmaker is pushing to getting its prototypes tested and tweaked before giving them the final sign-off.
Besides a number of derivatives planned to fit the needs and budgets of the different market segments, all eyes are on the new Golf R420, which is rumoured to be packing a manic 400 horsepower and 298 Kw, thanks to a mild-hybrid powertrain and the possible replacement of the outgoing model’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, for Audi’s 2.5-litre inline-5, borrowed from non-other than the RS3 Sportback.
The 48 volt mild-hybrid system will not only improve fuel-economy, but will help the R achieve its lofty power goals.
Speaking to British publication Auto Express, the brand’s sales and marketing boss, Jurgen Stackmann, didn’t reveal much on the specifics of what will power the new R, but did confirm its reportedly ravenous power-rating.
“The R-brand is going extreme,” he said. “The role of the R is that it can go beyond the rational. Nobody needs a compact car with 400 hp, but is there a place for it? Certainly, and that’s the turf of the R,” he boasted.
The beast of Wolfsburg, howling through the Green Hell
Having been spotted doing undisguised testing at the Nurburgring recently, rumours are rife that that not only the engine has been ratcheted up, but so too its visual appeal, thanks to much more aggressive styling.
One visual feature which has also gotten online forums buzzing is what looks to be the addition of circular exhaust tailpipes, much like that found on its equally carnivorous cousin, the RS3 Sportback.
With this halo model sorely missed after its development was overshadowed, by the [i]Dieselgate-scandal, fans worldwide cannot wait to see the realisation of the naughty dream VW planted in their heads, when the concept was first unveiled at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show.
While the world waits to see whether Mercedes’s upcoming A45 AMG will be the first to smash through the 400 hp barrier, no one can deny the R’s cult appeal will widen even further once this fire breather hits the streets, even if it comes at a premium.
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