Friday 29th January 2010
VW Plans Performance 'R' Division
Launch announcement expected at the Geneva show
VW is preparing to announce the creation of a dedicated 'R' performance division at the Geneva motor show in March, say industry reports.
Currently, most of VW's performance-oriented products are developed by VW Individual, a sub-division of VW that deals with niche products - generally those with an expected annual production of less than 20,000 units.
But VW Individual deals with non-performance kit, too - R GmbH will cover solely performance models, making it VW's version of AMG, Quattro, or the BMW 'M' division.
The expected announcement suggests that VW is getting serious about its R brand, so we can expect more than just the Golf R and Scirocco R in the near future.
Internet rumour currently favours the forthcoming Jetta coupe as the next recipient of the R treatment. We quite like the idea of a 260bhp VW Polo R. Anyone from VW listening?
|
burwoodman
Original Poster
1,231 posts
115 months
|
|
|
10 Pence Short
27,633 posts
86 months
|
Can't they find their own letter? 'R' has been oveRdone in the extReme.
|
|
|
neil_bolton
17,086 posts
133 months
|
burwoodman said: proof read first line 
|
|
|
HellDiver
5,708 posts
51 months
|
And the penultimate one...
|
|
|
KIG1971
66 posts
50 months
|
I hope that the R Division will benefit from the new links with Porsche.
I expect good things.
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
wab172uk
875 posts
96 months
|
Sounds good, although VW really needs to look at it's pricing.
Was in local VW Dealer last night looking at a Tiguan. Asked how many Golf R's had been ordered. Zero amount. Said every potential customer who had shown an interest before the prices were anounced, have all backed out. Too expensive.
They charge about double for Bucket seats compared to the Audi S3.
|
|
|
Parrot of Doom
23,075 posts
103 months
|
burwoodman said: proof read first line I was going to ask, why is Plan capitalised? Also, sub-division doesn't need joining, subdivision is a word, not two.
|
|
|
10 Pence Short
27,633 posts
86 months
|
|
|
Mikeyboy
5,010 posts
104 months
|
R divison, otherwise known as Porsche right?
|
|
|
adycav
7,615 posts
86 months
|
The Scirocco R seems reasonably priced, but the Golf R isn't.
I cannot understand the pricing strategy at work here.
|
|
|
BBS-LM
3,491 posts
93 months
|
|
|
roland82
117 posts
84 months
|
I never knew Quattro was a tuning division... I guess you learn something everyday.
This R division might convince a few people to part with a few extrea quid but without racing pedigree will petrolheads trust them? Oh well it will only be a matter of time before they are doing 'hot' versions of the Tiguan and the Touareg.
|
|
|
LuS1fer
28,553 posts
114 months
|
R who cares?
As exciting as a knitting circle.
They invent the GTI tag, everybody copies it and twenty years too late, they copy the R badge.
|
|
|
KaraK
10,624 posts
78 months
|
A friend was telling me the other night that he spec'ed up a Golf R and it came to £41k! Seriously who's going to pay that for a Golf?
|
|
|
Essex Exile
390 posts
62 months
|
Q division would be more appropriate, especially the way a Golf R stands out.
|
|
|
JB!
3,846 posts
49 months
|
the "R" tag has been in use since the MK4 R32 no?
|
|
|
Munter
23,712 posts
110 months
|
KaraK said: A friend was telling me the other night that he spec'ed up a Golf R and it came to £41k! Seriously who's going to pay that for a Golf? You say that. But some people will pay anything for something they think they want.
|
|
|
Ozone
2,274 posts
56 months
|
roland82 said: I never knew Quattro was a tuning division... I guess you learn something everyday. I thought it was S Line for Audi.
|
|
|
nickpan
204 posts
58 months
|
I think this is partly to do with environmental/green movement. I imagine car companies are having to increase their budget on R&D in their performance sectors to optimise power vs emmisions. They have probably got to the point where a specialist division makes more sense.
|
|
|
briSk
14,157 posts
95 months
|
well i am confused (generally but i do mean specifically with regard to this issue!) i thought this was the domain of VW Individual..
|
|
