RE: New VW Golf R breaks cover at Ice Race
RE: New VW Golf R breaks cover at Ice Race
Monday 29th January 2024

New VW Golf R breaks cover at Ice Race

"There's a true sports car under the camouflage" reckons six-time World Rallycross champ


With the rest of the Golf lineup already revealed, it wasn’t going to be long before the R was shown; VW said the full debut of the R and GTI Clubsport was coming later this year, but hasn’t been able to resist giving the world a sneak peek. The Mk8.5 R was shown at the Ice Race in Zell Am See over the weekend, alongside the rest of the revised range. VW invited Hans-Joachim Stuck and six-time World Rallycross champ Johan Kristoffersson for a spin in the snow. 

As when the GTI was shown in disguise (as part of a bigger AI reveal), there’s precious little given away by VW at this point. In fact, nothing at all, bar a confirmation of the summer launch date. Still, we know that the R won’t look transformationally different, so expect styling changes to incorporate things like the IQ LED lights; perhaps the rear might be more significantly altered, as there are no images of that yet, though it’s unlikely to be dramatic. VW says the look is ‘unmistakably R’, which makes sense if it still looks the same.

A power boost could be on the cars as well, if the R follows the 265hp GTI. There have already been limited edition 333hp Rs (up from the standard 320hp), and if the Clubsport also received a 15hp boost (to 315hp) then it would make sense for the R to get a few additional horsepower. We know the engine is capable, of course. And we’re nearing the end of purely petrol-powered Golfs, with an all-electric R range kicking off from 2030, so it would be nice to see the 2.0-litre turbo sign off with a final flourish.

Kristoffersson said: “I love driving a powerful all-wheel drive car on ice and snow – especially if it’s an R model. It was great fun to sit in the brand-new Golf for the first time. I can only say that even though the Golf R has not yet been revealed, there is a true sports car under the camouflage that fans of the R brand can already look forward to.” Not long to wait, then. For those that can’t wait, however, and have made their peace with the old interior, the original Mk8 R is available from £30k. 


Author
Discussion

Firebobby

Original Poster:

994 posts

69 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
I suppose as a nice salary sacrifice car they'll sell plenty. I wouldn't buy one with my money though!

skidskid

328 posts

171 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
I was at the event and saw this driving around, looked very capable. The track was mainly slushy snow due to the warm weather and they keep the track for 4wd cars for most of the event. This was going around at a good pace compared to 911's and some group N rally cars.

I had a quick look around it in the paddock and its seems more of the same, a fancy golf. Taken for what it is then I'm sure its a nice sporty daily/family car. Fast without looking chavy. Expensive but what new car isnt these days.

Motormouth88

782 posts

90 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
Pretty yawn-tastic stuff from vw

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
Motormouth88 said:
Pretty yawn-tastic stuff from vw
A strange deduction to make from an article that basically contains no information.

W12AAM

143 posts

111 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
".....And we’re nearing the end of purely petrol-powered Golfs, with an all-electric R range kicking off from 2030..."
However; I'm still not that sure of this?

Yes; I sound like one of those EV Luddite's etc. - But just this week i saw in The Daily Telegraph that Porsche boss has said he's confident that the EEC will move out (again) the 2035 deadline for selling ICE cars.....and also Porsche are designing other Non-EV powered engines. It seems they are continually putting it off.
Hertz also dumped 20,000 Teslas the other month,as no-one wanted them
The stories go on...

With the world now waking up and moving towards the "Right" (with the exception, of this woke UK - And a certain Labour victory, at the end of the year, and our woke environmental policy being guided by that absolute useless, cretin Ed Millipede...), a steer away from EV / batteries and the control China has now begun....And the way China are snapping up the car companies (& their know-how) around the world, when the former company owners cannot compete (Think Geely....Which now owns Volvo, Lotus etc) - Perhaps by the end of this decade, a "diesel-gate" (with EV's ) may happen? and hopefully a reverse or a better alternative might come along?. If not....VW, Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari and almost all of the Western Car companies will be Chinese owned...and controlled. Our engine building skills will be lost too.

Blue Mk8 Golf R

861 posts

189 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
I happy with my MK8 for an everyday car it is very good and with revised 4 wheel drive it is great fun on a hoon and it is faster than the official performace figures say
The issue of no buttons you get used to the only think i should of gone for more options but I bought secondhand
I am waiting for a replacement steering wheel under warranty due to random error messages popping up and bing bongs going off

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
W12AAM said:
".....And we’re nearing the end of purely petrol-powered Golfs, with an all-electric R range kicking off from 2030..."
However; I'm still not that sure of this?

Yes; I sound like one of those EV Luddite's etc. - But just this week i saw in The Daily Telegraph that Porsche boss has said he's confident that the EEC will move out (again) the 2035 deadline for selling ICE cars.....and also Porsche are designing other Non-EV powered engines. It seems they are continually putting it off.
Hertz also dumped 20,000 Teslas the other month,as no-one wanted them
The stories go on...

With the world now waking up and moving towards the "Right" (with the exception, of this woke UK - And a certain Labour victory, at the end of the year, and our woke environmental policy being guided by that absolute useless, cretin Ed Millipede...), a steer away from EV / batteries and the control China has now begun....And the way China are snapping up the car companies (& their know-how) around the world, when the former company owners cannot compete (Think Geely....Which now owns Volvo, Lotus etc) - Perhaps by the end of this decade, a "diesel-gate" (with EV's ) may happen? and hopefully a reverse or a better alternative might come along?. If not....VW, Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari and almost all of the Western Car companies will be Chinese owned...and controlled. Our engine building skills will be lost too.
What a load of nonsense. Did no-one tell you that you instantly lose credibility when you use the word "woke"?

S600BSB

8,392 posts

136 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
ajap1979 said:
W12AAM said:
".....And we’re nearing the end of purely petrol-powered Golfs, with an all-electric R range kicking off from 2030..."
However; I'm still not that sure of this?

Yes; I sound like one of those EV Luddite's etc. - But just this week i saw in The Daily Telegraph that Porsche boss has said he's confident that the EEC will move out (again) the 2035 deadline for selling ICE cars.....and also Porsche are designing other Non-EV powered engines. It seems they are continually putting it off.
Hertz also dumped 20,000 Teslas the other month,as no-one wanted them
The stories go on...

With the world now waking up and moving towards the "Right" (with the exception, of this woke UK - And a certain Labour victory, at the end of the year, and our woke environmental policy being guided by that absolute useless, cretin Ed Millipede...), a steer away from EV / batteries and the control China has now begun....And the way China are snapping up the car companies (& their know-how) around the world, when the former company owners cannot compete (Think Geely....Which now owns Volvo, Lotus etc) - Perhaps by the end of this decade, a "diesel-gate" (with EV's ) may happen? and hopefully a reverse or a better alternative might come along?. If not....VW, Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari and almost all of the Western Car companies will be Chinese owned...and controlled. Our engine building skills will be lost too.
What a load of nonsense. Did no-one tell you that you instantly lose credibility when you use the word "woke"?
Thought the same! And referencing the Daily Telegraph.. Just rubbish.

Seasonal Hero

7,954 posts

82 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
How the fk can improving air quality be 'woke'?

fantheman80

2,618 posts

79 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
Firebobby said:
I suppose as a nice salary sacrifice car they'll sell plenty. I wouldn't buy one with my money though!
I can only get an EV or hybrid on my salary sacrifice scheme. I hardly see any ot the Mk8s about, cost, supply issues blah de blah, not like its predecessor of course

geeks

11,657 posts

169 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
W12AAM said:
".....And we’re nearing the end of purely petrol-powered Golfs, with an all-electric R range kicking off from 2030..."
However; I'm still not that sure of this?

Yes; I sound like one of those EV Luddite's etc. - But just this week i saw in The Daily Telegraph that Porsche boss has said he's confident that the EEC will move out (again) the 2035 deadline for selling ICE cars.....and also Porsche are designing other Non-EV powered engines. It seems they are continually putting it off.
Hertz also dumped 20,000 Teslas the other month,as no-one wanted them
The stories go on...

With the world now waking up and moving towards the "Right" (with the exception, of this woke UK - And a certain Labour victory, at the end of the year, and our woke environmental policy being guided by that absolute useless, cretin Ed Millipede...), a steer away from EV / batteries and the control China has now begun....And the way China are snapping up the car companies (& their know-how) around the world, when the former company owners cannot compete (Think Geely....Which now owns Volvo, Lotus etc) - Perhaps by the end of this decade, a "diesel-gate" (with EV's ) may happen? and hopefully a reverse or a better alternative might come along?. If not....VW, Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari and almost all of the Western Car companies will be Chinese owned...and controlled. Our engine building skills will be lost too.

Simoninspalding

176 posts

41 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
S600BSB said:
ajap1979 said:
W12AAM said:
".....And we’re nearing the end of purely petrol-powered Golfs, with an all-electric R range kicking off from 2030..."
However; I'm still not that sure of this?

Yes; I sound like one of those EV Luddite's etc. - But just this week i saw in The Daily Telegraph that Porsche boss has said he's confident that the EEC will move out (again) the 2035 deadline for selling ICE cars.....and also Porsche are designing other Non-EV powered engines. It seems they are continually putting it off.
Hertz also dumped 20,000 Teslas the other month,as no-one wanted them
The stories go on...

With the world now waking up and moving towards the "Right" (with the exception, of this woke UK - And a certain Labour victory, at the end of the year, and our woke environmental policy being guided by that absolute useless, cretin Ed Millipede...), a steer away from EV / batteries and the control China has now begun....And the way China are snapping up the car companies (& their know-how) around the world, when the former company owners cannot compete (Think Geely....Which now owns Volvo, Lotus etc) - Perhaps by the end of this decade, a "diesel-gate" (with EV's ) may happen? and hopefully a reverse or a better alternative might come along?. If not....VW, Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari and almost all of the Western Car companies will be Chinese owned...and controlled. Our engine building skills will be lost too.
What a load of nonsense. Did no-one tell you that you instantly lose credibility when you use the word "woke"?
Thought the same! And referencing the Daily Telegraph.. Just rubbish.
Cut him some slack, it can get quite warm under a tinfoil hat you know!

epom

14,940 posts

191 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
ajap1979 said:
Motormouth88 said:
Pretty yawn-tastic stuff from vw
A strange deduction to make from an article that basically contains no information.
Nope, I already know. It's a golf, its too heavy, too expensive, too cheap on PCP, not enough feel on the ice. It needs to be a 975KG RWD N/A 400BHP 2.0 16V engine with a 10,000rpm red line. What is wrong with VW ??

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
epom said:
ajap1979 said:
Motormouth88 said:
Pretty yawn-tastic stuff from vw
A strange deduction to make from an article that basically contains no information.
Nope, I already know. It's a golf, its too heavy, too expensive, too cheap on PCP, not enough feel on the ice. It needs to be a 975KG RWD N/A 400BHP 2.0 16V engine with a 10,000rpm red line. What is wrong with VW ??
Don't forget that it will only be on your driveway for all of 5 minutes before masked men break your door down in the middle of the night for the keys.

daveco

4,405 posts

237 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
W12AAM said:
".....And we’re nearing the end of purely petrol-powered Golfs, with an all-electric R range kicking off from 2030..."
However; I'm still not that sure of this?

Yes; I sound like one of those EV Luddite's etc. - But just this week i saw in The Daily Telegraph that Porsche boss has said he's confident that the EEC will move out (again) the 2035 deadline for selling ICE cars.....and also Porsche are designing other Non-EV powered engines. It seems they are continually putting it off.
Hertz also dumped 20,000 Teslas the other month,as no-one wanted them
I do think manufacturers are using the "last of the ICE" vehicles as a handy excuse to increase demand, and that there will likely be at least another two generations of Golf GTI/R models with petrol/mhev power in them.





cerb4.5lee

44,708 posts

210 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
Kristoffersson said: “I love driving a powerful all-wheel drive car on ice and snow – especially if it’s an R model. It was great fun to sit in the brand-new Golf for the first time. I can only say that even though the Golf R has not yet been revealed, there is a true sports car under the camouflage that fans of the R brand can already look forward to.”

A true sports car! rofl

J4CKO

46,839 posts

230 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
W12AAM said:
".....And we’re nearing the end of purely petrol-powered Golfs, with an all-electric R range kicking off from 2030..."
However; I'm still not that sure of this?

Yes; I sound like one of those EV Luddite's etc. - But just this week i saw in The Daily Telegraph that Porsche boss has said he's confident that the EEC will move out (again) the 2035 deadline for selling ICE cars.....and also Porsche are designing other Non-EV powered engines. It seems they are continually putting it off.
Hertz also dumped 20,000 Teslas the other month,as no-one wanted them
The stories go on...

With the world now waking up and moving towards the "Right" (with the exception, of this woke UK - And a certain Labour victory, at the end of the year, and our woke environmental policy being guided by that absolute useless, cretin Ed Millipede...), a steer away from EV / batteries and the control China has now begun....And the way China are snapping up the car companies (& their know-how) around the world, when the former company owners cannot compete (Think Geely....Which now owns Volvo, Lotus etc) - Perhaps by the end of this decade, a "diesel-gate" (with EV's ) may happen? and hopefully a reverse or a better alternative might come along?. If not....VW, Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari and almost all of the Western Car companies will be Chinese owned...and controlled. Our engine building skills will be lost too.
Lol, Hertz getting rid of some EV is the death Knell for a whole method of propulsion ?

The genie is out of the bottle for EV's, despite what folk may think it isnt getting back in now, and there was always going to be setback and issues to get through, its only been 10 years since any EV's were available, now there are a million EV's in the UK.



C70R

17,596 posts

134 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
W12AAM said:
".....And we’re nearing the end of purely petrol-powered Golfs, with an all-electric R range kicking off from 2030..."
However; I'm still not that sure of this?

Yes; I sound like one of those EV Luddite's etc. - But just this week i saw in The Daily Telegraph that Porsche boss has said he's confident that the EEC will move out (again) the 2035 deadline for selling ICE cars.....and also Porsche are designing other Non-EV powered engines. It seems they are continually putting it off.
Hertz also dumped 20,000 Teslas the other month,as no-one wanted them
The stories go on...

With the world now waking up and moving towards the "Right" (with the exception, of this woke UK - And a certain Labour victory, at the end of the year, and our woke environmental policy being guided by that absolute useless, cretin Ed Millipede...), a steer away from EV / batteries and the control China has now begun....And the way China are snapping up the car companies (& their know-how) around the world, when the former company owners cannot compete (Think Geely....Which now owns Volvo, Lotus etc) - Perhaps by the end of this decade, a "diesel-gate" (with EV's ) may happen? and hopefully a reverse or a better alternative might come along?. If not....VW, Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari and almost all of the Western Car companies will be Chinese owned...and controlled. Our engine building skills will be lost too.
Possibly my favourite post of 2024 so far.

What a load of absolute drivel. laugh

gruppeb86

633 posts

43 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
cerb4.5lee said:
Kristoffersson said: “I love driving a powerful all-wheel drive car on ice and snow – especially if it’s an R model. It was great fun to sit in the brand-new Golf for the first time. I can only say that even though the Golf R has not yet been revealed, there is a true sports car under the camouflage that fans of the R brand can already look forward to.”

A true sports car! rofl
Funnier still., Eventually their will be no ice or snow unless its man made for our own entertainment.

Steve12NG

335 posts

182 months

Monday 29th January 2024
quotequote all
gruppeb86 said:
Funnier still., Eventually their will be no ice or snow unless its man made for our own entertainment.
Haha! Brilliant.

Is this a contest to see who can make the most ridiculous statement?

So far you win.