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.
1 / 3