Nearly everyone who gets behind the wheel of the 292-horsepower Volkswagen Golf R has the same reaction: a wide-eyed grin.
The five-door is everything we love about hot hatches: peppy engines, responsive handling, and everyday practicality in a sharp, modern package.
We’re still getting to know our long-term test Golf R, but there’s a new, more powerful version on the horizon.
Volkswagen’s Head of Powertrain Development, Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, recently confirmed to Car Magazine that the maniacal Golf R400 will indeed see production.
“We have the Golf more sporty than ever before, since we soon will have the Golf R400 — we will do this car,” he said. “We are in fact in development of it right now.”
The car first debuted as a concept (pictured) at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show, sporting a total output of 394 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Performance specs for the production version are still TBD, but there’s a good chance that the Golf R400 will be the hottest hatchback of them all.
Under the hood, the R400 is expected to equip the high-output 2.0-liter turbo from Audi’s TT quattro sport concept. The TT produced a whopping 414 hp — that’s 207 hp per liter — from its boosted four-cylinder, which makes it a perfect choice for the new Golf.
Reports indicate the car will make its official debut this September at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show, so keep it locked here for more details.
Could we have an Audi RS3 or Ford Focus RS rival on our hands? Either way, it looks like the hot hatch race just got a little warmer.
