So you just bought a top-of the line BMW 435i and you’re more than happy about it. You have a brilliant TwinTurbo 3-liter 6-cylinder N55 engine under the bonnet and nothing seems to be capable of standing in your way.
The car is fast, has rear-wheel-drive and looks amazing. And yet, there’s always that pesky question lingering in the back of your head, keeping you awake at night.... The one that suggests there are faster cars than yours out there and they are more popular than people generally think...
Yes, it’s true, you could get in trouble with a variety of cars but most of them will be either more expensive or will show it clearly. Not the Volkswagen Golf 7 R20 though.... That thing will take you by surprise.
The VW Group actually pulled off a great great car in the shape of the R20, ever since it was first unveiled. The last iteration is no exception either. Fitted with a 2-liter turbocharged petrol 4-cylinder engine it makes 300 HP and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque, almost as much as the BMW.
The Bimmer, on the other hand, makes 306 HP and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque and sends it all to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The R uses a 6-speed dual-clutch and the all-wheel-drive 4Motion system.
So, at launch, the VW should be faster to 100 km/h (62 mph). The official numbers tell the same story, with the BMW being 0.2 seconds slower than the Golf’s 4.9 second dash.
It’s should be a different story at higher speeds, somewhere towards the speed limit but the Golf’s lower weight could keep it going just as fast as the 435i. There’s also one little thing we should keep in mind. That’s the price. Since they both come from different parts of the automotive world, we can’t even compare just how expensive the Bavarian machine is compared to its rival but that’s all a matter of choice.
Speaking of which, the two aren't even really competing against each other. A more fair contest would've been to pit the Golf against a BMW M135i xDrive. Then, things would've been different. Except for the price, of course.
Who will win? Check out the video below and see for yourself.
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