Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
Volkswagen made a lot of jaws drop in 2014 when it unveiled the Golf R 400 Concept. Insiders suggested at the time that a 420-horsepower version of the concept would enter production.
Sadly, news soon came that neither the R 400 nor the R 420 would ever see the light of day because of the corporate restructuring that happened after Dieselgate.
Well, would you believe it, it seems that Volkswagen hasn't actually put a lid on the idea for good, but just enough to completely change the basics.
The VW Golf R mule that our spy photographers recently caught doing its thing on the Nurburgring suggests that the R 420 is poised for a comeback using a much more winning recipe.
Instead of a high-strung 2.0-liter four-cylinder based on the EA888 Golf R engine, the upcoming Golf R 420 will apparently borrow the 2.5-liter inline-5 from the Audi RS3.
As you can see, the prototype mule actually uses the two oval exhaust tips usually found on Audi Sport models, or the ones from the RS3, to be more exact.
There's a pretty good reason for their unique presence on a Golf R, but don't expect the production version to feature them as well. In fact, none of the design features of this Golf R mule should be present on the production model, especially since we are talking about a pre-facelift Golf R VII by the looks of it.
A slightly wider body kit and different wheels should be in the works, to complement the obvious massive increase in power. Speaking of which, the Golf R 420 should also get the same all-wheel-drive system as the RS3, meaning that more than 50% of the available torque could be sent to the rear wheels in particular driving situations. In other words, this could be the most fun to drive production Golf of all time, not just the most powerful.
Well, would you believe it, it seems that Volkswagen hasn't actually put a lid on the idea for good, but just enough to completely change the basics.
The VW Golf R mule that our spy photographers recently caught doing its thing on the Nurburgring suggests that the R 420 is poised for a comeback using a much more winning recipe.
Instead of a high-strung 2.0-liter four-cylinder based on the EA888 Golf R engine, the upcoming Golf R 420 will apparently borrow the 2.5-liter inline-5 from the Audi RS3.
As you can see, the prototype mule actually uses the two oval exhaust tips usually found on Audi Sport models, or the ones from the RS3, to be more exact.
There's a pretty good reason for their unique presence on a Golf R, but don't expect the production version to feature them as well. In fact, none of the design features of this Golf R mule should be present on the production model, especially since we are talking about a pre-facelift Golf R VII by the looks of it.
A slightly wider body kit and different wheels should be in the works, to complement the obvious massive increase in power. Speaking of which, the Golf R 420 should also get the same all-wheel-drive system as the RS3, meaning that more than 50% of the available torque could be sent to the rear wheels in particular driving situations. In other words, this could be the most fun to drive production Golf of all time, not just the most powerful.
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