The VW Tiguan R used to be just another prototype on the Nurburgring. But upon closer inspection, this performance SUV reveals it has now swapped the quad exhaust system for dual oval pipes. It sounds like the RS3 and TT RS too, though that could be a trick.
If you don't think the Tiguan R sounds like it has a 2.5-liter TFSI engine, just have a listen to the second clip attached below. The mid-tone isn't the same on the RS3 sedan, which leads us to believe that a different tune is being developed here.
But why change the engine in the middle of development? Well, because the Tiguan R will probably cost at least €45,000, and a 2.0-liter turbo just isn't exotic enough. You can find one of those on any old Kia or Skoda. Not only is the 2.5 TFSI an award-winning mill with a great set of bagpipes, but sharing costs with Audi makes financial sense. For years, the quattro brand was trying to figure out what else could be powered by their 5-cylinder, even making an R8 prototype of sorts.
It's also great news for performance. The 310 horsepower Golf R is already being left behind in dynamic comparisons, so the much heavier Tiguan R might have been a stillborn project. We expect to see at least the 340 HP of the old RS Q3, if not more. The 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint would be dealt with in around 5 seconds.
Beyond the exhaust and the sound it makes, this Tiguan R also seems to put a lot more of its power at the back wheels. The Haldex system on the Golf 7 R is limited to 50% torque at the back, but the one in the 2018 RS3 sedan and hatch goes up to 100%, Audi says
While we're quietly excited about our theory, it could still be false. For example, the prototype could have "exhaust speakers" like the SQ7. Or it could just be a test mule for the next-gen RS Q3 since the platform is the same.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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