BOLD RIDE
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Both Jeff and I are sitting here, bags packed, sunscreen on, ready to head out west next week to try out Volkswagen’s latest Golf R. VW is billing it as the most powerful Golf the company has ever built.
(For a mass market: So we’re not including that W12 monstrosity). But wouldn’t you know it, VW is already undercutting the new R by stating that the Golf R400 concept could see production, and soon.
The R400 concept was originally unveiled last year at the Beijing Auto Show and wowed the entire crowd. It used an Audi sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that put out a whopping 400-415 horsepower.
VW promised that it would do 0-62 in just 3.9 seconds flat. That is hugely fast for what is essentially just a hot hatch. For comparison’s sake, the Mercedes SLS AMG GT, Audi R8 Spyder GT V10, Lexus LFA, and Ferrari F50 all have the exact same 0-62 times. Those are all supercars. This is a Golf.
Speaking at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, VW’s development head, Hans-Jakob Neusser, stated that the company is almost ready to pull the trigger and build the R400. Unlike previous reports that stated the R400 would be a German only car, new rumors suggest the R400 will see a more wide production that includes the United States.
There’s no word on price at the moment. However, recent rumors for when it was likely going to be a German only special, pegged the price at around $58,000. If this is true, it would pretty much price out almost every single hot hatch buyer immediately. But still — 400 horsepower, in a Golf!
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