Volkswagen AG has announced that it is once again working on releasing the top-performing trim of its Golf hatchback, the R Plus. Once out on the market, the car will mainly have to compete against the Mercedes-AMG A45.
According to the manufacturer, the power and acceleration performance of the hot hatch are going to be “far beyond those of the regular Golf R”. The car is essentially a continuation of the Golf R400 Concept that could accelerate as high as 280 km/h (174 mph) and sprinted 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.9 seconds.
The Plus trim wears a hardcore body kit and packs a 2.0-liter four-banger boosted to produce 400 hp (298 kW) along with 450 Nm (332 lbft) of torque. Compare this to the 300 hp / 225 kW of the regular Golf R to get a better idea.
By the way, when Audi introduced its Quattro Sport Concept, the vehicle had the exact same engine model boosted to an even more impressive 420 hp / 313 kW.
As for the Golf R400, it now turns out that the car will never reach production after all. Speaking at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, Head of Volkswagen R Jost Capito referenced the company’s extensive research data saying the R400 has zero market viability.
Photos: Volkswagen