Nope Jo, you're correct, I must have been thinking of the Rocco R mate, sorry for doubting
Frankfurt show: VW Golf R
The covers have just come off the new VW Golf R in
Frankfurt. Don't be fooled by its understated looks, this is one monstrously fast hot hatch.
It's the fastest Golf ever, in fact, powered by the same 266bhp 2.0-litre turbo engine found in the
Audi S3. It'll propel the
four-wheel-drive Golf to 62mph in 5.5 seconds if you spec the DSG transmission, or 0.2 seconds slower if you'd prefer a manual box.
That's more powerful and quicker than both the front-wheel-drive Scirocco R and indeed the old Golf R32, which had a bigger, heavier 3.2-litre V6. Emissions and economy are both hugely improved on the old R32, consumption falling from 26.4mpg to 33.2mpg, with CO2 emissions down to 199g/km from 225g/km.
Though visual, er, enhancements over the
Golf GTI remain subtle - new front and rear bumpers, LED running lights and central exhausts being the most obvious - the suspension has been lowered by 25mm while the ESP has been revised with two additional track settings.
Because of the four-wheel-drive hardware, the Golf R weighs in around 80kg heavier than the GTI, though 35kg lighter than the R32.
Don't expect to see many on the road: VW says it expects to sell just 500 or so Golf Rs per year, with prices starting at around £28,500.
That's a few grand more expensive than the slightly more powerful but similarly quick