That lucky guy from Germany-based Automann-TV got to take a new stock Volkswagen Golf R on the Autobahn, an enviable luxury. First, he completed a 0-60 mph test, hitting the top of the range in 4.09 seconds on a straightaway. Then he took the performance-geared hatchback on the highway for its high-speed run, kissing 180 miles per hour (289 kilometers per hour). Ja, das ist schnell (that’s fast).
Automann noted that the GPS registered 172 mph (277 kph) and that since the speed is electronically limited, it could potentially go even faster if unleashed.
The Golf first rolled off the assembly line in Wolfsburg in 1974, spawning a love affair with the little hatch. If the Golf had a McDonald’s-style sign above it at headquarters, it would say “tens of millions served” as more than 35 million have been sold. Originally, the Golf had a 1.5-liter four-cylinder powerplant and a top speed of 95 miles per hour.
In 2012, VW launched the new Golf R variant with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a top speed of 147 mph. The same engine was used in the Audi TTS, but the Golf with 256 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque (Audi’s TTS produces 265 and 258, respectively). For 2022, VW mated the engine to your choice of a six-speed manual gearbox (hello) or a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and the all-new model will reach 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.
On this Autobahn run, Automann equipped the Golf R with summer tires. He had already tested it back in December with wide winter tires on a damp track with results that were not this quick. The latest run shows once again that the Golf R is underrated; Archie Hamilton Racing put theirs on the dyno just a couple of weeks ago to find that it’s capable of producing about 20 additional horsepower than Volkswagen claims.
As we reported in November, North Americans buy the GTI and R at almost the same rates as we have standard Golfs. Volkswagen says the 2022 Golf R will launch Stateside with the 2022 GTI later this year. With torque vectoring and Drift mode, this tiny-but-mighty car is going to find itself careening all over the country before long.
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