ikus On Monday, August 30, 2010

 One vital question needs answering about the Gof R - and it's not 'Can I afford it?' No, what we really need to know about the R is how VW will be pitching it. While none of us expects it to be and answer to the Focus RS when it arrives early in the new year, we're hoping that VW's claims to have honed the hydraulic four-wheel-drive system hold true and that it feels substantially diefferent to a run-of-the-mill hot hatch - and to the old sports-lux R32.

It should do, as the 2-litre turbo engine the Golf R will use is much lighter than the R32's 3.2-litre V6, placing less weight over the front wheels and hopefully improving weight distribution, chasis sharpness and balance. The only concern is that the R32 was a big seller for VW, so the company may be reluctant to move away from that successful formula.

The rest of the package we can make a pretty good stab at, having already tested the Scirocco R. That car's 261bhp version of the 2-litre engine never quite sounded as invigorating as the Leon Cupra R's, but essentially it's a very strong unit and for the Golf R the wick has been turned up a fraction more to 266bhp. The claimed 0-60mph time is 5.5sec if you opt for DSG. Anyway, this car is too pricey to be a hardcore hatch.

iKUS

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