It’s no secret VW wants to build the Golf R400, but new details have now surfaced about the upcoming extra-hot Golf. VW group powertrain chief Heinz-Jakob Neusser has given the first official confirmation that the Golf R400 will be produced and that it will have more than 400 hp. “We have the Golf more sporty than ever before, since we soon will have the Golf R400 - we will do this car. We are in fact in development of it right now,” Neusser told CAR.
The VW Golf R400 will be the first production model to debut the high-output 2.0-liter turbo engine seen in theAudi TT Quattro Sport Concept.
In the study, the engine produced 420PS (414hp), and the Golf R400 may get it as such or slightly detuned. Add the four-wheel drive system in the equation and the Golf R400 (or R420) should become the world’s fastest production hot-hatch.
In terms of design, the Golf R400 will adopt the understated look of the GTI and R, but will feature a revised aerodynamic package with splitters and a new spoiler. It will also feature upgraded brakes to cope with the extra power, but the track will stay the same, allowing it to be assembled on a regular VW production line.
That’s because the Golf R400 will not be a limited edition model but rather a regular fixture in the Golf lineup. The car is expected to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, with first deliveries scheduled for late 2015 or early 2016. As for pricing, the R400 will reportedly cost under €50,000 (about $54,400) in Germany.
Well this is awkward. We're usually used to seeing supercars go at each other, not diesel SUVs and hatchbacks. Still, none of these two cars could be called "slow" in any way. As you know, the Golf R isn't just a family hatchback. Well, it is, but it's no entry-level petrol-burner. It's got a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine, sending 300 HP to all four of its wheels, which is a recipe of fun regardless of where you live.
The Golf R can reach 62 mph (100km/h) in 4.9 seconds, which no too long ago was supercar territory. The first gen 4.2 FSI Audi R8 hit 62 mph in 4.8 seconds if you remember. So we have ourselves quite a capable hot hatch over here.
In the other "corner" we've got size and we've got torque. Precisely 340 HP and no fewer than 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) of torque. There is of course a massive weight disadvantage but also a disparity in mid-range pulling power.
If the two cars met from a rolling start, we'd actually expect the heavier yet torque-happy Touareg to jump out in front, at least for a bit. But seen as though this was a standing start, it just couldn't get off the line as quick as the much lighter Golf R.
Even so, it was an interesting match-up, and they measured the time/speed all the way up to 160km/h (99 mph). So in the end, we have a pretty clear picture of what the difference is between these two cars.
When it comes to assessing future automotive classics, experts usually focus on used cars that are well over 10 years old, but what about brand new models? Here’s where Hagerty steps in, with its annual list of vehicles that stand out as likely being collectible within the next 25 years.
To qualify for the "Hagerty Hot List", a car has to be made during the 2015 model year and have an MSRP of under $100,000, with Hagerty's collector experts giving a special preference to newly released vehicles over ones that appeared in previous lists - whenever possible.
The only model that reappears in this year's Top 10 is the Alfa Romeo 4C. Obviously, this list is for cars sold in the US market.
"We hear a lot of chatter about how cars made today are boring," said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty. "The cars that made this list prove there are still cars to be excited about. They are true drivers' cars that are definitely enjoyable now, but each one that made the list has that special something that will make it a collectible in the years to come."
You can check Hagerty's Top 10 future collectibles for the 2015MY below, but before you do, let me just say that, I'm surprised they included the BMW M4 Convertible, as besides the original M3 E30 Convertible that was a special case because it was produced in limited numbers, no other open-top M3 has ever managed to come even close to its coupe counterpart in pricing. The 2015 Hagerty Top 10 Hot List in alphabetical order (with base price): 1) Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition ($69,685) –" Alfa Romeo returns to America after a twenty year absence with a junior supercar that boasts an impressive 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds, and a carbon fiber chassis. It oozes Italianness from every single carbon fiber making it perhaps the hottest car on a very hot Hot List."
2) BMW M4 Convertible ($73,450) – "The M3 and M5 have been the go-to cars for BMW Motorsports junkies since the late 1980s. The M4 offers those fans the silky torque of a twin turbo, inline-six engine, but, perhaps more importantly, it's the only M-car, other than the pricey M6, that can be had as a convertible."
3) Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 ($75,000) – "The ultimate road course ready Camaro. Boasting a weight loss of 300 pounds and the LS7 V8 with 505 horsepower and 481 pound feet of torque, Chevrolet let the engineers out to play and they created a monster. Anyone who isn't aware that we're living in a new golden age of automotive performance has been clogging up the left lane for too long."
4) Chevrolet Corvette Z06($78,995) - "Bang for your buck is an understatement for the supercharged Z06, which may well be the all-time performance for the dollar champion. The Corvette has now entered supercar territory at a fraction of the price of the competition from Germany and Italy. "
5) Dodge Challenger Hellcat ($58,295) – "It feels like the 1960s again. The Cold War is back and so are the muscle car horsepower wars and Dodge just exercised the nuclear option with this beast. Limited production and 707 horsepower means that the Hellcat earns its moniker. Clearly the Challenger Hellcat is here to turn fuel into noise and rubber into dust and little else. "
6) Ford Mustang GT Performance Package($37,125) – "Although the 50th anniversary edition will be produced in far less numbers, we at Hagerty think the GT performance package is the true driver's car. Ford had a tough job following up the 2005-14 Mustang but they've done it very well (better perhaps than in 1967 when the Mustang was re-designed for the first time). Here's to another fifty years."
7) Mazda MX-5 Miata 25th Anniversary Edition($33,000) – "The popularity of Japanese collector cars is on the rise and the Miata has established itself as the quintessential modern roadster. With this special edition also the last of its generation, it is already sealed as a collectible with only 100 models making the trip to North America."
8) MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop ($24,950) – "New for 2015, the 2 door hardtop John Cooper Works MINI is the most powerful MINI ever produced. The performance specs are impressive, but what will have collectors drooling in the future is the attention paid to the MINI's design concept."
9) Subaru WRX STI Launch Edition($38,190) – "With a stiffer body, advanced suspension and a turbocharged Boxer four cylinder the STI is quite literally a factory built rally car that you can drive off the showroom floor. The smile inducing acceleration is simply intoxicating, and the very limited release Launch Edition will be loved by collectors and rally fans for years to come."
10) Volkswagen Golf R ($36,595) – "4Motion" all-wheel drive, 292 horsepower, 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph make the all new VW Golf the most powerful VW hatchback to date. With a 2.0L turbocharged inline 4 this VW is bound to excite collectors now and in the future. It's the Golf that GTI fan boys and girls have been begging VW to build."
Golf R Cabriolet is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine putting out 270-horses and 350Nm (258.2 lb-ft) of peak torque from a low 2,500 rpm. The standard sprint to 100km/h (62mph) from standstill comes in less than 6.0 seconds while top speed is limited at 250km/h (155mph).
Volkswagen did not say if the Golf R Cabriolet is equipped with the hatchback’s all-wheel drive system or if power is transferred to the front wheels alone.
What the Cabriolet does get is a 25 mm lowered sport chassis along with a 17-inch brake system with internally ventilated discs at all wheels and blue painted high-performance brake callipers, and 19-inch “Talladega” alloy wheels wrapped in size 235 tires.
The car also features the Golf R’s aero kit with a new front bumper, side sills and a redesigned rear bumper housing two central tail pipes. Inside, there are bucket seats in dark blue carbon leather, combined with high-end Nappa leather in “Pure Grey”, plus carbon accents and sand-blasted aluminium door sill plates with black piano paint inlays.
For the time being, the Golf R Cabriolet remains a pure study, but we wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a production version in the near feature just yet.
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