If you were wondering what’s next for the new Volkswagen Golf Mk7 family after the launch of the GTI (in Europe, as North America will get it in 2014), you’re looking at it in these pictures.
VW engineers may have placed red GTI badges on the front fenders of the prototype, but a quick look at the back and the quad exhaust pipe arrangement as well as the visibly larger front and rear brake discs leave no doubt that this is the new Golf R.
The design of the performance flagship Golf will differ from that of the GTI in select styling details such as the front bumper design and body kit, alloy wheels and possibly some other parts that were not used on this prototype (i.e. the roof spoiler and/or the diffuser), whichwas photographed while testing on the Nürburgring.
Behind the Golf’s familiar grille you will find a newer 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine related to the same unit powering the latest Audi S3 three-door hatchback, five-door Sportback and four-door Sedan models, which delivers 296hp (300PS) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque, though, it is possible that VW will slightly de-tune the output in this application. Either way, it will be more powerful than the current Golf R Mk6’s 266hp (270PS).
Once again, the Golf R will have an all-wheel drive system to put all those horses on the road, and in particular, it will use a latest generation Haldex-type multi-plate clutch system paired to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a DSG automatic transmission.
Not only will the Golf R Mk7 be more potent than its predecessor, but it will also be lighter thanks to the use of different materials and the new MQB platform, helping improve performance as well as fuel economy numbers.
VW hasn’t said yet where or when it plans to reveal the production car, but the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall is a very strong contender.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
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