Obviously, VW doesn’t love us much as we thought it did as the Germans appear to be far more interested in impressing Chinese than American show-goers. While it reheated the Golf GTI and Golf Estate (SportsWagen) for the New York Auto Show, in China and the upcoming Beijing Auto Show, the Germans will pull the covers off a new super Golf R 400 Concept that takes the hot hatch to a whole new level of performance.
As implied by its name, the four-wheel drive Golf R 400 is based on the Golf R, but instead of a 300PS (296hp) 2.0-liter turbocharged four, it gets an unspecified 400PS (395hp) mill under its hood, allowing for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of just 3.9 seconds or a full second faster than the standard R.
It also receives a significant boost in peak torque, from 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) to 450Nm (383 lb-ft) and can reportedly reach a top speed of 175mph or 282km/h.
The teaser drawings released by VW hint at a wider body with swollen wheel arches housing bigger wheels, and modified bumpers with spoiler add-ons.
Previous reports suggested that the 400 R may feature a carbon fiber roof and other exotic materials to reduce weight and increase performance.
Full details should be released over the next few days.
By John Halas
PHOTO GALLERY
