Volkswagen R has taken three of its upcoming models for some serious testing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Naturally, our spy photographers were there and caught them all on camera, starting with the all-new VW Golf R we featured earlier today. Now it’s time to give you the best shots yet of the Arteon R, the upcoming flagship of Volkswagen’s passenger car lineup.

For its first Nürburgring shakedown, the Arteon R appears to ditch all camouflage but that’s not exactly the case. Look closely and you’ll notice some tape and fake details up front.

Read Also: Hot 2021 VW Golf R And Arteon R Scooped Up Close In Switzerland

They are there to hide both the final design of the Arteon R and the facelifted Arteon, as the performance model will debut as part of the mid-cycle refresh. Anyway, it’s pretty clear the full blown R-branded Arteon adopts deeper bumpers with bigger air intakes at the front and a diffuser at the rear.

Other exterior elements serving to differentiate the hot Arteon from lesser variants include the rear spoiler lip, squared-off quad tailpipes, lowered ride height as well as the exclusive Volkswagen R wheels hiding beefier brakes with drilled front discs and blue-painted calipers.

The VW Arteon R prototypes seen here also feature chrome mirror caps but we’re not sure whether those will be standard or optional. We don’t get a look at the interior but don’t expect massive changes over regular Arteon models.

Opinions are split regarding the Arteon R’s powertrain. Some sources claim it will feature the brand’s new 3.0-liter VR6 twin-turbocharged engine with roughly 400 PS (395 HP). Others believe the engine will be a 2.0-liter turbo-four from the upcoming Golf R, rated at around 333 PS (329 HP). The smaller engine seems like a safer bet as it would be more economically viable for VW.

Regardless of who’s right, expect a 4Motion all-wheel drive system and a DSG dual-clutch transmission to come as standard. The VW Arteon R should debut in the final quarter of this year, followed by Arteon R Shooting Brake in the first half of 2021.

2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session
2021 VW Arteon R Looks Focused During First Nürburgring Session

Photo credits: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien & CarPix for CarScoops