2015 Volkswagen Golf R
Just a Golf. A 296-hp, all-wheel-drive Golf.
We’re still without the MkVII Golf in the U.S., much less the comparo-winning GTI, and Volkswagen now twists the knife a little more. Today, the company unveiled the ultimate Golf: the all-wheel-drive, 296-hp Golf R.
Unlike the front-wheel-drive GTI, the Golf R is sold exclusively with a Haldex all-wheel-drive system. The car also gets a cross differential lock at each axle, which VW calls XDS+, that provides brake-based torque vectoring. Power comes from a turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which produces 296 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 280 lb-ft of torque from 1800 to 5500 rpm—notice that maximum torque is sustained until the engine reaches its peak power. Compared to the GTI’s version of the powerplant, the Golf R’s is fitted with a unique cylinder head, new exhaust-valve hardware, new pistons, and a larger turbocharger that operates with a boost pressure of up to 17.4 psi. The exhaust system is of the two-stage variety for optimum aural pleasure under heavy loads, and, as is the case with the Focus-ST, intake noise is piped into the car’s cabin.
In European specification, there is a choice of a six-speed manual or a six-speed dual-clutch automatic. Volkswagen says that the sprint from 0 to 62 mph takes 5.3 seconds with the manual and just 4.9 seconds with the automatic—we recorded a 0–60 time of 5.9 seconds in our last test of a Golf R. Specifying the automatic adds a launch-control feature while the manual features shorter throws and a shorter shifter than do workaday Golfs. Top speed is governed at 155 mph, and VW R development chief Guido Sever says that 168 mph would be possible without the electronic limiter. "We are considering that option," he adds.
The manual-equipped Golf R is rated for 33 mpg and the automatic receives a mark of 34, although that’s on the optimistic European cycle. VW claims a fuel-economy improvement of 20 percent over the previous-gen Golf R—available only with a six-speed manual in the U.S., and rated for 19 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway—largely due to efficiency gains in the switch from the EA113 mill to the new EA888, as well as the car’s weight loss of some 100 pounds. (That drop in weight is inherent to the Golf MkVII and its MQB architecture; there are no specific lightweight components on the Golf R.)
Compared to the standard Golf, the chassis of the R is lowered by nearly 0.8 inch—still some 0.2 inch lower than the GTI—and features an adaptive setup with choices of Comfort, Sport, and Race modes, each offering differentiated rebound and compression rates within each individual damper. (These Dynamic Chassis Control settings work in conjunction with VW’s Driving Profile Selector, which alter transmission and throttle settings according to which mode is selected: Eco, Normal, Individual, Comfort, and Race.) The GTI's variable-ratio steering system is used in the Golf R, and, for the first time, the stability-control system can be switched off entirely.
This ultimate Golf is a "street fighter" and "ready for the racetrack," according to the brand. To illustrate that, we’re told that Nürburgring lap times are 15 seconds quicker compared to the MkVI Golf R, and 11 seconds better than the best time set by the new MkVII GTI. But the Golf R isn’t an uncompromising racer, "It is still a Golf." That's a good thing, considering that the European customer base for the dearest Golf is comprised mainly of affluent men between the ages of 40 and 60. These people like to brag about lap times, but they’re not interested in frequent visits to the chiropractor.
Styling changes to the Golf R are relatively modest, fitted with front and rear fascias unique to the car, as well as specific 18-inch aluminum wheels. The chromed quad exhaust outlets a nice touch, if perhaps too reminiscent of Audi’s high-performance “S”-badged models. The interior of the flagship Golf is finished in cloth and faux suede, while the blue instrumentation that’s become synonymous with top-shelf Golfs carries over. The color’s use in the car extends to ambient lighting.
Volkswagen will offer its European customers the Golf R in both two- and four-door guises beginning in December. Volkswagen has yet to confirm the R for U.S. sales, but we understand it will arrive in showrooms here a year after the European market, or about six months after the MkVII Golf and GTI.
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When Chevrolet debuted the refreshed-for-2014 Camaro coupe at the New York auto show earlier this year, the updated convertible version was nowhere to be found. Chevy, of course, was just waiting to reveal that model at a different auto show. Interestingly, that venue is the 2013 Frankfurt show, a move that has to do with the timing of the car’s launch both in Europe and here in the States—not to mention being just about the last opportunity for the car to get some press before the new Mustang breaks cover.
The 2014 Camaro convertible wears the same updated sheetmetal as the latest coupe, with squintier headlights and a slimmer grille and taillights. As on the coupe, the styling tweaks help reduce some of the Camaro’s visual chunkiness. The droptop’s three trim levels—LT, SS, and ZL1—carry over, and the spec sheet mirrors the coupe’s, with a standard 323-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 and choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions. Buyers can step up to a 426-hp—400 horsepower when shifting duties are handled by the automatic transmission—6.2-liter V-8 in the SS model, or to a 580-hp, supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 in the burly ZL1. (The ZL1 does not get the same front fascia as the rest of the 2014 Camaro lineup due to the high level of effort required to adapt it for the car’s aerodynamic and cooling needs.)
Besides inheriting the coupe’s cosmetic upgrades, the convertible only gets one of that model’s two new optional extras: a color head-up display and Recaro sport seats. Unfortunately, the Recaro sport seats—which are optional on SS coupes—didn’t make the convertible’s options sheet, likely because the seatbelts in the topless Camaro are seat-mounted. A new seven-inch MyLink touch-screen infotainment system is now available, and a backup camera mercifully remains standard. The SS coupe’s available high-performance 1LE package is still unavailable on the convertible, and we’ve been told not to hold our breath for a roofless Z/28.
The 2014 Chevrolet Camaro convertible is headed for dealerships as you read this, and pricing edges upward slightly relative to the 2013 model. A base 1LT increases by $390 to $31,950, the $39,950 SS starts $365 higher than last year, and the ZL1’s price swells by a modest $705 to $62,450
