While it should remain at the level of an Audi S3, the new Volkswagen Golf R could squarely play in the backyard of the RS 3.
Volkswagen has just launched the R version of its latest eighth-generation Golf, the absolute sporty top of the German compact range. This new Golf R has a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine driven to 320 horsepower, but above all an all-wheel drive that operates differently from the previous generation.
The transmission has a more sophisticated rear differential than that of a classic Haldex system from Audi S3. It can send a lot more torque back to the rear axle, and even play propulsion while allowing glide.
A 0 to 100 in four seconds!
And as Matt Watson of Carwow has seen, this new Golf R is also capable of accelerating much harder than advertised on its technical sheet. Like an S3, it’s supposed to shoot 0-100 km / h in 4.7 seconds. But here, she achieves a 0 to 60 mph (96 km / h) in just four seconds! As a reminder, a Mercedes-AMG A45 S officially requires 3.9 seconds for 0 to 100 km / h. An older generation RS 3 takes 4.1 seconds.
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