New Volkswagen Golf R ARRIVES officially - and it'll 'drift'

New Volkswagen Golf R

The new 2021 Volkswagen Golf R is revealed as the range-topping Golf Mk 8, with 316bhp from its 2.0 litre turbo petrol and four-wheel drive.

We’ve had a couple of teases for the new VW Golf R (here and here), and earlier this year we had a sneaky look at the new Golf R and the leaking of power outputs for the new Golf performance models.

That leak of power for the new Golf performance models has proved fairly accurate with the arrival of the new Golf GTI, GTD and GTD, but it seems it overstated the power of the new Golf R, which actually comes with 316bhp from its 2.0 litre petrol turbo, not the 324bhp the leak suggested.

That 316bhp goes, as you’d expect from a Golf R, to all four wheels through a 7-speed DSG ‘box, complete with big flappy paddles, which is enough to get to 62mph in 4.7 seconds.

But what you also get, if you’re prepared to tick the right boxes and stump up more cash, is the R Performance Pack which gives you an active rear diff and torque vectoring to shuffle power around, a ‘Drift’ mode and a ‘Nurburgring’ mode for blatting round a track. Well, designed for one track.

You’ll be able to spot the new R by its lower suspension, front splitter, rear diffuser, quad exhaust and 18″ alloys (19″ option), with a bigger rear spoiler if you opt for the R Performance Pack, with the interior getting sports seats, sports steering wheel, ‘R’ logos dotted around, and ‘R’ functions on the infotainment.

On sale in the new year, expect the new Golf to cost getting on for £40k.