Road Test: Volkswagen takes GTI to higher plane with R

“R u Mine?” That’s the Arctic Monkeys-inspired query hot hatch aficionados have been asking themselves since it was decided in 2002 that the GTI just wasn’t meaty enough. The harbinger of the hot hatch formula was the icon of the 1980s and early 1990s but by the turn of the century its wow factor had waned.

VW’s answer was to shoehorn a 3.2-litre six-cylinder blunderbuss under the bonnet of a Golf shell. To keep its horses on the road the Germans also added four-wheel-drive. The end result was simply phenomenal.

In hindsight, its 250bhp output wasn’t actually that powerful while the hefty lump of metal up front definitely weighed it down. But the thundering roar from that engine and the physics-defying handling made it an addictive drive. Push the accelerator to the floor and it sounded like you’d just kicked an already angry lion up the ass.

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A petrolhead friend from Co Mayo imported one to Ireland at the time. When he took to the road it’s safe to say the west was awake.

By 2005 it was time for an update. The big addition was to bring on board VW’s dual-clutch DSG auto transmission. That brought the 0-100km/h below six seconds. But it added more weight. The balance was there and this car was looking to face off against the poster boys of the saloon racing set: Mitsubishi’s Evo and Subaru’s Impreza WRX STi. Yet with a hefty premium price to match its extra weight the regular GTI seemed nimbler on the road and lighter on the pocket.

Next generation

That’s perhaps why Volkswagen found reverse with the next generation R in 2010. Out went the V6 and in came a revamped version of the GTI’s 2-litre turbocharged four cylinder. It had nearly 260bhp and made engineering sense, but you can understand why loyal fans felt a little deflated. Some had been looking forward to an R36, the sort of car that looked like a family hatchback but outran Ferraris on the autobahns.

And so we come to the latest generation R, a car that hopes to learn the lessons of the past, the tastes of the present and the trends of the future. Far from the road-ripping, ear-bleeding intoxication of the original powerhouse, this car aims to be a richer blend of racy all-rounder. The four-wheel-drive gives it an assured presence on the road, combining well with Volkswagen’s award-winning MQB platform. The 300bhp output from the 2-litre turbo powertrain pushes the car from standstill to 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds with the DSG gearbox, while emissions levels of just 159g/km means its road tax is lower than many three-year-old suburban SUVs. And it retains all the practicality of the regular Golf.

We had the Golf R for a few days but like many emotional moments in life we hit it off within the first few minutes.

The question remains: why R when you can GTI? That's particularly pertinent given that Volkswagen has been milking the the GTI format for all its worth in recent years. In the same way BMW has tapped its M range and Mercedes its AMG, so the marketing bods at VW have no doubt spoken about "leveraging" the GTI's premium image.

Today, you can get a three-door diesel GTD 184bhp for €37,705. Or a similar GTi 220bhp for €35,750. Add another 10bhp for the GTI Performance Pack at €37,070. Or if it’s really only image you’re after why not opt for the Edition R 1.2-litre TSi Golf for €24,200 and book that family holiday to Australia as well?

And all that is before you get lost in the abyss of performance rivals out there. But let’s cut to the chase. In terms of the Golfs on offer, the GTD cruiser looks like a GTI, but with little refinement or feedback it certainly doesn’t act like one. If it’s a GTI you’re after then stick to the petrol version. If you want a little extra pep then you could spend another €2,000 on the performance pack but it seems a little daft.

Or if you really care about the combination of power, driver engagement, grip and performance then you stomp up the €42,445 and go for R. Otherwise save yourself all the bother and get the average Golf with a big set of alloys and save your cash.

Greatest rival

The greatest rival to the Golf R comes not from Mitsubishi or Subaru any more but rather from the premium ranks of BMW with its M235i. The Bavarian is the best car I've driven in the last 12 months and it remains a benchmark that even the R can't reach just yet. It's damn close but not quite there. Yet the BMW is basically €60,000 while this is closer to €42,000. Suddenly the R seems a bargain buy.

The GTI moniker is ingrained in the psyche of petrolheads. But the essence of what it stood for is today best reflected in the letter R.

The lowdown: Volkswagen Golf R
Engine: 1,984cc putting out 300bhp and 380Nm of torque
0-100km/h: 4.9 seconds with DSG auto transmission (5.1 secs with manual)
Emissions: 159g/km (165g/km with manual)
Motor tax: €570
Price: €45,280 as tested in five-door DSG (starts at €42,445)