Perhaps Mercedes AMG has played their hand a little too early. The throne upon which the A45 AMG sits as the most powerful hot hatch was at risk of being unsettled by the Golf R400 concept that Volkswagen toyed around with just a few months ago, but that concept is now green-lit for production. It is said the production model will be unveiled in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and deliveries will start towards the end of 2015 and through 2016.
Why would Volkswagen approve such a high powered model? Well, this kind of mindset has been with the company since the introduction of the R32 variants of the Golf: it was to prove a point, that they could very well produce a ridiculously high powered Golf. The evolution of these R models had always kept the Golf ahead of it’s rivals in terms of performance, but that was halted by the A45 AMG that Mercedes brought about as a high-performance hot hatch.
The production model is said to be the R420, for 420 horses, which will be a little more power than initially expected. All-wheel drive via 4Motion is expected, but this should be a model that really closes the gap between hot hatch and proper sports car. In comparison, a Porsche 911 C2S makes about 400 bhp.
Styling, like the other Golf performance models, is naturally going to be a little more understated than the outspoken A45 AMG. A few aerodynamic bits here and there will give it a little distinction, but in terms of the overall width and footprint it will remain largely the same. The dynamics should be tweaked to be even more aggressive than the Golf R.
Will this model come to Malaysia? It’s hard to say, but Volkswagen Group Malaysia’s enthusiasm with providing the majority of the Volkswagen range for Malaysian consumers is encouraging. Pricing of the model will probably be over the RM 300,000 mark, but it’s a small price to pay for the performance provided. And if the concept is anything to go by, those twin central tailpipes will make a sweet return.
