Golf R Variant – length runs and with torque vectoring handy

At Volkswagen, all signs point to electromobility. It will take some time before the entire fleet is electrified. In the meantime, VW is not idle, but shows what is still technically possible with the current combustion models.

With the Golf R Variant, VW is now showing a model that has a wide spread between sportiness and suitability for everyday use.

We had the opportunity to subject the Gold R Variant to a first test around and on the Bilster Berg racetrack.

Technical data VW Golf R Variant

The heart of the Gold R Variant is the 2.0 TSI with 235 kW (320 PS) and 420 Nm torque, which accelerates the Gold R Variant from 0-100 km / h in 4.9 seconds. With the R-Perfomance package, the Golf R-Variant accelerates to a top speed of 270 km / h instead of the standard 250 km / h.

However, the drive is only one part of the Golf R Variant, much more than the engine, we remember the developments relating to the chassis, the steering and the drive programs.

VW specifies the highlights of the Golf R Variant as follows:

• 2.0 TSI with 235 kW (320 PS) and 420 Nm torque. Breath-taking power development in all speed ranges
• 0 to 100 km / h in 4.9 seconds, top speed optionally in the R-Performance package up to 270 km / h. Truly a sports suit
• 4MOTION with R-Performance torque vectoring. All-wheel drive with wheel-selective torque control on the rear axle
• New driving profiles “Special” and “Drift”. For maximum driving fun on the Nordschleife and high-performance drifting
• Seven-speed dual clutch transmission (DSG). The fastest and most efficient way to change gears
• R-specific sports suspension. Lowered body, optional: adaptive dampers DCC
• Progressive steering and driving dynamics manager. So that the pilot can fully concentrate on driving
• 18-inch high-performance brake. Optimal delay even under the highest stress
• Extroverted design. Powerful and unmistakable – but never obtrusive
• R-specific Digital Cockpit Pro. 10-inch view with additional instruments and exclusive speed display
• R-Performance steering wheel with R button. Sporty multifunction leather steering wheel with R button for driving profile selection
• Grown interior. Space for five people and now 611 to 1,642 liters of luggage volume
• Fast draft horse. Now also available with an optional trailer coupling for a tensile load of up to 1.9 tonnes
• Variant advantage. Even lower air resistance and more balanced axle load distribution

4MOTION with R-Performance Torque Vectoring

The Gold R Variant takes over the all-wheel drive, which has been completely redeveloped for the Golf R, with wheel-selective torque control on the rear axle. This means that the Golf R Variant can not only distribute its power between the front and rear axles, but is even able to give up to 100% of the power variably to a single rear wheel.

This is combined for the first time with a driving dynamics manager that centrally networks the other chassis systems such as the electronic differential locks (XDS) and the adaptive chassis control (DCC) and thus strives for optimal driving characteristics.

Driving report Golf R Variant on the racetrack

In theory, it all sounds very good, but only experience in practice shows you how well the interaction of the various systems in the Golf R Variant works.

My test of the Golf R Variant starts right away with the most demanding stress a car can expect: driving on a racetrack.

The route characteristics of the Bilster Berg are described on Wikipedia as follows:

The total length of the route is 4.2 km. It can be divided into a 1.8 km long west loop and a 2.4 km long east loop. The shorter west loop is topographically demanding, the east loop the faster part of the route. The absolute height difference over the entire length is 72 m, the greatest gradient is 26 percent, the greatest gradient 20 percent. In total, there are 44 tubs and crests up and down over 102 meters in altitude. The difference in altitude per kilometer is 17 m on the Bilster Berg, compared to 14 m on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.[13] The route is mostly 12 meters wide. In the “Mausefalle”, a very demanding section of the route with a gradient of 26 percent, the curve widens to 13 meters. Immediately afterwards it goes into the steep section with a gradient of up to 21 percent. Due to the numerous troughs and crests, many curves are difficult to drive or completely hidden from view.

It should therefore be clear that the route is quite demanding for both the driver and the vehicle.

For this reason, the vehicles for the circuit were also equipped with Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires. Furthermore, our Gold R Variant test vehicle is equipped with the R-Perfomance package, which means that in addition to the Comfort, Sport, Race and Individual driving profiles, the Special and Drift programs are also available.

The Gold R Variant always starts in Sport mode and its basic set-up is therefore geared towards a sporty appeal.

But we start our test drive on the Bilster Berg directly in the “Special” mode. This mode was elaborately coordinated especially on the Nordschleife.

VW test driver Benajmin (Benny) Leuchter takes us over the Bilster Berg racetrack in several stints.

The torque vectoring is clearly noticeable in the fast laps. Thanks to the visualization of the torque distribution in the display, you can see how up to 100% of the force is sent to the outside wheel in tight bends. This makes the long Golf R Variant look extremely agile.

After the first laps, we switch from the Special mode to the normal Sport mode. The difference in the way the Golf R Variant behaves is so clear that I couldn’t stand a lap in Sport mode.

The quick change to the race mode brings the joy back straight away. The car becomes much more direct and agile. You can tell in the race mode that it sets the car to behave appropriately for the race track.

But if you think about driving your Golf R or Golf R Variant more often than now and then on a racetrack, in my opinion you will not get around the R-Perfomance package.

The switch between Race and Special lets you feel why almost all manufacturers spend so much time on the Nordschleife. The Nordschleife is considered by many to be the toughest race track in the world, and the saying goes in car circles: what works on the Nordschleife usually works differently everywhere.

A change to the special mode does not activate any secret power reserves but changes the response behavior of the engine, the gearshift, the steering and the chassis. The car just feels more direct than in race mode.

What is special, however, is that the drivability of the Golf R Variant does not suffer from the sharper tuning. The car always feels easy to control. In special mode, the driver has the feeling that the car simply anticipates and supports the journey on a circuit even more.

After the basic trust in the Golf R Variant has been consolidated and strengthened with every further lap on the Bilster Berg, the last two laps of the day will also be the fastest.

At the end of the laps on the Bilster Berg comes the realization that I was on the racetrack in a station wagon and just had a lot of fun.

Driving report Golf R Variant on the country road

The switch from the racetrack to the country road couldn’t be bigger. The Golf R Variant is absolutely suitable for everyday use as a station wagon in the first driving impression.

Here, too, it becomes clear how much work has gone into the overall set-up of the Golf R Variant. While the “Sport” driving mode didn’t feel good on the racetrack, in normal road traffic it is an excellent compromise between everyday life and a touch of sportiness. Switching to race mode can be done on a winding country road, but the sport mode is intended for everyday use.

The “Comfort” mode could easily have been renamed “Eco”.

Fun² thanks to drift mode in the Golf R Variant

Towards the end of the day we went to a large area where we were allowed to try the drift mode again.

In fact, this was the first time I tried drifting. Thanks to torque vectoring, drifting is very much supported by the car.

The advice in the Volkswagen Infotainment System not to use the drift mode in traffic but only on special routes or places should definitely be taken seriously.