Remember the Golf R400 concept from 2014? What about the R420 that was rumoured to be the subsequent production version? Dieselgate happened and Volkswagen pulled the plug on the ultimate Golf R. In 2022, the folks from Wolfsburg did launch a more potent version of their hot hatch by introducing the "20 Years Edition" to mark two decades of R-badged cars. Missed out on buying the car? A follow-up is coming.
VW R took to YouTube to release a sneak preview of a very yellow Golf R 333 Limited Edition ahead of its official debut scheduled to take place on the 31st of May. The "333" likely refers to the engine's Pferdestärke (PS) output, which would perfectly match the aforementioned "20 Years Edition." If our assumption is correct, this will be another Golf R with 328 bhp (245 kilowatts), making it the beefiest of them all. As for torque, we're expecting 309 pound-feet (420 Newton-metres) to echo the preceding special edition.
Volkswagen Golf R 33 Years teasers
The 27-second teaser video shows a "333" black decal running along the bottom of the doors, along with black side mirror caps and an Akrapovič quad exhaust system. Also noticeable are the 19-inch Estoril wheels with blue brake callipers. Much like the 2022 version, it'll likely be sold only as a hatchback although the regular Golf R is also available in some markets as a more practical estate.
Provided it uses the same configuration of the turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine, the hardcore Golf R will run to 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 4.6 seconds en route to an electronically governed 168 mph (270 km/h).
With VW saying the facelifted Golf will be launched in 2024, the upcoming special variant will be based on the existing model. It's certainly not going to be cheap considering the Golf R 20 Years retailed from £48,095 in the UK.
The Anniversary Golf R:
Source: Volkswagen R / YouTube