With just shy of 300 horsepower and all-wheel drive, the 2015 Audi S3 and 2014 Volkswagen Golf R are two new performance cars we're quite excited about. But now we have reason to believe these cars might be the latest in a long line of VWs and Audis that get a bit neutered when they come to the U.S.
This comes from a recent post by an administrator at Audi forum Fourtitude who says the U.S. S3 and Golf R will not have their European counterparts' dual injection system, which features both direct and multi-port injection. Both cars are powered by the same 2.0-liter TSI turbo four-cylinder engine codenamed EA888.
Here's what the admin posted:
3) The US engine will NOT feature dual injection as seen with the Euro model. As a result, the EPA hasn't yet given finalized hp and consumption figures and thus their absence from that table. Also, he suggested the US-spec engine will be about 280 hp due to the differences.
Emphasis mine, because that's why this really matters. If this news is correct, then it means both cars will not be as powerful as their 296 horsepower Euro versions.
Our tipster has another reason it's bad news for VW/Audi folks:
This is really bad news as the MP Injection would have alleviated the carbon build up issues plaguing direct injection motors, and the lack of the feature reduces the overall power output of the motor.
A loss of less than 20 horsepower is one thing, and god knows it can be fixed with the help of a tune from APR or someone just like almost every VW/Audi owner does. But that last part is a real bummer if it leads to more carbon buildup.
However, this does not sound definite yet. We reached out to Audi, and a spokesman told us that official specs on the U.S. S3 have not been finalized, and they have not confirmed whether it will have this injection system or not, but the car will have at least 280 horses.
Let's hope it's going to be just as potent as the European version when it hits our shores in the fall.
Updated: I just talked to a spokesman from VW, and he also said the specs on the U.S. Golf R are not final, but that the car will have at least 290 horsepower here. No word yet on the dual injection system, which he said is primarily done for EU emissions reasons.
He also claims the company has received no reports of carbon buildup on unmodified engines. A ton of owners say otherwise, though. (He later clarified to say he was specifically referring to reports of carbon buildup in Volkswagen's four-cylinder turbo direct injection engines.)
Hat tip to Perry!