You fools! You've never taken the Volkswagen Golf R models seriously. Now, VW — in addition to making a 296 horsepower Golf R with a manual and a DSG — is said to be making an even hotter "Evo" version. You and your Subaru will pay for your arrogance now!
At least, that's what I believe to be the mentality at VW these days upon learning from Auto Express that a more extreme Golf R is in the works. The magazine cites an inside source in saying that a Golf R Evo is set to debut at the Beijing Auto Show in April.
It will have a little more power than the standard Golf R, but mainly it will be faster because it will lose a bunch of weight. Rear seats? Who needs those?
Replacing the rear seats with a roll-cage, using thinner bucket seats in the front and fitting lighter alloys, along with a carbon-fibre roof and sections of carbon-fibre bodywork, would slash the R's 1,476kg (3,254 pounds) kerbweight. If VW can cut around 100kg, that would bring it into line with the front-wheel drive Golf GTI despite a significant power advantage.
It's said to be something like the Audi TT Ultra Quattro concept, which also dumped a bunch of weight to get hard and fast. That car did zero to 60 in just 4.2 seconds; if this Golf can get anywhere near that, it could put some fear into the actual Evos of the world. We'll wait and see if it becomes real or not.