What is it?
In a month when we’ve driven the fastest production car in existence - the 1479bhp Bugatti Chiron - it might feel more difficult than usual to get excited about 'just' 306bhp. But here’s why you should be excited.
At the other end of the Volkswagen Group’s portfolio to the Chiron, 306bhp is the uprated power output of the facelifted Volkswagen Golf R. VW’s mega hatch has had a few tweaks to tip its power output over the 300bhp mark and boost its torque by 15lb ft to 280lb ft, all of which helps make this the fastest Golf ever made. Faster than the previous R and Volkswagen the Nurburgring-slaying front-drive limited-edition Clubsport S, as well as the new Seat Leon Cupra 300.
The Golf R is an all-rounder with which few come close to matching in all disciplines. Exhilarating pace and genuine practicality ensure it’s a regular pick for the 'dream' everyday family car. But while Bugatti Chiron ownership remains firmly in the realms of fantasy (unless you happen to be reading this on a diamond-encrusted tablet in your Dubai penthouse), the Golf R costs just more than £30,000.
That sounds like a lot for a Volkswagen Golf, true, but for what you're getting it’s a bargain. Especially when you consider that for the price of one Chiron you could line your estate with 78 Rs.
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Full marks in the test of time
Funny...
I've owned the past 2 gens of the R and it's certainly anything but dull if you know how to push it (but let's be honest, many people won't). I've had the opportunity to take my cars round a track and if anyone comes away from that experience calling it dull, there's something wrong with them! Even on the road, it has the potential to excite, but what I personally love about the R is that with all the settings tuned down, pottering around a quiet village on a Sunday afternoon, it's like any other Golf. Yet at the touch of a couple of buttons, you can unleash the beast within... and yet looking at it, you'd never suspect. Personally, I love that duality and its wolf in sheep's clothing nature, but I appreciate it's not what everyone wants. No car will please everyone though.
Appearance aside however, which is always going to be subjective anyway, the R does everything else spot on in respect to its driving capability and value for money (nothing comes close to the latter). I admit to being swayed by the looks of other cars, but when it comes down to it, the Golf R is just the best all rounder, end of.
Drift
Not that I would be driving it like a 18-year old hooligan drifting through every corner, but it would be nice to know that I could drift if I wanted. I don't drive to work 155 miles per hour either, even my car could do that. I'm dreaming about it, it's nice to know I could do it, but I want to keep my license..
When does VW realise that this kind of cars are all about dreams and freedom and the stability control nanny robs those from us. I'm not going to buy a 300bhp car if I can't even dream about drifting it when I leave the office parking lot.