Latest VW Golf R introduced with 333hp

The new Mk8.5 is punchier than ever - and there's an updated fast wagon from the off, too

VW devotees will recall that around this time last year, the firm introduced a Germany-only Golf R 333 that came in a funky colour, cost 76,410 euros and sold out in eight minutes. Well, the new Mk8.5 Golf R is not quite the same thing - and if we’re lucky it won’t cost quite as much - but certainly it shares the special edition model’s headline feature: 333hp and 310lb ft of torque. A modest uplift, perhaps - yet sufficient for Volkswagen to confirm the latest version as ‘the most powerful Golf models of our time’.

Models plural because the manufacturer has launched the wagon in the same moment, which, as you might expect, mimics the hatchback in virtually every regard save for the bigger boot and slightly heavier kerbweight. Hence the 4.8-second-to-62mph time versus 4.6 seconds for the standard five-door. Top speed is again 167mph, assuming you remember to tick the Performance pack box (which also includes vital add-ons like a G-meter and a GPS lap timer). Either way, this is about as punchy as modern VW stuff gets. Which is appropriate for a 22-year R-badged dynasty that has sold more than 250k units so far.

As ever, the updated model does not stray far from a) the look of its predecessor and b) the established R formula. In fact, this being a 0.5 facelift, you might struggle to tell the difference. Rest assured it’s present and correct in a new LED headlight design, new air curtains in the front bumper and some optionally available 19-inch forged wheels that are said to be 20 per cent lighter than the comparable alloys. However, much like with the latest GTI, one of the most telling changes is likely to be 12.9-inch free-standing touchscreen inside that the new R gets courtesy of the wider Golf update.

The 2.0-litre EA888 motor is much as we left it, albeit slightly tweaked. Ditto the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system with its R-Performance torque vectoring and the MacPherson front strut and four-link rear axle chassis - although VW has confirmed for the first time that adaptive dampers are standard in Germany, which suggests that the same will likely happen for the UK. Moreover, VW has added 'Eco' to the available drive modes, and modified the 'Comfort' setting so that upshifts occur a little later (think 100rpm) to make it feel a bit more sporty by comparison. The unique Special (i.e. Nurburgring-tuned) profile and Drift parameters remain the preserve of the Performance pack.

Volkswagen reckons it has also ‘further developed to enhance the acoustic feedback and the characteristic motorsport feeling of the Golf R’ and says backfire can be heard from engine speeds of just 2,500rpm, which ought to delight the neighbours. You can even induce the engine to start at that speed by holding down the start button for 1.5 seconds (without the brake) and then pushing the brake pedal to start it. VW says this will be accompanied by an ‘acoustic statement – a deep burbling sound’. Again, to the collective delight of the neighbourhood.

If you’re hoping to blend in - or possibly stand-out in a slightly more menacing way (we can’t make our minds up based on the pics) - there is also the option of a new Golf R Black Edition, which gets the Performance pack as standard alongside the more predictable darkened Volkswagen badges and R logos, black R brake calipers, black 19-inch Estorils and black tailpipe trims. So expect to see one parked down the end of your road imminently. Especially if the promise to launch the latest Golf R models ‘in Germany at lower prices’ extends to the UK. We ought to find out either way imminently: Europe-wide pre-sales are said to kick off in June to coincide exactly with the 50th anniversary of the Golf.