Volkswagen’s 328-HP Hatchback Is An AWD Sleeper With A Drift Mode
Depending on whether you are downing a Halbe in a Wolfsburg Kneipe, or sipping a Pernod in a Paris brasserie, you will probably hear a different version of the birth of the hot hatch. The French will probably say that it is the Simca 1100 TI of 1973, or the Renault 5 Alpine of three years later. The Germans will likely explain that it was in fact the MK1 Golf GTI, which arrived shortly after the small Renault, but popularized and cemented the term hot hatch, as well as bringing those iconic three letters to the masses.
In Italy, you will probably hear someone choking on their cappuccino as they point out that it was in fact the 1971 Autobianchi A112 Abarth that got there first. Whatever your take on it, we can all agree that hot hatches are often the very starting point of automotive performance, as well as being an accessible way to go fast and enjoy everyday practicality.
The Hot Hatch Wasn’t Always Very Hot
Well, at least by today’s standards. In the ’70s, proper grown-up sedans were wheezing around with about 60 or 70 horsepower (if you were lucky), which meant that you had plenty of time to enjoy the velour and/or fake leather interiors. When the Golf GTI arrived it was akin to punk rock hitting the music scene, and that’s not just because its famous tartan upholstery had been influenced by the patterns designer Gunhild Liljequison saw in maverick fashion shops on London’s Carnaby Street.
The car’s red stripes and wheel well extensions may have seemed like subtle add-ons to Giorgetto Giugiaro’s boxy shape, but they would become hot hatch staples everywhere. Making its debut at Frankfurt’s International Motor Show in September 1975, the GTI had a four-speed gearbox and a fuel-injected, four-cylinder engine. The sprint to 60 mph in around 10 seconds and a top speed of 113 mph would make it one of the slowest cars today, but in 1975 it was mind-blowing.
VW Took The Hot Hatch To Places It Had Never Been Before
Of course, the GTI continued to evolve, with an almost soap opera-like storyline. The MK2 version was arguably even better than the original, but the more refined, stodgier MK3 seemed to take a step in a different direction, redeemed by the rowdy 2.8 VR6 version. The fourth-gen GTI seemed a bit confused, before VW went back to the drawing board and made the MK5 (and iterations onwards) more single-minded. Alongside the GTI, Volkswagen has also taken the VR6 range-topper and morphed it into the R32, and later the R versions, which are like Black Forest Gateau with a double side order of Sahne. And that’s where we find ourselves today, with a German hot hatch that can pretty much do everything, from drifting to putting the frighteners on supercars.
The Golf R Is A Totally Different Type Of Hot Hatch
The Golf R is the latest range-topper for VW’s ubiquitous hatchback. It uses a lot of the DNA of the original but changes the game elsewhere. The subtle styling and inherent practicality are still there, but so too is the shocking nature of its performance. The R is now an all-wheel-drive car packed full of technology. The 4MOTION system comes with R-Performance Torque Vectoring which is intelligently networked via the vehicle dynamics settings. The center differential distributes power between both the front and rear axles, as well as the two rear wheels, making the Golf agile (and fun) rather than just having an abundance of traction.
The electronic control unit monitors sensors to manage that power distribution, while drive shafts and differentials transfer power from the engine to all four wheels. This makes the car as neutral as possible and eliminates over- or understeer in normal driving. However, the Golf can then be customized through various settings to make it handle how you want, when you want.
The Golf R Has Supercar Baiting Performance
Couple all of this clever chassis tech with an upgraded version of the EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, and you have a giant killer on your hands. This tuned four-cylinder delivers 328 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, which means that 60 mph arrives in just 4.1 seconds and 100 mph is dispatched in 10.4 seconds. The quarter mile is taken care of in 12.7 seconds. That four-cylinder unit is mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
While the performance probably isn’t going to quite match modern supercars, the Golf would be neck and neck with an early V10 Lamborghini Gallardo to 60 mph, and a 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena would struggle to keep up. A V8-powered Ford Mustang GT with a manual gearbox would also get a hard time from the Golf, with a sprint to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds.
The Golf R Is A Hatch That Will Drift
But while the latest Golf R has supercar chasing speed, it also has another trick up its sleeve. Just like the Focus RS, it has a drift mode when you go for the R Performance Package. This hooligan setting can be rapidly accessed by lightly pressing the R button on the steering wheel. With Drift mode engaged, you can provoke oversteer instead of neutral vehicle handling, with maximum torque available at the wheel located on the outside of the bend. The ESC kicks in late (or not at all), allowing this five-door hatchback to drift like a ’90s Nissan.
The Golf R Could Be All The Car You Ever Need
The MK8 Golf R is a lot plusher than its spartan distant cousin, the OG Golf GTI. You get 91.1 cu-ft of interior room and 19.9 cubic-feet of luggage space — enough room to rival midsize sedans — with a 60:40 split backrest that allows an almost flat cargo area of 34.5 cu-ft. The sports seats have perforated black Nappa leather surfaces and offer 12-way power adjustment. The driver gets a floating infotainment screen, as well as a Travel Assist button to engage the standard semi-automated hands-on driver assistance features. There are a host of other convenience features too, including Volkswagen’s KESSY keyless access with push-button start, Wi-Fi capability when you subscribe to a data plan, and a head-up display. Gone are the days when hatchbacks were designed mainly with city driving in mind.
Buying A Golf R Is Easy
If you time traveled from 1976 to 2026, you might be in for a shock — and we aren’t talking about the Golf R’s level of performance. The original VW Golf GTI was around $8,000 new, but the latest Golf R costs just under $50,000. But then again, $8,000 in mid ’70s money is actually around $46,000, so when you look at it, the R (which stands above the GTI line) is actually decent value. If you don’t want to pay full price for a new R, 2024 cars generally go for just over $40,000, and 2022 models are more in the low $30,000 range. Fancy another hot hatch option to spend your $40,000? You could get a 1977 Golf GTI MK1 for that price too. Now that is an interesting price comparison.
Sources: Volkswagen
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