As we speak (or, well, write), Volkswagen is rolling out the Mk8 Golf. Americans won’t get the base model, sadly, but we will get the hotter GTI and Golf R variants of it. VW unveiled the latter car most recently, showing it off in November in all its 315-horsepower glory. But beforre you slap down your deposit, you should know there’s evidence an even hotter version may be in the works.
YouTuber Volkswizard, as spotted by CarAdvice, has pored through the user manual in his new Golf GTI test car. The manual — which is used for the entire Mk8 Golf range — shows the 235-kW (315 hp) version of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder we knew was coming for the upcoming Golf R. But it also lists a more powerful 245-kW variant (329 hp) on top of it.
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That 329=hp output matches the Golf R figure in an earlier leak of what appeared to be a dealer presentation slide. So it appears VW may have an even hotter Golf R variant planned.
It’s not clear whether that version, if it happens, would be a limited-run model or a mass-production version, or whether it would be offered in the United States. The other plausible explanation would be that VW knew it might have to de-tune the Golf R to 315 hp, but had a deadline to get the owner’s manual to the printer’s — but we’d rather hold out hope for more power.
The Mk8 GTI and the Mk8 Golf R should arrive in the United States during the second half of 2021 as model year 2022 vehicles. For now, though, you can still buy the excellent Mk7 GTI , one of our favorite cars we drove in 2020.