Golf R

Make
Volkswagen
Segment
Hatchback

Although it's still hard to stomach the news that more affordable versions of the Volkswagen Golf 8 won't be sold in the US, at least the powerful Golf GTI and Golf R twins will make it here. The Golf R was revealed last year with a six-speed manual gearbox, all-wheel drive, and 315 horsepower from its 2.0-liter turbo-four. That's a lot of power for a hot hatch but ABT Sportsline decided that a lot wasn't quite enough and has released a performance upgrade for this model that bumps its outputs up to a meaty 384 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque. That would make this hatch more powerful than a BMW M240i which has a 3.0-liter turbo-six.

ABT Sportsline has created some superb tuned VWs and Audis through the years so the company's Golf R should be an absolute monster. Besides the uptick in power, the tuner is also readying bespoke suspension springs along with a special exhaust system for this model. Considering that the stock Golf R is claimed to sprint from 0-62 mph in 4.7 seconds, ABT's version could get very close to the four-second mark. Besides the added power, this ABT Golf R also has the show to match the go. Customers can choose from one of three aggressive wheel designs including 20-inch ABT FR or 20-inch Sport GR designs, the latter with either a gloss or matt black finish.

Other changes based on the pictures include a darkened C-pillar and larger quad-exit tailpipes, extras that work well with the regular Golf R's rear spoiler and silver mirror caps. ABT also offers a tune for other new Golf 8 models like the GTI, the GTD sold elsewhere, and the GTI Clubsport. For the GTI, power is increased to 290 hp and the GTI Clubsport gets 360 horses. When it finally arrives here, the new Golf R won't just be a hot performer but it will also come with a stunning digital interior and a new torque vectoring system that will enable a track-only drift mode. We can't wait to get behind the wheel.