The Volkswagen Golf R is not the most powerful hot hatch out there, but it is the most powerful Golf ever made, and it's also loaded with special trickery, including a drift mode. Before its recent reveal and pricing announcements, we saw it testing on the Nurburgring, so we know it's handy in the corners, but how does it do on another piece of hallowed German tarmac?

The Autobahn is a great place for the ordinary citizen to test out a car and see how fast it can go in a straight line, and one slightly mad Youtuber has now taken the new Golf R there in the wet, at night, to push its limits.

In a world where we've seen the likes of the Audi RS6 reach almost 200 mph on this famous highway, the Golf R's ability to achieve 163 mph here may seem a little underwhelming. But remember, this is still just a hatchback, and it's only got a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot under the hood. That engine produces 315 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, and although a six-speed manual is offered, the one in the video uses the default seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic. Considering that the roads are wet and the high-speed run occurs in the dead of night, it's probably best that the driver has both hands on the wheel.

The driver also tests the car's acceleration in the wet, managing a 4.5-second time for the sprint from 0-62 mph. This is astonishing considering that VW claims 4.7 seconds in ideal conditions. VW also claimed that the car was only capable of 155 mph, so this run bodes well for those who have ordered the new hot hatch. Another little detail that keen-eyed observers may have picked up on is that the DSG transmission still allows for full control by the driver, as we see him hitting the rev limiter at one point. We also noticed that the traction light flashed on a few occasions in third gear when the driver was exiting roundabouts, so torque delivery should be immediate and strong. We can't wait to drive it ourselves.