Amidst the aggressive expansion of the Golf range, Volkswagen has left one market untouched. The company has now moved to fill this racecar sized hole in the lineup by unveiling a 325 hp Golf designed to tackle the Touringcar Racer International Series.
Based on the seventh-generation Golf, the new racing concept car is powered by is an uprated version of the 2.0-liter, four cylinder turbo used in the Golf R. Instead of the road-going R's 296 hp (221 kW) and 380 Nm of torque, the racer puts out 325 hp (242 kW) and 410 Nm of torque.
Drivers put their power down through a paddleshift DSG gearbox.
Simply by looking at the pictures, you can see that the racecar's body is significantly different to the road going R's. As well as being about 40 cm (15.7 in) wider than VW's hottest road-going hatch, the TCR Golf is fitted with a massive rear wing, a specially designed front splitter and a broad rear diffuser.
Inside, the Golf's interior is pure, stripped back racecar. Drivers are cocooned inside a race seat and rollcage, while an FIA-approved safety fuel cell keeps the car from becoming a fireball in case of a big accident.
As well as pitching VW into the midst of the Touringcar Racer International Series, the racing Golf also shows off the potential for extra power from VW's 2.0-liter motor. While the Golf R might be the current range-topper, there has been talk of adding a more powerful model to the lineup. By bumping the power up for racing duties, VW has demonstrated that the engine can handle more horses.
The TCR Golf will make its debut at the eighth round of the Touringcar Racer International Series, which will be held at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
Source: Volkswagen Motorsport
At least, until my kidneys and spleen rupture on our potholes and my spine is ground into dust.
The extra power and traction would really come in handy for the stoplight grand prix and the interstate gridlock crawl...