Most powerful evolutionary stage. As the EA888 LK3 evo4 for production vehicles, the 1,984 cm3 four-cylinder turbocharged direct injection engine (TSI) in the new Golf R models is the most powerful evolutionary stage of this engine series. The highest output of the engine tuned by Volkswagen R is available between 5,600 and 6,500 rpm. The engine develops its maximum torque of 420 Nm in the engine speed range from 2,100 to 5,500 rpm. The engine speed values alone already make it clear that this turbocharged engine has no turbo lag and spontaneously unleashes maximum dynamic power in every driving situation. The direct-injection engine is generally characterised by innovative solutions for individual details such as integration of water-cooled exhaust gas routing to the turbocharger in the cylinder head. Thanks to a fully electronic coolant regulator unit, the TSI features very efficient thermal management with a short warm-up phase. The resultant reduction in friction losses contributes to reducing fuel consumption. The engine is also characterised by variable valve timing with double camshaft control. In addition, the valve lift can be switched in two stages on the exhaust side. This solution permits optimum control of gas exchange with respect to performance, consumption and exhaust emissions. The TSI transfers its power to a seven-speed direct shift gearbox (DSG) and the 4MOTION all-wheel drive system with R Performance Torque Vectoring.
5+2 driving profiles. In the Golf R, the driving profiles Comfort, Sport, Race and Individual were previously available, along with Special and Drift in conjunction with the Performance package. This spectrum is now expanded with the Eco driving profile, which makes leisurely journeys even more sustainable. The Comfort profile has been modified: in the new Golf R versions, the shift characteristics for the seven-speed DSG have been changed so that upshifting now takes place approx. 100 rpm later. The Comfort profile is thus even sportier as a result. In the Sport profile, the start/stop system and the coasting function are deactivated. In addition, the selective wheel torque control and entire drive system are configured to make then extremely sporty. In the Race profile, features such as the DCC, selective wheel torque control, progressive steering and all-wheel drive are additionally adjusted once more to a significantly sportier setting. Drivers can set a wide range of parameters themselves in Individual mode.
Further sharpened R profile. The performance of the new Golf R generation is further enhanced in the Race driving profile – this can be activated by means of the blue R button in the left steering wheel trim, on the infotainment system or by voice control. In this case, the turbocharger is preconditioned so that it is kept at a higher turbine speed even when driving under partial load, for example, at a constant speed on country roads. As a result, power delivery is more spontaneous as soon as the vehicle accelerates again. In Race mode, the throttle valve is also opened in overrun phases: if the driver lifts off the accelerator before a bend and then accelerates again after the apex of the corner, they can clearly feel the faster build-up of engine torque. All this optimises vehicle handling and dynamics. The additional Special and Drift profiles are available in the Performance package.
Special profile. The Special profile has been specifically configured for the Nürburgring Nordschleife and configures a softer setup for the DCC running gear compared with Race mode, to make sure the Golf R can maintain maximum contact with the road on the undulating Nordschleife track. The adaptive chassis control DCC is configured here with a special vertical setup; a special tune optimised for lateral dynamics is also achieved via the Vehicle Dynamics Manager and selective wheel torque control so that the vehicle handles the corners of the Nürburgring perfectly. The driver can also manually deactivate the Electronic Stability Control (ESC). Furthermore, downshifts in automatic DSG mode – performed depending on the brake pressure – perfectly match every deceleration ahead of corners. The current gear is maintained depending on the lateral acceleration and the speed at which the accelerator is released (“Fast Off”). In manual DSG mode, the usual forced upshifts and kickdown are also omitted in order to offer the driver maximum control over the individual gears. For the turbocharged engine, this means the load changes are adjusted in order to optimise steering response and lateral dynamics. In addition, the engine speed is increased to improve the performance when pulling away, and the accelerator characteristic is adapted for optimum control.
Drift profile. In the Drift performance profile, the parameters for the ESC control (change to ESC Sport) and the distribution of power via the all-wheel drive system enable the Golf R to drift on private tracks. To make sure that the profile is only selected on private roads, the infotainment system always displays a confirmation prompt before it is activated.
Engine starts at increased speed. The new Golf R models offer numerous enhanced performance features that make driving this Volkswagen a special experience. The engine start with higher speeds is one example: if the driver presses the engine start button (Engine/Start) without brake operation for at least 1.5 seconds and then starts the engine by pressing the brake pedal, the starting speed briefly automatically increases to 2,500 rpm. This mode is underlined by an acoustic statement – a deep burbling sound.
Motorsport sound – inside and out. The sound of the exhaust system has generally been further developed to enhance the acoustic feedback and the characteristic motorsport feeling of the Golf R. Backfire can be heard on the outside from engine speeds of just 2,500 rpm – a typical sound from the world of motorsport. Inside, a sound actuator makes sure that the engine has an even rougher sound, once again evoking motorsport. The sound of the now even richer-sounding R-Performance titanium exhaust system from Akrapovič has likewise been optimised.