300kW Volkswagen Golf R Plus confirmed

The new Mercedes-AMG A 45 is set to face surprise new competition from the likes of a Volkswagen Golf R Plus promising close to 300kW, it has been revealed.

Based on the eighth-generation Golf,

Developed side-by-side with the next generation Golf R, the all-wheel drive Volkswagen Golf R Plus is tipped to be capable of sprinting to 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds before eventually topping out at more than 280km/h.

Citing Volkswagen insiders, Autocar quotes a company source as saying: “We’re looking at introducing a new ‘halo’ performance model that would offer a level of performance beyond that of the next Golf R.”

The R Plus is primed to get significant styling changes to help it stand out and justify a significantly higher price tag compared to the regular Golf R.

These will likely include wider front and rear fenders to accommodate a corresponding front and rear track and bespoke suspension set-up compared with the regular Golf R.

As standard, the Golf R Plus is set to come with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It's not yet known if a manual has also been developed for what's set to be the fastest Volkswagen of all time.

Boosting handling and agility, the next Golf R Plus is set to get mechanical torque-vectoring that should provide for a drift-mode for the first time.

Revelations of an 'R Plus' model line could point towards new performance flagships of other Volkswagen vehicles that could see a T-Roc R Plus launched in the future.