SPY PICS: Volkswagen Golf R Wagon

We've published spy photos of the Volkswagen Golf R Wagon before, and as these revealing images show the car is close to final specification now.

Wearing virtually no camouflage, the Golf Wagon R prototype has been fitted a with blacked-out front fascia similar to the Golf R hatch, which is the most expensive Golf in Australia, retailing for $51,990.

Where this prototype car differs from the hatch is increased length and mass, which will improve practicality but reduce performance somewhat.

The all-wheel drive wagon is fitted with larger alloy wheels (also blacked-out) and tyres to generate more grip, a lower ride height and stiffer suspension to sharpen handling, and a pair of quad exhaust pipes similar to the Golf R to allow the engine to breathe more deeply.

The latter weren't attached to the previous test mule spied a month ago, more evidence that Volkswagen is moving the project forward.

Snapped by Automedia photographers at the Nurburgring road-circuit in Germany, it's clear that Volkswagen cares not if the world knows about its snarling Golf R Wagon, which it is currently evaluating with a view toward production.

Usually the sight of an almost production-ready car such as the Golf R Wagon would mean a global debut at the next major motor show, say, Paris 2014, followed by sales in early 2015.

Word on the street is that Volkswagen is yet to make a decision on whether to enter the wild wagon into series production, suggesting a small but powerful bloc within VW has managed to push the project through on a tight budget. Automedia's photographer claims a test driver explained that Volkswagen is merely evaluating the stove hot estate, and is hasn't pushed the button for mass production.

Power for the VW Golf R Wagon comes from a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that belts out a very handy 220kW and 380Nm in Europe. In Australia that power figure is cut to 206kW due to being a hot weather region, although torque remains unchanged at 380Nm.

Expected to blitz the 0-100km/h in around 5.0 seconds flat, thanks to its Haldex all-wheel drive setup and six-speed DSG dual clutch automatic (a six-speed manual is expected if it gets the green-light), the high-performance wagon would be Volkswagen's first blitzing wagon since the Passat R36, which was launched here in late 2008 and finished up in 2010.

– with Automedia