Volkswagen plotting extreme 300kW-plus Golf R

Volkswagen's next-generation Mk8 Golf R will offer performance in another league compared to the current car when it emerges packing more than 300kW.

According to Volkswagen's sales and marketing boss, Jurgen Stackmann, the replacement for the current Golf R will not only be significantly quicker but will be the most 'extreme' instalment of the all-paw VW Golf yet.

Talking to Auto Express, Stackmann declared: "The R brand is going extreme."

"The role of the R is that it can go beyond the rational; nobody needs a compact car with 400bhp (295kW) but there is a place [for it]. Certainly, and that's the turf of R."

Thanks to the powerful 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine that was originally destined for the stillborn Golf R400 – a victim of Dieselgate – the standard Golf R is expected to come with even more power and torque than the 2015 concept that produced 295kW/450Nm.

That means the next-gen Golf R could be quicker than the R400, which was claimed to hit 100km/h from standstill in just 3.9 seconds.

The reason the Golf R is rumoured to come with 300kW-plus is it could adopt Volkswagen's 48-volt mild-hybrid tech that claws back energy under braking to give the fast hot hatch a boost under hard acceleration.

Stackmann's reference to 'going extreme', meanwhile, is thought to be a hint at more aggressive styling, with a unique front and rear bumper design, possibly wider wheel-arches and lots of use of carbon-fibre.

The quad oval tailpipes of the current car are expected to live on.

"With a little more expressive design, R can go beyond the rational side of things. It can find its place in a different league of pure performance and there's a space where customers are willing to pay a significant amount of money."

The last statement could mean that, along with the performance lift, Volkswagen might be planning a price hike over the current car, which in Australia sells from $52,990 (plus on-road costs).

The move to an even faster, more aggressive Golf R is likely to be welcomed by VW hot hatch enthusiasts as more overt styling will help distinguish it from the lesser GTI.

As well as a more extreme Golf R, Volkswagen is also readying R versions of both the T-Roc and Tiguan SUVs.

The new Golf 8, meanwhile, is expected to arrive next year, with GTI and R versions due to follow shortly after.