If you looked at the new Volkswagen Arteon and thought it’d make a solid basis for a performance sedan, you’re not alone. In fact, according to reports, VW is working on just such a beast – with over 400 horsepower.

Speaking to Car Throttle at the media launch of the new Polo GTI, Volkswagen spokesman Martin Hube said that the company has a prototype for an Arteon R in the works.

The prototype reportedly packs a (likely twin-) turbocharged version of VW’s 3.0-liter VR6 engine, sending some 404 horsepower to all four wheels.

“I’m totally convinced that this combination is extremely nice,” said Hube. “We’ve combined it with the last version of the Haldex [four-wheel drive system], where you can provoke a bit of oversteer. This is a real agile, powerful car.”

Hube even went so far as to suggest that it’d be a hotter performer than the Porsche Panamera, base versions of which also employ a 3.0-liter turbo six to the tune of 325 horsepower (434 hp in 4S spec).

Here’s hoping that the bean-counters in Wolfsburg give it the green light, even if it’s almost entirely unlikely to make the transatlantic voyage to North American showrooms.

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