- Powering this Golf comes an upgraded version of Audi’s 2.5-liter turbo-five.
- One-off Golf was built in South Africa to go hillclimb racing across the country.
- Complementing the boost in power is a dramatic aerodynamic bodykit.
If recent reports are to be believed, Volkswagen may release an amped-up version of the Golf R using the Audi RS3’s 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder, delivering upwards of 400 hp. Perhaps inspired by this possible new model, VW Motorsport in South Africa has just unveiled what could be the ultimate interpretation of the current eighth-generation Golf.
Built to celebrate the German brand’s 75th anniversary in South Africa, this wild creation is about as far removed as you can get from a road-legal Golf. It was built specifically for hill climb racing and made its debut over the weekend with Jonathan Mogotsi behind the wheel.
Read: VW’s Most Spectacular Golf R Ever Won’t Be One You Can Buy
The team behind the car clearly felt that the Golf’s standard EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder wasn’t up to the task, so they’ve replaced it with Audi’s 2.5-liter turbo-five. While a simple engine swap would have been enough to maintain the RS3’s power levels, engineers have taken things to a different level entirely.
Hypercar Power
The 2.5-liter is now said to pack over 1,000 hp. VW hasn’t gone into detail about how it managed to extract so much power from the car, but it inevitably involved forged engine internals, a bigger turbocharger, and much higher boost pressures. There’s also a carbon fiber intake and a custom exhaust system which exits from the front bumper.
Given that this Golf wasn’t built to be street-legal, VW Motorsport has been able to transform the exterior. They’ve done this with a radical new bumper, flared wheel arches, and a huge rear wing and diffuser package. No downforce figures have been published, but there should be enough to ensure this thing sticks like glue to the pavement.
As you’d imagine, there’s no point having so much power if you can’t get grip. As such, the Golf has an upgraded four-wheel drive system and also rocks a set of beefed-up AP Racing brakes.
