VW’s finest on Germany’s finest roads | Golf R...

On the Straße

We sampled this explicit 2025 Golf R Black Collection in Germany–shoutout to the German VW press fleet crew, who’s at all times superior to work with–so let’s begin with the variations between the U.S. and German specs.

Mechanically the automobiles are equivalent, with each getting the 328 horsepower/295 lb.-ft. 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter engine mated to a seven-speed DSG trans. The DSG is now the one transmission possibility for the Golf R, with the stick and clutch six-speed being discontinued for 2025.

{Photograph} by J.G. Pasterjak

By the way in which, that 295 lb.-ft. torque peak comes all the way in which down at 200 rpm, and it feels flat as a board from there to redline. It’s a heck of a trick, however there’s a draw back: On observe in guide mode, you’ll often hit the rev limiter in the event you aren’t carefully watching the tach. The engine pulls sturdy right through the rev vary and nonetheless feels prefer it has tons to offer when the ECU shuts down the get together.

However we’re getting forward of ourselves. Let’s speak extra concerning the variations between the Euro and U.S. Golf R fashions, which shall be a brief chat as a result of there aren’t many. The massive ones are the sunroof, which the Euro mannequin that we drove didn’t have. Most U.S. fashions shall be sunroof-equipped, although, with the slicktop solely out there with a “light-weight” package deal that additionally foregoes energy front-seat adjusters. Our Euro mannequin benefitted from the extra headroom of the hardtop, nevertheless it additionally had the handy energy seat buttons.

The opposite massive distinction is tires. U.S. fashions get both Hankook Ventus S1 EVO3 rubber or Bridgestone Potenza S005s. Each are stable summer season selections.

However our Euro tester stepped it up a notch with Bridgestone Potenza Race 235/35R19s on these blackest-of-black wheels. Whereas Europe doesn’t at all times have UTQG stampings on its tires–these Bridgestones didn’t–these tires are marketed within the U.S. as 200tw and are considered extremely track-capable. Possibly not fairly as quick because the RE-71RS in our testing, however actually no slouch on observe for a tire that’s geared up as inventory on a number of supercars (and now a Euro-spec scorching hatch).

{Photograph} by J.G. Pasterjak

Choosing Consolation mode from the VW’s DIC turns the automobile right into a machine completely fitted to long-distance cruising, in-town errands or each day commuting. The mode choice is definitely fairly transformative at instances, with the change from the extra street-focused choices to the track-focused picks having an enormous delta concerning really feel, suggestions and efficiency.

The throttle timing specifically is spectacular. In Consolation mode, there’s by no means any surging or a lot indication that the Golf R is even turbocharged. Within the higher-performance modes, the extra linear throttle higher controls energy supply (though removed from completely–extra on that within the observe part) and delivers a higher-resolution expertise. It’s an enormous change that feels extra like bolting on a set of laborious components than altering some traces of code, however we’re followers.

The Golf R can really feel massive at instances, however by no means unwieldy. And keep in mind, we have been driving it on tiny German streets, so put that criticism in context. However actually, it feels giant and extra substantial than its GTI roots would lead you to consider. This feels extra like a automobile geared toward competing with the BMW 3 Collection than the Civic Sort R in its stage of sophistication and civility.

{Photograph} by J.G. Pasterjak

If we did our math appropriately, we noticed the equal of excessive 20s for blended mpg readings, which is fairly spectacular given the driving situations in Germany. Freeway driving is much less constant cruising and extra quick blasts on the Autobahn punctuated by on- and off-throttle sections. We simply didn’t see a number of cruise management alternatives on the highways, and did a number of metropolis driving, so practically 30 mpg is spectacular for such a succesful automobile.

The Golf R remains to be a Golf, so although it has grown over time, it’s nonetheless a well-appointed German automobile. The Golf R-specific seats, with their fastened headrests, are a pleasant mixture of stable bolstering and long-distance consolation, which is a troublesome trick to drag off. And, in fact, the rear hatch offers legendary usefulness in an period when hatchbacks have gotten an increasing number of scarce.

{Photograph} by J.G. Pasterjak

VW’s mixed contact display DIC stays, though just a few analog buttons have sprouted because it was launched just a few years in the past. In that point, the UI has turn out to be a bit extra intuitive, though it nonetheless takes a number of touches to do easy stuff like change the HVAC fan pace. It’s a greater system than it was when it was launched, and the look of it’s spot on.

We’d nonetheless like to see a bit extra work on streamlining the UX, as different corporations (cough, Hyundai, cough) are engaging in the identical objectives with a cleaner, easier-to-use interface. To VW’s credit score, although, it’s improved its DIC to a degree the place it’s masses higher than another competing manufacturers (cough, Lexus, cough).

On the Rennstrecke

Since we drove this automobile in Germany, we weren’t in a position to take a look at it on the Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park, our official take a look at observe, the place we’ve got legacy information from the Mk8 Golf R.

We have been in a position to run it at an alternate, nevertheless, within the type of an out-of-the-way little observe referred to as the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the place we laid down half a dozen laps over a pair days of Touristenfahrten.

First, we’ll hearken again to our earlier take a look at of the Mk8 Golf R on the FIRM, the place we set our greatest lap with the automobile in Drift mode. This allowed for extra rear slip angle than different drive modes, letting us get the automobile rotated in tighter corners.

On the Nürburgring, the Mk8.5 Golf R nonetheless reveals a number of the identical tendencies that the Mk8 did when pushed laborious. You may really feel the automobile intervening, however the impact is way much less pronounced on the Nürburgring’s extremely complicated and undulating pavement.

{Photograph} by racetracker.de

On the FIRM, the place 99% of the tire and chassis loading comes from driver enter, the notion of the electronics calming issues down is way extra pronounced. However on the ’Ring, the place a number of the inputs are produced by observe and floor contours, the notion of the impact is way much less pronounced.

The setting that we had probably the most success with on the Nürburgring was, maybe unsurprisingly, the Particular setting, which is a subsetting of the Race setting, which is particularly optimized for the Nordschleife. There’s even slightly Nürburgring emblem on the selector button. U.S. variations of the Golf R will even have this setting out there, and whereas we’ve got to throw a flag for taunting on that one, the setting actually is way extra drivable on tracks with bumps or a considerable vertical load part than any of the opposite settings we tried. Simply tape an image of Sebring over it and name it a day, People.

{Photograph} by J.G. Pasterjak

The Potenza Race rubber can also be an enormous improve for the Golf R, giving it a number of lateral grip as soon as it’s loaded, even on the less-grippy-than-the-FIRM, newish Nürburgring asphalt.

However the Golf R nonetheless needs you to take your time creating these masses, and it actually needs you to be delicate when making an attempt to do a couple of factor at a time. Due to this, we gave up on left-foot braking fairly shortly into the take a look at. The Golf simply needed a gentler transition from throttle to brake, giving the chassis time to unload, neutralize, then reload within the different course.

Likewise, path braking took a deft foot and slightly extra preliminary brake launch on turn-in than the automobile might tolerate again in Florida. Now, a number of that is because of the observe configuration, as all that vertical movement and irregularity must be accounted for. However general, the Golf R doesn’t wish to play toss and catch. It should do it, however you’ll additionally really feel your momentum dropping as these sticky Bridgestones generate a number of friction in instructions apart from the one you’re making an attempt to go. However pushed with some restraint, carving corners as a substitute of pounding into them, and specializing in mid-corner and exit pace as a substitute of entry pace, turns the Golf R into a really rewarding observe companion.

It feels very very like a automobile that’s optimized for 99% operation however suffers a number of momentum loss from 101% operation. To be truthful, it’s completely snug working outdoors of the friction circle–we by no means actually felt a single dodgy second from the chassis or tires, even after we made some admittedly clumsy inputs–however that’s not going to be the quick means round this or any observe with the Golf R. It’s far too stylish for that type of brutish motion.

The VBox information backs up our seat-of-the-pants impressions normally as nicely. The Golf R positively CAN do a number of issues without delay, and the information exhibits that. Have a look at the primary difficult entry into the tight right-hand nook on the finish of the Döttinger Höhe straight, the place the automobile is braking at over 0.8g of longitudinal acceleration whereas cornering at practically 0.6g of lateral load–it simply doesn’t wish to provoke these a number of vectors too shortly. However take your time constructing these masses and it’ll allow you to get away with lots.

Typical max deceleration g we noticed on the ’Ring was a bit decrease than we have been seeing on the FIRM, however there are a pair issues occurring right here. First, there are only a few threshold braking entries on the Nordschleife, and portion of the braking purposes is of the 40-70% selection. Second, we have been driving a media loaner automobile on the world’s scariest race observe with lots of of drivers of unknown ability and a spotlight ranges, so we naturally left ourselves a wholesome security margin.

{Photograph} by racetracker.de

Nonetheless, the braking initiation appears surprisingly good on the pace hint, with minimal drag or pitchover time evident. The info really appears higher than the automobile feels, which in hindsight type of provides up as virtually not one of the braking initiations are accomplished on stage floor. Each brake zone is both uphill or downhill (so many downhill brake zones) that evaluating really feel from the very flat FIRM to the Nürburgring could be a bit deceiving.

Laterally, the Potenza Race rubber positively offers the Golf R some tenacious maintain on the comparatively un-grippy German asphalt. We noticed sustained a great deal of over 1.2g within the right-hand Aremberg nook, which is a virtually 180°, mid-speed, downhill proper that does you no favors with any useful highway camber. As soon as the automobile takes a set in these longer corners, it holds on tightly, with out the tiptoes feeling of its American counterpart on a much less grippy true avenue tire.

Transitionally, once more, fantastic issues come to these with endurance. With calm fingers, we noticed transitional combos that simply shifted the automobile from 1.2g of cornering easily to 1.2g of cornering within the different course. Taking a look at comparative information from a number of laps, we noticed some proof that after we tried to hurry these transitions, we have been slapped with a mid-transition slowdown, however with softer fingers we have been rewarded with glorious cornering in each instructions.

So What Is the Golf R?

{Photograph} by J.G. Pasterjak

In case you consider the Mk8.5 Golf R as a standard GTI on steroids, you’re type of lacking the purpose. It’s simply not the uber model of the flingable pocket rocket that many people grew up with. What it’s, although, is a quick, subtle and extremely succesful GT automobile that rewards a little bit of restraint with some completely stellar capabilities.

These huge, 14.1-inch-diameter entrance rotors with six-piston calipers trace at a number of the story right here. This can be a automobile extra at residence crushing high-speed corners and difficult downhill braking zones than carving up cones in a car parking zone. Give the Golf R just a few further hundredths of a second to do its factor and also you’ll get to look at it shine in easy, succesful vogue.

What if it’s your solely automobile? As a dual-duty automobile–particularly if it’s the one one in your driveway–this practically $50,000 VW does make a compelling argument for being the category of the category.