New high-performance VW Golf R Evo and Polo R under consideration

It has not been two minutes since the Volkswagen Golf R was unveiled, but that hasn’t stopped an even more hardcore Golf R Evo concept being mooted – the more focused prototype could make its debut at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show in April.

It’s not the only go-faster Volkswagen that’s under consideration, either. Linking in with its assault on the World Rally Championship, VW is also analysing a potential 250hp, four-wheel-drive Polo R variant. Brilliant.

Volkswagen

It’s thought the Volkswagen Golf R Evo will initially be shown as a concept, featuring enhancements to further the standard Golf R’s performance.

The ‘regular’ car’s 300hp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine will be tweaked slightly to liberate a few more horsepower (around 20hp is a good bet). However, it will benefit from a sizeable reduction in kerbweight, which will bring major performance gains.

The Golf R Evo concept could feature bodywork elements made from carbonfibre, including a composite roof and potentially even carbon bumpers.

This is likely to be teamed with a set of lightweight alloy wheels, while inside the front seats will be replaced with racier bucket seats and the rear chairs ousted in favour of a roll cage.

If VW can cut the standard Golf R’s 1,476kg kerbweight using lightweight parts, retaining the four-wheel-drive system, expect the Golf R Evo to sprint from 0-62mph in under 5.0 seconds – close to 4.5 when specified with the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Following the Golf R Evo concept, there could be a range of engine enhancements and chassis upgrades to improve the performance of the standard Golf R, too.

A VW spokesperson told MSN Cars that although the Golf R Evo concept is not confirmed, the German manufacturer does “see potential for dynamic improvement and performance enhancements to the car in due course.”

Watch this space…

Newspress

Following Volkswagen’s success in the 2013 World Rally Championship – claiming the world title with its Polo R WRC in its first full year of competition – it’s thought the firm will unveil a full-on Polo R road car at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show in March.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen a WRC-inspired Polo, as Volkswagen announced its Polo R WRC road car, which was limited in number to 2,500 units, in 2012.

Unlike that 222hp front-wheel-drive car, however, the new Polo R will feature four-wheel drive and a 250hp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. This will be enough to hurl it from 0-62mph in under 6.0 seconds, while top speed will be electronically limited to 155mph.

To cope with all that power the standard car’s torsion beam rear suspension will be replaced by a more sophisticated multi-link arrangement.

It’s thought the Polo R has been made viable for production thanks to the confirmation of Audi’s forthcoming all-wheel-drive S1 hot hatch.

The Polo R has already seen the light of day as a prototype, but there’s no word on whether the vehicle will become production reality. Officially, the project is “under consideration”.

Expect more details at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.

By Sean Carson, contributor, MSN Cars