VW Golf R Cabriolet (2013) - video of production car

Volkswagen will begin taking orders on the Golf R Cabriolet from March 2013, with first deliveries starting in April 2013. The soft-top Golf R marks the last hurrah for Golf Mk6 production, as the sharp new Mk7 Golf takes over the mantle.

Although the engine is shared with the Golf R hatchback, the drivetrain isn't. So you still get a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-pot, good for 265bhp and 258lb ft, but all-wheel drive has been binned.

The Golf R Cabriolet will be front wheel-drive only, like its Scirocco R coupe sister.

That'll keep the Golf R Cabriolet's weight closer to its soft-top GTI sister's total of 1555kg. In comparison, an all-wheel-drive Golf R hatch weighs in at 1521kg.

You're not wrong. VW hasn't yet revealed pricing for the Golf R Cabriolet, but CAR understands it will carry premium over a GTI Cabriolet, similar to a Golf R's over a GTI hard-top.

That's around £6000 extra, pitching the Golf R Cabriolet at around £36,000. It's comfortably the priciest production Golf yet. 

Check out the video below to see VW pitch the Golf R Cabriolet against an aerobatics plane... 

By Ollie Kew