Skip to main content

CAR Magazine Reports Production Golf R 400 to Debut in Frankfurt

On April Fools day, Volkswagen’s Powertrain Chief Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser sat at a round table discussion during the New York Auto Show with members of the motoring press and told them, among other things, that if the Golf R400 ever saw production, it would be sold in the United States.  And while many among us thought and posted things like “LOL April Fools” across our forums and social media channels, I took the statement to be the truth as it existed in that moment. Partly because I was sitting directly across from him when he said it, and Neusser didn’t seem like much of a practical joker.

volkswagen-r400-11

According to a report published yesterday afternoon on CAR Magazine’s website, Neusser has again mentioned the super-Golf, this time confirming that the car will enter production.  More importantly, he said that the finalized version will be on display in Frankfurt this year, possibly with 420hp instead of the concept’s 400.  Now, while Frankfurt would certainly make the most sense for a reveal of a vehicle like the Golf R400, we think the car may have a few more hurdles to cross before it makes its way to US dealers.

volkswagen-r400-8

Is the market there? 
If it were to come in at, say, $10k more than an Golf R (putting it at $48,000), would dealers be receptive to such a model?  We’d wager that if Volkswagen were to cap it at ~500 units (Neusser previously said it would be a very limited run) and offer an online pre-sale, they’d sell each one without having to worry about unsold Golf R400’s sitting in Nebraska at steep discounts.  Sorry, Nebraskans.

How to offset federalization costs?  
Another key point would be the post-development costs of the vehicle.  Spreading the costs of federalizing across a large model run like the GTI or Jetta is relatively minor, but when it comes to dedicated testing for something severely limited, it can be a bit more daunting.  Subsidizing these costs would certainly be feasible, but would there be value (whether it’s perceived or real) in it for Volkswagen?  I’d like to think so, but unfortunately that decision is a bit above my pay grade.

Could it still produce 400hp on American fuel?
If Volkswagen intends on calling it the Golf R400 (or Golf R420 for that matter), it better have 400hp.  Due to the lower quality fuel used in the States compared to what’s available in Europe, vehicles tend to come here with lower stated outputs than their European counterparts. Not to say that it isn’t possible for Volkswagen to offer a US-specific calibration, but it makes the business case for such a car that much more difficult.

Making these three hurdles a bit more daunting, Neusser told CAR that Golf R400 deliveries will begin later this year or early next year, meaning that many pieces of this puzzle need to begin moving as soon as possible.  It certainly seems like a bit of a long shot, but it’s one that we’re really pulling for.

Read the entire article over on CAR Magazine’s website, here.

The post CAR Magazine Reports Production Golf R 400 to Debut in Frankfurt appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1d9G74r
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Saying Goodbye to the CC V6

For all its size and its global reach, Volkswagen is still, in many ways, a deeply human company. There was, for instance, the Bugatti Veyron an ego project if ever there was one. Then the purchase of Ducati, a move most called folly. And then there was the Phaeton, the Volkswagen that most folks can’t afford. Not only were these moves all strange, I’m sure that they made VW’s accountants furious. None of them made good business sense, but they were all deeply interesting and they all are evidence of the heart that beats at the center of VW. Among these follies is the CC, a car that everyone agrees is rakishly handsome, but that no one really wanted to buy. The car couldn’t last, but the world is brighter for its having been in it. With the approach debut of the Arteon, it seems like a good time to look back on its sadly departing predecessor. The version I drove, because I live in Canada, is a V6 Wolfsburg Edition, which apparently isn’t available in the States. Nor is the V6, not as...
Post a Comment
Read more

T-Prime Makes World Premiere at Beijing

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The SUV segment is one of the fastest growing segments in the world and Volkswagen is showing the world how to do it. With the new T-Prime Concept GTE that was revealed today, the company is showing off all of the technology you can look for in its coming models. The T-Prime is a full-size hybrid SUV that can go up to 31 miles on a charge and gets 87 mpg. The hybrid power station is good for 375 hp and 516 lb/ft of torque and puts the power down with 4MOTION all wheel drive. It’ll get you up to 60 in six seconds. The concept’s real party piece, though, is its interior, which features exclusively touch, gesture, and voice controls. Everything from the infotainment, to the display, and even the gears are controlled by touch-screen. The T-Prime Concept GTE is bigger than the Touareg, and design elements are likely to find their way into all of their SUVs, of which there will be many. Volkswagen is also announcing that they expect to make an S...
Post a Comment
Read more

Audi Teases the e-tron’s Headlights Ahead of LA Reveal

Audi will unveil its new electric car, the e-tron GT, in just a few short days, but until then, it will do what manufacturers can’t help but do and will tease it mercilessly. The latest teaser images first appeared on Germany’s Bild , and feature some of the EV’s lighting. While the taillights look reasonably familiar, albeit on an interesting, angular surface, the headlights feature a heretofore unseen light shape. The X-shape (or maybe an R-shape, from the right angle) in the middle of the e-tron GT’s headlights set it apart from the rest of the lineup, even the e-tron SUV (whose lights look R8-ish with their angular check-shaped top line.) #Sneak Peek: the #Audi #etron GT concept – stay tuned for the big #world #premiere on November 28. pic.twitter.com/NIg0z6bIwR — AUDI AG (@Audi_Press) November 25, 2018 The long and low sedan will be based on the same platform as the Porsche Taycan, which is said to hit 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and whose batteries will all be stowed...
Post a Comment
Read more