The Volkswagen Golf R popularized the hot-hatch genre of sporty, higher-performance versions of more-pedestrian models, starting with the transformation of the European Golf in the 1970s and the ...

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf R is no longer just an all-wheel-drive GTI-plus hot hatch. Volkswagen pushed the R to a new level with the introduction of the torque-vectoring rear differential that arrived ...

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf R is arguably the biggest beneficiary of the eighth-generation Golf refresh. It doesn't just get updated styling and an improved infotainment system; rather, it gets even more ...

In recent years, the Volkswagen Golf R has become somewhat of an odd proposition. It’s deservedly renowned for its versatility—a comfortable super tourer among hot hatches one minute, and an apex ...

Volkswagen provided accommodation so Ars could drive the Golf GTI. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. VW has been making hot Golfs for as long as I’ve been on the planet—next year will be the ...

While we'd love to be proven wrong, it's extremely likely this mule is rigged to test the upcoming VW T-Roc R, which shares a drivetrain with the Golf R. First, the facts. We’re looking at a ...

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI and R entered their eighth generation in 2020, and while the core of these vehicles hasn't changed, there are some significant updates for the new model year. These ...

Volkswagen just recently updated the Mk8 Golf GTI and Golf R for its mid-cycle refresh and the 2025 model-year. Originally launched in 2020 globally and in 2022 for the North American market, at three ...

The Golf R is the old hand, having been part of Volkswagen’s U.S. lineup off and on since 2012. For 2025, it too gets a power bump, from 315 to 328 hp, with no change in torque. Unfortunately, the ...

The GTI first earned our Car of the Year trophy in 1985, back when we awarded separate Golden Calipers for domestic and imported models. Thirty years later, the seventh-generation Golf lineup, which ...