2014 Beijing: Volkswagen Debuts Golf R 400 Concept With 400PS!

It has been only seven months since Volkswagen unveiled the hottest version of their Golf, the 300PS 2014 Volkswagen Golf R, at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. But last night, before the opening of Auto China 2014 in Beijing, Volkswagen unveiled an even more powerful concept hot hatch that explores just how far the limits of Volkswagen’s seventh generation Golf hatchback can be pushed with the 2014 Volkswagen Golf R 400 concept.

As the numerical value in the name has already hinted, the concept hot hatch boasts a power output of 400PS squeezed out from Volkswagen’s 2.0 TSI engine with the help of technical components lifted from the WRC racing engine. That is 100PS more than what the engine in the Golf R is capable of, 180PS more than the Golf GTI! Torque figures have been bumped up by 70Nm to 450Nm, all of which are dispensed between 2,400 and 6,000rpm. Weighing in at 1,420kg, the concept boasts a weight to power ratio of 3.55kg per PS.  

Quicker Than An R, But Retains R's Parts

With the use of the Golf R’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system and six-speed dual-clutch (wet-clutch) transmission, the Golf R 400 is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds and hit an electronically governed top speed of 280km/h, quicker to the 100km/h than the Golf R by a whole second with a 30km/h higher speed limit.  

Despite the added poke from the engine, the Golf R 400 concept retains the production Golf R’s lowered suspension lock-stock-and-barrel, along with its XDS+ system on both front and rear axles and two-mode ESC with a full deactivation setting for brave and skilled drivers.

Even its wide 235/35 R19 tyres are retained with the production Golf R's rims being modified with a curved spoke design which acts as air vanes to aid in cooling the concept car's "reinforced" brake system.  

Zesty "Lemon Yellow" Highlights 

While Volkswagen’s spots car division, Volkswagen R GmbH was in charge of the technical bits, Volkswagen Design cloaked the concept hot hatch in a muscular body that is inspired by Volkswagen’s foray into the world of motorsports. The body is now wider by 20mm on each side to accommodate the offset of its redesigned 19-inch rims. In the spirit of the 1988 Rallye Golf G60, the Golf R 400 sports redesigned front wings to accommodate the tyres. Furthermore where the GTI had its red grille highlights, the R its chrome highlights, and the GTE with a blue highlights, the Golf R 400 sports a striking “Lemon Yellow” colour theme.  Behind rather than follow the current Golf R’s twin double tailpipe arrangement, Volkswagen Design winds the clock back a little to the Golf R’s predecessor, the Golf R32 to adopt a two central tailpipe design.

The story on its inside is all cross-quilted Alcantara leather trims and seats upholstered in “carbon leather” and highlighted with stitching in the same contrasting “Lemon Yellow” as its exterior highlights. In keeping with its motorsports theme, carbon accents are used extensively in the cabin for the centre console accents, cockpit surround, door inserts, and trim around the air nozzles.

Volkswagen didn’t make any mention on production possibilities for the Golf R 400 Concept, but considering rumours of Volkswagen’s intent to create a quicker variant of their 2014 Volkswagen Golf R, we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if this concept would see a production spin-off soon.