First Drive & Video: 2012 Volkswagen Golf R

By John LeBlanc ARJEPLOG, SWEDEN—Classic car buffs have the Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach. New car fans have the auto shows in Detroit or Geneva. But if you’re into cars that officially don’t exist — the camouflaged prototypes that automakers don’t want you to know about — you need to be here, in the small town of Arjeplog, set in the far northern reaches of Sweden’s Lapland. Nestling the Norwegian border, the 1,500 residents of Arjeplog live a quiet existence for most of the year. Many in the area’s half-dozen Lapp communities still herd reindeer like cattle. But since the early 1970s, during the winter months, the town’s population has tripled with the arrival of car company engineers testing yet-to-be-launched vehicles. If you’ve seen a grainy spy shot of a prototype with a snowy background, it was probably taken near Arjeplog. The combination of the area’s remoteness (just 56 kilometres from the Arctic Circle), consistently heavy snowfall, frigid air (the record low was minus-66 degrees Celsius in 1966, but it was minus-46 two weeks before I arrived), and 8,800 lakes has turned the area into the epicentre of winter car testing in Europe. During my short stay here, I spotted camouflaged prototypes from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Hyundai, and Kia zipping in and around the town. Sometimes, though, Arjeplog gets less secretive visitors. The local Arjeplog Times noted that England’s Top Gear television show recently visited, filming an episode involving a Ferrari FF and Bentley Continental GT on “an icy replica” of the Silverstone racetrack. If not as exotic as a Ferrari or Bentley, Volkswagen Canada shipped media here to test-drive its new 2012 Golf R sports compact, primarily at the automaker’s winter test facility on frozen Lake Lullebode, where it also hosts a winter Driving Experience customer program. As a fan of fast and affordable rides, I’ve been anxious to drive the latest Golf. It’s been two years since VW Canada announced it would bring the car to Canada. Was it worth the wait? With all-wheel-drive and a 256 hp version of the front-wheel-drive Golf GTI’s 200 hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine (a setup also used in the Audi TT-S), the R is considered by its fans to be the “Ultimate Golf”. It’s certainly the “ultimate” in Golf pricing. At $39,650, the R is about $9,300 more than a base GTI. But at least all Canadian Rs will come “loaded” (leather sport seats, navigation, 18-inch alloys, sunroof, etc.), which brings the price difference with a comparably equipped GTI to around $4,000. Against rivals like the $41,998 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and $39,095 Subaru WRX STi — each come with much less standard equipment — the VW is a good deal. I also like the VW’s stealthy nature. Unlike the Evo or STi, the R doesn’t shout its performance credentials with outlandish bodywork. Except for the enlarged air intakes on its front fascia, an 8 millimetre lower ride height, and various “R” badges, it doesn’t look that different from a cooking GTI. The Canadian Golf R differs little from the European models VW had me drive, but there are some differences. First, all Canadian Rs will come with four doors, while Europeans get the option of the two-door. We also don’t get VW’s excellent Active Chassis Control system (which customizes the steering and suspension), the race track-ready bucket seats, an automatic gearbox (a six-speed manual is the lone choice), or the extra 14 horsepower the Euro R employs. Belying the Golf R’s $40k sticker, the VW’s interior is way ahead of the cheaper-feeling Mitsu or Subie, more comparable to the $57,900 Audi TT with which it shares its platform. All the bits the driver touches feel robust, firm and unbreakable. As I expected, the R’s lowered suspension feels tauter and more buttoned-down than the GTI. Its beefy R-spec tiller steers the car with a natural feel and weight. And while on paper the Evo and STi offer more advance and sophisticated AWD setups, the Golf R’s AWD system still delivers a fun-to-drive experience. Like all transverse-mounted VW Group products (i.e. Audi A3; TT), the Golf R uses a Haldex type AWD system, essentially a pack of clutches in the middle of the car that transfers power back and forth. In a straight-line with full traction, 96 per cent of the engine’s juice is directed to the front wheels, with 4 per cent left over to keep the rear wheels “on-call” when needed. And, believe me, at every corner on the more than seven kilometres of frozen track, I needed it. In these extreme winter driving conditions, the Golf R acts like two different cars through a corner. When entering, the AWD R it’s a FWD GTI; you lift off the throttle to get its nose to tuck in and its rear end to slide out, allowing you to line it up at the apex. Squeeze the throttle gently, send the majority of the torque to the VW’s rear wheels, and the Golf R powers out like a rear-drive car. Done properly, you can four-wheel-drift the Golf R until the reindeer come home. Or until the sun sets on frozen Lake Lullebode. Which at this time of year, means around 5 p.m. So after two years of anticipation, the Golf R definitely delivers on its promise as the Ultimate Golf. It amps up the GTI’s driving characteristics considerably, and offers the extra control that only all-wheel drive can bring in wintry driving conditions. And, fully-equipped as it is, I’d call it a bargain as well. 2012 Volkswagen Golf R WHAT I LIKED: Stealthy exterior looks; balanced handling; world-class interior. WHAT I DIDN'T: Stability control can’t be negated; rivals’ AWD more sophisticated; limited availability. PRICE: (base/as-tested) $39,650/$39,650 ENGINE: 2.0-litre turbocharged I4 POWER: 256 hp / 243 lbs.-ft. FUEL ECONOMY: (L/100km) claimed 10.9 city, 7.5 highway COMPETITION: Audi TT-S, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Subaru WRX STi

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