VW Golf/Rabbit R36: White Prototype, Dubbed "Golf RS"

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LLN.com
Don’t get fooled by the R32 badge on the back — spy photographers have snapped a new round of images images showing the upcoming Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit R36. For those who believe the 250 hp engine in the R32 isn’t enough, Volkswagen is developing this 300 hp version.

The engine, known from the recently official Passat R36 gets the air to breath through bigger air intakes.The prototype also has also a slightly different front grille, which could change even more by production.

Compared to the R32, the air intakes in this R36 prototype look huge. As with the R32, this R36 gets the power to the ground with all-wheel-drive and a DSG gearbox.
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1spiedvolkswagengolfrabhy8.jpg


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A 300 BHP model should do the trick, no doubts about that one. Certainly it will still be heavy, and I doubt it would be any faster than an STi or Evolution, but the extra power is a welcome addition to the model on the whole. I had always heard that the 3.6L VR6 and the DSG was having a hard time working together in the MKV, so apparently those guys up in Niedersachsen figured it out...

I'd have one. I'd take it over the STi and Evolution any day...
 
FINALLY!!! a VW I WON'T get confused with a Skyline!

still waiting for the R20t, though.
 
Jim Prower
FINALLY!!! a VW I WON'T get confused with a Skyline!
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Yep, the next-next gen Skyline will be :p

Sounds great. They'd never sell this stuff in Israel of course, but I'd take that one over an STi anyday, too. Evos, I don't know yet.
 
Ill be a sceptic and say the grille looks 'shopped. Looks like a Mazdaspeed 3 to me with those huge openings. Ill wait until we actually hear an official word so i dont have to eat my words.
 
^ Haha, yeah. Im pretty sure its not 'shopped but I dont want to get my hopes up or anything. I remember a while back, rumors going around about an R36 here on the 'planet and other places but never expected them to come true. I still dont want to get my hopes up, VAG may shaft us on this like they did the .:R Passat Wagon

Hell, if they bring the Phaeton, they might as well bring the .:R Wagon
 
This is one of those "Point and laugh at the PR lies" moments.
DSG wouldn't fit and/or connect to the in-fact-more-compact 3.6L engine? Yeah, right.
If it is actually using the Passat engine, expect the weight to shoot up to the 1600 kg range, though.


And thank god almighty! Please VW: SELL THE CAR LIKE THAT. SO NOT COLOR THE FRONT AREA A DIFFERENT COLOR!
Words cannot describe how much better this:
1spiedvolkswagengolfrabhy8.jpg

looks than this:
12008volkswagenr32lh3.jpg

 
Heh, those spotlights on the roof kinda look like rabbit ears.
 
Toronado
This is one of those "Point and laugh at the PR lies" moments.
DSG wouldn't fit and/or connect to the in-fact-more-compact 3.6L engine?
Click to expand...


maybe....maybe not. It could be that the bolt patterns could've been different. Like trying to mate a Honda B13 to a 3-speed Powerglide.

then again, you could be right.
 
The real test will be how much cheaper it is than the Passat R36.

Please VW, don't muck the pricing up.
 
95GTIVR6
Indeed, if I owned a MKV GTI, the first modification would be to find someone with a Rabbit front to trade with.
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BUT DNT JOO NO THT CHROME GRILLZ ADDZ LIEK 20 WHP????? :dopey:

[/noobsauce]
 
ultrabeat
The real test will be how much cheaper it is than the Passat R36.

Please VW, don't muck the pricing up.
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Well, we won't be getting the Passat R36 in America, so chances are that VW will be able to do as they please when it comes to bringing the car to America... That is, if they are bringing it to America. Look how long it took them with the MKV R32, they should be showing up in April or May I believe.
 
Hooray!

LLN.com
Last week, we brought you a new round of images showing the upcoming Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit R36 in testing. An interesting photographs have since surfaced online showing what appears to be a production-ready R36 on display at an unknown location.

The R36 will deliver 300 horsepower thanks to the same powerplant that propels the Passat R36. Compared to the R32, the air intakes in this R36 prototype look huge. As with the R32, this R36 gets the power to the ground with all-wheel-drive and a DSG gearbox.

The new round of photos shows a vehicle badged "Golf RS," while the prototype had R32 badging to confuse photographers. The white RS/R36 features identical wheels to the Passat R36. Compared to the R32, the air intakes in this R36 prototype look huge. As with the R32, this R36 gets the power to the ground with all-wheel-drive and a DSG gearbox.
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1spiedwhitevolkswagengoqi5.jpg


Well, looks like they kept the Rabbit-style front-end, and I'm loving the Recaro seats on the inside. No plans thus far for it to come to America, but I'm crossing my fingers. This may be one of the first VWs to actually be comparable to a 3-series in a long time. Lets hope they do a five-door model...

(BTW: Thats the Tiguan in the back...)
 
I was hoping it would come with those rabbit ear lights on top of it.

Looks good though, I really like the new Rabbit, Golf, GTI...whatever it is.
 
I thought the first gen V golf over here looked cool, but they just keep looking better and better as the performance numbers creep up. This one almost looks like it could've been through some mild aftermarket work. Come on, please come over here!:drool:
 
Again, looks so much better with the front end all one color.



Also, who wants to take bets on its weight? I say 1650+, especially if they mean it will literally have the same engine as the Passat. Kinda moves it out of Evo territory again.
 
Well, lets attempt some math...

- 2007 Passat 2.0T w/DSG: 3344 lbs
- 2007 Passat 3.6 VR6 4MOTION w/DSG: 3829lbs

...Difference of 485 lbs...

- 2007 GTI w/DSG: 3150 lbs

- Anticipated weight of 2008 Golf RS: 3635lbs, or 1652 kg. So you're pretty close.
 
That way also works (I didn't notice that), but I was basing it on how the Golf GTi (1328kg) weighs about 210kg less than the R32 (1538kg), which nearly directly parallels the Passat TFSI (1445kg) weighing 215kg less than the Passat 3.2 VR6 (1660kg). I then concluded that the 117kg of weight added to the Passat VR6 3.2 in the jump to the Passat VR6 3.6 (1737kg) would be added to the R36, making it around 1650kg.

Your way is better, however, because the only reason I came to my conclusion was because my math was (quite a bit) off.
 
Yeah, I'm pretty much just swapping the same parts between the three cars. I doubt the 3.6HO would be any heavier than the "standard" 260 BHP model, and I can't see the entire system as a whole weighing more in the Golf.

...Chances are, there will be a few more pounds shaved off because of shorter axles, different seats, etc. But yes, either way it is a heavy car. And with the STi and Evo going north of 300 BHP without a problem, not to mention staying rather light, the Golf RS really isn't much of a threat to either model.

But, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't rate the RS higher than the two Japanese models either...
 
I think it would be just swell if VW would recast the 3.6L in aluminum for the Golf RS (I still haven't gotten around to caling it a Rabbit). Then the engine might even weigh less than the 3.2L unit.
 
Still not seeing the 2.0l hyperturbo WRC variant...

but this is closer. ^^

But, I think there's a problem here, because:

It's compact
It has 4WD
It has 300HP

Which puts it into Evo/STi comparison territory, but it's HEAVIER. Which is where it fails against the japanese screamers: VW's gonna have to have something to prove, (aggressive gear ratios? Uber-sticky tires?) or the RS's gonna fall flat on it's face.

Which is why I want to see the R20t. or, perhaps, the WRabbit. How about a Twincharged, 300HP, 2.0l I-4 to an AWD system and DSG?
 
Except it will have a more refined feel to it then the Evo/STI will have. The Evo/STI are still very boy racer-ish, this car is more for the 40 year old who wants comfort and performance but can't afford a high end sports sedan.
 
Jim Prower
Which puts it into Evo/STi comparison territory, but it's HEAVIER. Which is where it fails against the japanese screamers: VW's gonna have to have something to prove, (aggressive gear ratios? Uber-sticky tires?) or the RS's gonna fall flat on it's face.
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The previous R32, and indeed the current R32 were considered to be STi and Evo competitors, however nobody really expected the Vee-Dub to outrun the other two. What make the R32 a winner, and presumably the same for the RS will be the high level of refinement packaged with a more-than-sporty drive that will surely surprise a few folks out there.

"Civilized" is the word I often use to describe the R32. It may not be the fastest in the bunch, but you aren't going to find many cars that are that easy to drive quickly, as well as slowly, plus haul the kids and the cargo comfortably between Meijer and home...
 
for soem reason I have a feeling that they will keep the R32 and this will be more powerful model , like the Audi S6 and RS6
 

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