 The top performance variant of the Volkswagen Golf has been released, the Golf R, and it’s set for a public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.
Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine producing 300hp (30hp more than before) and 380Nm of torque (280lb ft), which sends its power through the latest 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. The new Golf R’s 0-100km/h time is 5.3 seconds (4.9 seconds with the six-speed DSG gearbox), while top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h.  Yesterday, on my way back home from a supermarket, I drove past a used car dealership that had on display a car that I haven’t seen in quite some time now – a Mk 1 Volkswagen Golf. It was a bright orange 1981 GLS model being sold for CHF 4,400. It had 107,000km (hopefully genuine), a four-speed manual transmission, three doors, and a heater – a very basic car in a world of cars that can now parallel park themselves. However, despite the small number of features that the old Golf had, it was the base for one of the best cars ever made, a base for the first of hot hatches. The Golf GTI.
The Geneva Motor Show closed its doors yesterday, and like many who end up going to car shows, SOC has prepared a wish list if ever one was to win the lottery. Do you have a wish list of your own? Go ahead and share it in the comments section. Written by Alex Kisiri
 The 2012 Paris Motor Show is currently the place to be if you want you to see how exciting the future of motoring is going to be. You have the usual mix of concept cars, new car debuts, etc. But after looking at what the show has to offer, SOC has come up with a list of cars that stand out more than others.
 The 2012 Geneva Motor Show is anything but short of exciting new cars. There are far too many cool cars to have them all posted here, but with more than 100 photos, it's more than just a taste of what the show has to offer. Make sure you come back next week for the ultimate standouts of the show.
 This is the latest performance oriented vehicle to be released by Volkswagen, the Scirocco R. While many knew that VW would sooner or later release an R version of the Scirocco, many thought it would be released with an updated version of the 3.2l VR6 engine from previous Golf R32 models. But the latest offering comes with a smaller yet more powerful 2.0l, turbocharged, 4 cylinder engine with an output of 261 bhp/265 PS and 258 lb ft of torque. The choice of the new engine was made in an effort to reduce fuel consumption as well as CO2 emmisions. The engine is a modified version of the Golf GTI's engine and includes; new cylinder heads, direct fuel injection, new fuel injectors, new pistons, new connecting rods, as well as increased boost from the turbocharger complimented with a new intercooler. A six speed manual transmission is available, while VW's DSG double-clutch gearbox is available as an optional extra. But the other surprise is that this R vehicle isn't all-wheel drive as we were expecting, but rather front-wheel drive. Keeping drive to only two wheels has helped keep weight low than if they were to include all-wheel drive. The new Scirocco also comes with the latest version of the Golf GTI's electronic differential. Other important numbers include a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 6.4 seconds, while Co2 emmisions is at 192 g/km, and the combined fuel economy figure is at 34.4 mpg. The new R hit the streets in the fall. source: autocar.co.uk          |
