2025 VW Golf R first drive: The R stands for “really good fun”

Volkswagen provided accommodation so Ars could drive the Golf GTI. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. I remain perpetually wrong-footed by the Volkswagen Golf R, the more powerful all-wheel drive upgrade to the venerable VW Golf GTI. I always expect I'm in for a driving experience that is as measured and calm as it is fast. I don't know why I continually underestimate the R—Ars has driven a few of them now, and you'd think I'd remember that maybe the R should stand for "raucous." VW has been making hot Golfs for as long as I've been on the planet—next year will be the GTI's 50th anniversary. The super-GTI is a little newer. In 1986, the GTI was joined by a more powerful version with a 16-valve engine—here in the US, they also got a capacity bump from 1.8 to 2 L. Later, the much rarer Rallye Golf emerged as a homologation special. Five thousand all-wheel drive, supercharged Golfs were built to make the car eligible for Group A rallying, and then VW Motorsport built a small nu ... Read full article.