{"id":20549,"date":"2026-05-22T13:18:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T13:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/20549\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T13:18:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T13:18:37","slug":"2027-volkswagen-golf-r-race-car-first-look","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/20549\/","title":{"rendered":"2027 Volkswagen Golf R Race Car: First Look"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Volkswagen Golf R is going endurance racing for the 2027\u00a024h N\u00fcrburgring.
\nVW is working with\u00a0Max Kruse Racing to develop the track-only machine.
\n2027 will mark 25 years of R models.<\/p>\n

While some enthusiasts are still waiting for a five-cylinder Golf R, Volkswagen has a different idea for a hardcore hot hatch. Wolfsburg\u2019s pocket rocket will race at the N\u00fcrburgring next year to mark a quarter century of R models. It\u2019s a tradition that began in 2002 with the Golf R32 and continues today with the eighth-generation Golf and its range-topping R variant.<\/p>\n

But this is no ordinary Golf R<\/a>. Co-developed with Max Kruse Racing, the track-only machine is shaping up to be an entirely different beast. VW remains tight-lipped about the technical specifications, although we can already spot several key changes. The most obvious is a far more aggressive aerodynamic body kit, complete with a prominent front splitter that could easily double as a snowplow.<\/p>\n

At the rear, VW<\/a> has removed the tailgate glass to make way for an opaque panel supporting a gargantuan wing. Boxy wheel arches further distinguish the race car from its road-going counterpart, while a radical diffuser and vented front fenders are clear signs this isn\u2019t a run-of-the-mill Golf R.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Photo by: Volkswagen<\/p>\n

The Extreme Golf R Has A Side-Exit Exhaust<\/p>\n

The absence of the R\u2019s signature quad exhaust tips might suggest an electric powertrain, but that\u2019s not the case. Hood vents point to a combustion engine requiring extra cooling, and a side exhaust is visible in some press shots. VW says the Golf R 24H is technically a show car for now, but work has already begun on the actual vehicle it intends to race at the Green Hell next year.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Reinhold Ivenz, Head of Volkswagen R, is making a bold claim: \u201cthe most spectacular Golf R to date.\u201d We wouldn\u2019t get our hopes up for a road-going version, as the Golf R 24H is strictly a race car. Still, a statement from spokesperson Martin Hube a couple of years ago hinted at the possibility of a \u201cmore track-oriented version.\u201d<\/a> We\u2019ll have to wait and see whether a Golf R Clubsport will follow.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Volkswagen<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

14 <\/p>\n

\n Source: Volkswagen <\/p>\n

Motor1’s Take:\u00a0Although VW is pressing ahead with development of the ninth-generation, electric-only Golf<\/a>, it\u2019s encouraging to see the combustion-engine model isn\u2019t being sidelined. A N\u00fcrburgring-ready race car is a welcome surprise, and there\u2019s hope a toned-down version could eventually reach showrooms for enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

Even with the Golf Mk9 set to launch later this decade, VW has made it clear the current combustion-engine model will continue. That gives the company ample time for a proper ICE send-off with an ultimate Golf. Ideally, lessons learned from the Golf R 24H show car will trickle down to a Clubsport-spec road model, but for now, that remains wishful thinking.<\/p>\n

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– The Motor1.com Team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Volkswagen Golf R is going endurance racing for the 2027\u00a024h N\u00fcrburgring. VW is working with\u00a0Max Kruse Racing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20550,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20947],"tags":[917,8364,20974,20968,20967,23420,23088,23419,20977,20969,23422,23421,15267,8406,22538,20966,5356,23418,5523],"class_list":["post-20549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-volkswagen","tag-analysis","tag-audi","tag-b2c","tag-bentley","tag-cupra","tag-golf-mk9","tag-golf-r","tag-golf-r32","tag-hatchback","tag-lamborghini","tag-max-kruse-racing","tag-nu00fcrburgring","tag-official","tag-porsche","tag-racing-oriented","tag-seat","tag-volkswagen","tag-volkswagen-golf-r","tag-volkswagen-group"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20549"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20549\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}