WHEN we tested the Golf R last year, it left us unconvinced. As the ultimate Golf, its relative lack of firepower (the local version is less powerful than its European counterpart) and sheer entertainment value left us feeling short-changed. After all, the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG had just shown how monstrous a hatchback could be.
But perennial hot hatch protagonist Volkswagen can’t be shrugged off that easily, though, and it too has announced its own hyper hatch … we expect the Golf R420 to make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March next year. Until then, however, the car featured in this road test, the Volkswagen Golf Oettinger 400R, is the closest thing to a rival for the AMG that originates in Wolfsburg.
Older readers may recall the Oettinger Golf 2s and Kombis that were sold here in the 1980s and ’90s. The German tuning firm has now returned to South Africa courtesy of Lindsay Saker Motors (LSM) in Gauteng, which is the official agent.
Oettinger is to VW what Alpina is to BMW – in other words, not an in-house performance division, but rather a manufacturer-approved tuning firm. And rather than being just another customised Golf R, this car will be sold on the LSM dealership floor.
Based on a Golf R, the Oettinger 400R has been given an aesthetic, suspension and electronic makeover. The visual cues, which include a revised front spoiler, partial headlamp covers, side skirts, diffuser, a roof spoiler and black alloys that fill the wheelarches thanks to a 20 mm ride-height reductions draw plenty of admiring glances from the boy-racer brigade. However, the changes under the bonnet are even more enticing.
LSM replaces vital pieces of hardware, including the turbocharger, the turbo down-pipe and exhaust system, the latter of which is fitted with high-flow catalytic converters. The IHI turbo housing is shared with the standard R, but the internals are upgraded for better response and air flow. With fuelling and timing managed by an Oettinger plug-in ECU, the changes result in maximum power of 294 kW (400 hp, hence the name) and 510 N.m of torque. Those figures place it firmly at the front of the hot hatch class.
“Tuned” cars often talk the talk but seldom walk the walk, so we headed to our test strip unsure what to expect. Post-test, we downloaded the files from our data recorder to find a best zero-to-100 km/h sprint time of 4,35 seconds. That makes the 400R almost one second quicker than the standard R to the benchmark triple figure, but more importantly, the quickest hatch we’ve ever tested.
VW’s standard launch-control system remains and allowed us to conduct repeated acceleration runs without fuss. Incidentally, the 400R is available only with the DSG transmission. Unless an M3 or C63 driver really nails their launch, those super sedans will form an easy lunch in traffic-light duels.
Not that the sheer power is always apparent in daily driving conditions; the Oettinger 400R doesn’t feel particularly special at lower speeds. What’s more, due to an optional track-focused exhaust system that was fitted to this test vehicle, there was quite a boom in the cabin at highway speeds. That said, the wastegate is also more vocal, which will please fans of that distinctive whooshing noise. To some, the low-speed about-town ride will feel firm, but it isn’t crashy and we’ve certainly driven other hot hatches that don’t feel as pliant.
Head away from civilisation where you can turn up the wick, however, and the hot Golf comes alive. It exhibits huge accelerative forces, even at speed. Thread it through your favourite mountain pass and the extra power in the Golf R’s honed platform makes for an immersive drive. The all-wheel-drive system easily transfers the prodigious levels of torque to the tar and there is a level of adjustability through the throttle that brings with it the playfulness we so sorely missed in the standard car. This, of course, bodes well for that upcoming R420.
The brake setup is standard and, from our experience with VW systems, should hold up well in strenuous use. If you plan to regularly punish the brakes, such as in a racetrack scenario, Oettinger can supply 370 mm discs with four-pot callipers for the front axle.
