Yahoo Autos Volkswagen Reportedly Killed the Golf R400 Over Its Emissions Cheating Scandal
Almost two years ago to the day, Volkswagen confirmed the 395-horsepower Golf R400 for production, but that was before its emissions cheating scandal was revealed to the public. Now, we hear the R400 has been killed in the wake of the scandal, but that thankfully its engine will live on in future Audi models.
Jens Meiners over at Automotive News reports that the Golf R400 was cancelled following the departure of R&D chief Heinz-Jakob Neusser last fall. Neusser, like former CEO Martin Winterkorn, was one of many key VW employees forced to resign over the emissions cheating scandal.
The Golf R400 was expected to use a 395-horsepower version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four found in the standard Golf R. Automotive News says Audi is still working on developing a hi-po version of that motor, dubbed the EA888, for use in its own future cars. Perhaps that motor could be used in future generations of the RS3 or TT RS, which will use Audi's new 400-hp five-cylinder in this generation.
Even though the Golf R400 is dead, Volkswagen is still considering a high-performance version for the eight-generation Golf, which will likely be launched in 2020. VW is reportedly considering doing something in the same vein as the current car, or interestingly, creating an ultra-light version of the Golf R.
Considering the fallout of its emissions cheatings could cost VW over $10 billion in the U.S. alone, a crazy version of the Golf R–a car that's already limited in appeal in standard form–is hard to justify. We do like the idea of a Golf R Superleggera though, so hopefully that remains a possibility.
