Volkswagen wants to distill its “R” performance car lineup into a whole subordinate brand, joining the company of Audi Sport, BMW M, Mercedes-AMG and others.
The first VW R vehicle debuted 22 years ago. It was the Golf R32 hot hatch, which received a powerful VR6 engine and four driven wheels courtesy of a 4Motion AWD system. Other models sprouted their own R modifications later on.
In 2020, Volkswagen elevated its “R” department to the status of a corporate division. Now, the company wants it to gain even more independence from the main brand.
