Volkswagen builds 1,000 hp Golf with Audi engine for mountain climbs

Volkswagen’s sports division in South Africa debuted, on Sunday (26), the most powerful Golf ever built by the local operation: a hatch of about 1,000 hp prepared exclusively for hill climb events. The car was among the three fastest in practice and in the classification of the Top of the Hill Challenge, at the Zwartkops racetrack, on the outskirts of Pretoria, but problems typical of a recently completed project took the driver out of the final.

Nicknamed “Mega Golf” by the automaker itself, the model has the official designation Volkswagen Motorsport Hillclimb Golf 8.5 GTI and was built by Michael Allers to mark the brand’s 75 years of operation in the African country. There is no homologation for use on public roads: it is a single-seater with a carbon fiber body and a roll cage integrated into the structure.

Although it was born from a GTI, the hatch abandoned the four-cylinder 2.0 turbo from the factory to receive the five-cylinder 2.5 turbo from Audi, the same as the RS3. In the street version, this engine delivers about 400 hp. Here, the power has been more than doubled with a larger turbocharger operating at higher pressures, forged internal components, carbon fiber intake and an exhaust that comes out of the front bumper. The internal parts come from the German Bar-Tek, and the electronic management is from Motec.

According to Volkswagen, the set reaches about 1,000 hp — almost three times what the Golf GTI sold in Brazil produces, with 265 hp and 37,7 kgfm. The manufacturer did not disclose the torque of the competition car. The power passes through a Sadev ST4-917 sequential gearbox and reaches all four wheels, an architecture that the street GTI does not offer.

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The aerodynamic package brings together a front splitter , side deflectors, flared fenders and a rear wing secured by swan neck supports. The brakes are AP Racing, the racing wheels are 18 inches, and the slick tires are Michelin.

The debut took place in the third edition of the Top of the Hill Challenge, disputed over two days and bringing together more than 75 cars. The course is 2 km long and is faced in the opposite direction to the usual racetrack, starting at turn 4. Mogotsi got into the rhythm from the first practice sessions, but the team opted to collect the car before the decision.

“The car showed huge potential and immediately entered the top three in practice and qualifying,” said Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport. “Unfortunately, some new car problems prevented Jonathan from competing in the final.” The automaker did not detail the origin of the failure. The premiere had already been postponed once due to a delay in the delivery of plays.