Drop Top Golf (Part II)

2012 VW Golf R Cabriolet Concept

The Golf madness at Wörthersee continues. First there was the 500 horsepower Compact craze that was the Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro. Now, VW have brought out two new droptop concept cars, both of which are, you guessed it, Golfs. First up, there's the Golf R Cabriolet Concept that, if it gets the green light, will be the fastest droptop Golf of them all. Under the hood is the Golf R standard 2.0-liter turbo-4 engine producing 265 horsepower. Combine this with all-wheel drive and you'll have the car that will do 0 to 60 in less than 6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155 MPH. I have to say that as a hatchback, the Golf R looked good, but as a convertible, it looks even better. No word on if this will reach the U.S. but there's a strong chance that it won't.

2012 VW Golf GTI Cabriolet Concept

Next up is the less powerful Golf GTI Cabriolet Concept that might make production as well. It gets the standard Golf GTI 2.0-liter turbo-4 engine producing 200+ horsepower. It will do 0 to 60 in about 6 seconds and hit a top speed of about 150 MPH. This one just looks like a straight brawler. Cabriolets beware! A new Golf is in town. Both these cars are on display at GTI-Wörthersee, so if you're there right now, go ahead and check them out.

Das Rally

2012 VW Polo R WRC

It seems that we have new competition entering WRC this season as VW have pulled back the covers on their rally racer. Say hello to the VW Polo R WRC. In order to meet WRC requirements, VW fitted the rally car with 1.6-liter TSI Turbo-4 engine producing 300 horsepower, a racing all-wheel drive system, a new aerodynamic kit, and sport-tuned suspension. You'll see this car do some rally action in 2013 with Mini, Ford, and Citroën. VW's already anticipating some wins. Let's hope they do gather some.

Look out Hatchbacks!

2012 Opel Astra GTC

Saturn may be gone, but Opel and Vauxhall still live, and they're cooking up something interesting to compete with some top notch hatchbacks. Say hello to the all new Astra GTC, due for official unveiling in Frankfurt, Germany at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Opel and Vauxhall say that this new hatchback will make room for their new 300 horsepower hot hatch due to take on the VW Golf R and Audi's turbo-boosting RS3. It's a shame Saturn shut down, though. Not that they produced really good cars, but if they were still alive and brought this here, people would be buying it. This might just be a rendering, but Opel and Vauxhall say that the final product will look almost exactly like it. It looks good. This could take GM somewhere. The car is scheduled for internet debut on June 7 when the pre-order books open. Check back here to see the hot hatch's greatest threat.

Super Golf

2012 VW Golf R

Golf fans rejoice! The Turbocharged Golf R is heading towards our shores this fall. It won't be as powerful as the Euro Spec Golf, but it is pretty powerful. The Euro Spec Golf R produces 270 horsepower with the 2.0-liter Turbo-4 engine. We'll get the same engine, but the power has been brought down to about 256. Still, since it is 250 lbs. lighter than the old V6 R32, 0 to 60 will be done in less than 5.7 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155 MPH. And, unlike most powerhouse hot hatches, primarily the Ford Focus RS and Mazdaspeed 3, the Golf R maintains its 4Motion all-wheel drive system to keep all the power balanced. Unfortunately, if you are a Golf lover but don't know how to drive a stick shift, you're gonna have to learn to drive this car. The Golf R will only be available with a 6-speed manual transmission, while Europe gets the option of having it with a DSG. I wouldn't mind that. Unfortunately, the bright LED taillamps will not be available on our Golf R. Anyway, one thing they haven't changed are the variants. You can have the Golf R as a 3-door or a 5-door. Prices start at around $30,000, which is family saloon money. There are also many options for you to choose from including sunroof, Navigation, Smart Key, Dynamic Sound System, etc. I still like it, even with the stick shift. I might even take it out for a test drive soon.

Next To Best

2012 Koenigsegg Agera R

It seems the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport has become the target to beat for the mantle of fastest car in the world. Shelby Super Cars is right now working on their Veyron killer, but Koenigsegg, as always, came up a bit short. But hey! It doesn't matter, because they end up looking good in the end, like this new one, the Agera R. Now you may remember the CCXR Edition, the fastest car Koenigsegg produced. It had 1,018 horsepower out of a 4.7-liter Twin-Supercharged V8 engine. This one has 1,115 out of an all new 5.0-liter Twin-Turbocharged V8 engine, which is a lot, but is no match compared to the Veyron Super Sport's 1,200 horsepower engine. 0 to 60 is done in less than 2.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 260 MPH. Most of this car is made of Carbon Fiber and the roof is removable, as seen here..

It's a Convertible Now!

Pretty cool, huh? I recommend keeping the roof on though. At 260 MPH, your face just might be disintegrated. Anyway, prices have not been announced yet, but expect it to be in the millions. This will be a highly exclusive car. Check it out as it hits Geneva this week.

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