Volkswagen Set To Fit Audi’s Inline-5 Engine To The Golf As A Special Edition Model

A report indicates that Volkswagen is developing a special version of the Golf R, featuring more aggressive bodywork and incorporating the Audi RS3’s 394-hp five-cylinder engine.

The Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3 have shared a platform since the mid-1990s, but their high-performance models remain distinct. The Golf R’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivers 328 horsepower, while the RS3 boasts a more powerful turbocharged inline-five with 394 horsepower. According to a report from Autocar, Volkswagen is set to introduce a special 25th-anniversary Golf R featuring the five-cylinder engine.

According to the report, the five-cylinder Golf R will arrive in 2027, celebrating a quarter-century since the first R-branded Golf (the R32) was launched in 2002. The move is apparently meant to serve as a send-off for the pure-gas-powered Golf, with Volkswagen expected to transition to an entirely hybrid lineup and launch an electric Golf variant before the end of this decade.

The rumor is a bit of a surprise, as it was previously thought that Audi’s five-cylinder would be discontinued due to increasingly strict European emissions rules. Now, however, it appears that Audi is committed to updating the engine to pass the upcoming Euro 7 regulations, which go into effect in November 2026.

The five-cylinder would make the Golf R significantly more potent, adding 66 horsepower and 59 pound-feet of torque. This should make the 25th anniversary special, the quickest Golf yet.

To include the inline-five engine in the 2027 Golf R, Audi must update the hardware to meet Euro 7 standards. This will likely involve new particulate filters, advanced NOx sensors, revised injection mapping, and denser catalysts, adding an estimated 55 pounds to the engine’s weight. As a result, the suspension may need modifications, potentially incorporating components from the RS3.

The special-edition Golf R will also receive other upgrades, with Autocar reporting that it should ride on forged aluminum Warmenau wheels to minimize the weight increase, with a wider track and semi-slick Bridgestone Potenza Race tires. Bigger brakes are also likely, while the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox will be recalibrated.

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