The Volkswagen Group appears to be saving the best for last. Its turbocharged five-cylinder engine is nearing retirement, but not before the 2.5 TFSI finds its way into a hardcore Golf. A new report from Autocar alleges that the Audi RS3’s inline-five will power a range-topping version of Wolfsburg’s hot hatch to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the R sub-brand in 2027.
If this all sounds familiar, that’s because there was already talk of giving the Golf R an extra cylinder. Back in 2020, we wrote about VW’s plan to squeeze the “EA855” into the engine bay, only to be met with resistance from Ingolstadt. Things have since changed, as another VW Group brand has already gained access to the larger engine; the Cupra Formentor VZ5 got the Audi unit with nearly 400 horsepower.
Photo by: Volkswagen
Our colleagues at Motor1 Germany have captured spy shots of a meaner-looking Golf R prototype as well as a mysterious RS3 lapping the Nürburgring. These could be test vehicles featuring an upgraded iteration of the five-pot. Audi Sport boss Sebastian Grams suggested a couple of years ago that engineers could extract more power without resorting to electrification.
The Donkervoort F22 already uses an upgraded version of this engine with almost 500 hp, though it’s unlikely VW or Audi would go that far. According to Autocar, the Golf R with the bigger powertrain would gain only 55 pounds (25 kilograms) after the engine transplant from the RS3, despite the need for larger brakes and chassis reinforcements.
While it wouldn’t be the first Golf fitted with a five-cylinder, a 400+ hp R would be the most powerful in the history of VW’s best-selling car. The beefier variant is expected to come exclusively with an updated seven-speed DSG, following the demise of the manual gearbox after the Golf R’s facelift last year.
If a five-cylinder Golf R is indeed on the way, VW might also borrow the mechanical torque-vectoring rear differential from its fancier sibling. Using the torque splitter could boost its chances of becoming the company’s fastest production car at the Green Hell, a title currently held by the Golf GTI Edition 50, which has a 7:46.13 lap time.
Photo by: Audi
It likely won’t come cheap. The Golf R333, still powered by the familiar “EA888” 2.0-liter engine, was priced in Germany at a whopping €76,410, while even a regular Golf R starts from €55,540. By comparison, its American counterpart appears to be a bargain at $48,325 before options are added.
As for who would buy a five-cylinder Golf R instead of the RS3, the answer partly lies in body style. In the U.S., the RS3 is only offered as a sedan, leaving hatchback fans to turn to VW. Elsewhere, the 2.5-liter variant would appeal to those seeking the ultimate performance Golf of the combustion era. The Mk9 has already been confirmed as a purely electric model, though the current generation could remain in production well into the next decade.
Following its retirement from the TT RS and RS Q3, we reckon that the inline-five deserves a fitting sendoff. Sending it out in a couple of hot hatches would be a proper way to celebrate an engine type the VW Group has been using since the late 1970s. With the European Union’s gas engine ban looming, it’s now or never.