Fitness
2022 Volkswagen Golf R Is the ‘Hot Hatch’ You’ve Been Waiting For
Back in the 80s, when Volkswagen first introduced the Golf GTI to American buyers, they ran print ads calling that first “hot hatch” a “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.” It was a cool premise: Who wouldn’t want a sporty five-door that could ace turns like a 911 Porsche, but still cart the kids to school come Monday morning? Those were simpler times. Today, carmakers have mostly folded their tents and decided to cave to American demands of bloated SUVs. Yes, we (thankfully) still get sports cars, too, but those seldom have the practicality of a hatchback and four doors. Thankfully, there’s the Golf R, a 315hp “wolf” with AWD clawing its way forward to a 0-60mph sprint in 4.4 seconds.
That’s a full second slower than a Porsche Cayman GT4—but you could buy two Golf Rs for the price of that one Porsche, and have more than $10K left over. But this latest VW is more than just a steal. It’s a brilliant package that more enthusiast car shoppers should understand exists. Here are three reasons why the Golf R is the new reigning champ of stealth performance.
2022 Volkswagen Golf R Is the ‘Hot Hatch’ You’ve Been Waiting For
AWD That’s Not About Snow
Prior Golf R’s had all-wheel drive. But so what? That old system wasn’t nearly this versatile. While all-wheel drive typically only matters as a means of getting un-stuck in snow (or in a 4×4, rock crawling) the new 4Motion in the Golf R can send full power to either rear wheel.
By reading the steering angle and positioning of the car in a corner, Golf R can send up to 100 percent of all power to the outside rear wheel. That has the effect of tightening the radius of a turn, which is really handy when you’re powering the car just past the apex of a corner.
We found this out the fun way, by driving the R at 9/10ths through the hills of Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina—on wet asphalt. There, even though we were racing around on summer rubber, which doesn’t grip all that great at near-freezing temps, the 235/35 R19s held fast enough just because of all that over-driven juice from the AWD 4Motion system. Every time we feared overcooking a corner, subtle braking and, yep, getting back on the gas, pushed us through.
There’s a Setting Just for Drifting—And You Can Turn Off Stability Control
To properly drift a car not only takes serious skill, it demands the right tools. Sure, a race car with all stability and traction controls excised does the job fine—save that you probably want that tech for daily driving safety. VW’s drift mode (which has a warning that says you have to be off public roads to deploy it), recalibrates throttle inputs so it’s easier to keep the engine at higher revs, and tells the gearbox to hold those revs for the same function. Then, the aforementioned 4Motion function powers that outside rear wheel as you crank the steering inputs in a circle. Bingo! You’re drifting like a pro!
If you plan to race, the driver can turn off all stability and traction control functions (they’ll re-awaken in a full slide), and sub-menus let you specifically dial in more precise combinations. For instance, if you like a heavier steering feel closer to a race mode, but softer suspension because you live in ‘Merica, where the roads are beat to hell, that’s entirely up to you. We love this, because even in cars with “sport” etc., modes, it’s too rare that they let you mix and match to this degree.
An Engine That’s Mellow, Not Hyper
Yep, Volkswagen’s yanking 315 horses from a relatively tiny, 2.0-liter four-cylinder, and a whopping 280 pound-feet of torque, too. (You’ll get 295 pound-feet from the DSG automatic.) Peak torque hits just around 2,000 RPM and hangs on to just about 5,000 RPM, and that lets you upshift earlier, so you’re not flogging the engine for all it’s worth to get the R flying. Both second and third gears are plenty tall, too, with the 6,500 RPM redline not hitting in second gear until you’ve tagged 70mph.
You can bang from gear to gear gunning for the moon—but you don’t have to. The R’s joys can be be found just tootling around, and that more flexible torque curve offers power more broadly, so keeping the turbocharged engine on the boil isn’t a chore. It’s fun.
Oh, and should you want the six-speed manual gearbox instead of that automated DSG seven-speed, it’s not a pain to own, even in traffic. Shift lazily. The R won’t shudder because you’re pulling uphill at 35mph in third gear.
Great Steering and Manual Modes
Okay, say you do want the DSG because you live where traffic stinks—DSG lets you just roll in “Drive” when you’re slogging through stop-and-go highway clots.
Fortunately, when (if?) the road ever does open up, VW now allows the driver to customize how DSG performs. Start using the manual paddles that halo the steering wheel and, should you choose, DSG won’t shift itself back to automatic mode. If you don’t shift, the car won’t shift for you. This, by the way, is what Porsche offers, too, and it’s great to see Volkswagen follow suit.
Speaking of which, few brands have managed to make electronic steering feel as analogue as Porsche. But VW’s R is getting close, via a clever trick. They bunched the teeth of the steering gear tighter right at the center of the rack, then spaced them more widely at the far ends. Think of this as leverage: You don’t want to apply a ton of brute force just steering off center, when small inputs to initiate a high-speed turn should be all about finesse. You need just the opposite response when you have to crank the wheel right to the end of its limit, like when you’re parallel parking, and those wider-spaced teeth allow more leverage per input for those slow-speed efforts. So the steering feels precise when you want it, but not heavy when you don’t. Pretty sweet, in other words.
You’re waiting for something we don’t dig? Okay, here’s one. The cheaper GTI can be had with cloth seats, but the R only comes with Nappa leather. We favor the fabric, even though, yes, the R’s chairs are dang comfortable, too.
[From $43,645; vw.com]
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The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top.
Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop
once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
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