A prototype of Volkswagen's upcoming Golf 8 R hot hatchback has been spied performance testing at the legendary Nurburgring.

Picture credit:S. Baldauf/SB-Medien. We have paid for these photos and at the photographer's request, have watermarked them.

Update: Footage of the Volkswagen Golf 8 R has turned up online and thanks to this video, we can hear the new car's engine and exhaust. There are some trademark pops, however, it's not as vocal as hoped. Perhaps it doesn't have the Akrapovic exhaust (something VW offered as an option), but we live in hope that the finished product delivers that killer vrrpha we love.

Update 2: Photos of this relatively undisguised blue Volkswagen Golf 8 R surfacedand it shows how close to a reveal we are.

Update 3: Volkswagen has confirmed the all-new Golf 8 R will be revealed on the 4th of November 2020.

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Golf R 8: close to productions study T-Roc R: Fuel consumption, l/100 km: urban 9,5-9,1 /extra urban 6,6-6,5 /combined 7,7-7,5; CO2-emission combined, g/km: 176-171; efficiency class: D . Get ready! #MissionR is starting November 4th! ???? . Credits to @instylecrew . #VWR #BeWhoYouR #BeautifullyStrong #VolkswagenR #ComingSoon #trocR #golfR #golfr8

A post shared by Volkswagen R (@vwr) on Oct 14, 2020 at 8:06am PDT

Many of you are eagerly waiting for the full reveal of the new Golf 8 R and truth be told, so are we. In the meantime, Volkswagen is hard at work testing and preparing its potent hot hatch for production.

Our previous set of spy photographs showed a Golf 8 R prototype undergoing cold-weather testing in the Arctic Circle but this time the R has been photographed doing performance testing on the famous Nurburgring in Germany.

The prototype is largely undisguised and the blue brake callipers and obligatory dual quad exhausts allude to the intent of Wolfsburg’s hot hatch.

The Golf R will combine the potency of a revised 245 kW, 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine and all-wheel-drive capability that should see the Golf R rocket from zero to 100 kph in about 4.5 seconds using a dual-clutch transmission.

Interior comforts should include a specially-designed sports seats, flat-bottomed steering wheel and the latest connectivity features housed in Volkswagen’s latest Innovision Cockpit as seen in the GTI which comprises a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit instrument cluster and the 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

While the Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI is due to arrive in South Africa in early 2021 with the Golf R following after. A full reveal is expected later this year. As always, we will keep you up to date as soon as more information becomes available.

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