Just Like The Previous Car
The forthcoming successor to the original Cayman GT4 will stick with a naturally aspirated flat-six engine despite the arrival of a turbocharged flat-four in the Porsche 718 Cayman. The engine is expected to be a detuned version of the new 911 GT3鈥檚 4.0-litre flat-six, although power is expected to increase over the previous generation's 385hp. 405hp-plus is expected. 鈥淣atural aspiration is one of our main USPs,鈥?said Andreas Preuninger, head of GT car development at Porsche. 鈥淎t Motorsport, we think we can achieve throttle response and immediacy a little bit better with an atmospheric high-revving engine than any kind of turbo.鈥?He also confirmed there are no plans to create any four-cylinder GT cars. The bolstered performance means the car's 0-62mph time will be cut from the previous-gen car's 4.4sec while its 295kph top speed is also likely to rise, slightly. Autocar has speculated that the next Cayman GT4 will be powerful enough to wear the RS badge, which is reserved for Porsche鈥檚 most hardcore models. Preuninger dropped a broad hint that it will come with both manual and PDK gearbox options.
Alongside its huge performance for a family hatch, the VW鈥檚 engine revs smoothly. The Golf R鈥檚 overall character is much like the engine: it鈥檚 incredibly well engineered and effective. For example, the steering is very precise and there鈥檚 lots of grip, which gives you confidence in corners, yet we prefer the more communicative Honda. The A 35 is similarly well engineered, yet the Golf feels lighter on its feet, faster and more composed on a typical B-road than the AMG. Its four-wheel-drive system also feels more eager to send power to the rear wheels, so if you get on the power early in a corner you can feel the system working hard to tighten your line using the rear axle. The electronic differential also works very well, pulling the car around tight bends when you get on the power and maximising traction. That allows you to make the most of the Golf R鈥檚 explosive performance.
With the 拢850 DCC set-up fitted, the Golf R rides very well, especially at speed, and even mid-corner bumps don鈥檛 upset the car鈥檚 balance. The Volkswagen is also more comfortable than the Mercedes with the dampers in their softest mode. While the Golf鈥檚 4x4 system is useful in bad weather, it eats into boot space. Capacity drops from 380 litres in a front-wheel-drive model to 343 litres in the R, which makes it the smallest in this test. However, this is still enough day to day; it鈥檚 just that family trips will stretch it further. The Golf is also roomy for rear-seat passengers, with a wide door opening and lots of head and legroom in the back. There鈥檚 not quite as much in-cabin storage as its competitors鈥? but the dash design means it feels more spacious inside and there are still plenty of cubbies and storage bins. Volkswagen performed well in our Driver Power 2018 survey, finishing fifth out of 26 in the makers鈥?rankings.
The Golf also scored a maximum five stars in its 2012 Euro NCAP crash test, and standard safety equipment includes autonomous braking, parking sensors, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition and seven airbags. You鈥檒l need to pay 拢1,225 for an option pack in order to get blind spot monitoring, but that price also includes auto high beams, rear cross-traffic alert and traffic jam assist. These three hot hatchbacks are quite closely matched for company car tax bills, but the Volkswagen is the cheapest. Higher-rate earners will pay 拢4,533 a year for the Golf R because it sits in the 33 per cent Benefit-in-Kind tax band. The Honda sits in the 36 per cent bracket and will cost 拢4,700 a year, and the Mercedes splits the two, at 拢4,761 (34 per cent). While the Golf returned reasonable economy of 29.3mpg, considering its strong performance, that figure was the lowest of the three cars here. 鈥淯nlike the A 35, the Golf R is also available with a manual gearbox.
The Type R nails the hot hatch brief. It buzzes with excitement when you鈥檙e pushing hard, but is a comfortable and practical family car when you鈥檙e not. Honda鈥檚 model is better value than both of its rivals, with loads of standard equipment, plus it鈥檚 also more fun to drive, whether you鈥檙e heading to the shops or on a track day. The infotainment could be better, but it鈥檚 still the best hot hatch on sale. While it can鈥檛 match the Honda鈥檚 value or thrills, the VW Golf R is still an incredible hot hatch. With four-wheel drive, its performance is astonishing, and in a straight line it would leave many much more expensive cars in its wake. Yet it鈥檚 still engaging and is also as usable and practical as a Golf should be. It comes with plenty of kit and should be affordable to run. The new A 35 is nearly as fast as the Golf R and easily has the classiest interior here.