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Open-topped Golf R previewed

Volkswagen took the wraps off a Cabriolet version of the Golf R this week.

The huge VW festival at Worthersee in Austria sees the unveiling of the Golf R Cabriolet Concept. It uses the same 270hp 2.0-litre turbo engine as the Golf R hatch and cracks 0-100km/h in less than six seconds.

Volkswagen says the Golf R Cabrio has a top speed limited to 250km/h and it comes with a 25mm lowered chassis compared to the just-launched standard drop-top model. There are also 19-inch alloy wheels and the Golf R hatch's vented disc brakes all round with blue-painted callipers.

Inside, sports seats finished in dark blue and grey Nappa leather are unique to the R Cabriolet. The seat backs are finished in piano black, while sand-blasted aluminium sill plates complete the look.

Volkswagen won't be drawn on whether it intends to make the Golf R Cabriolet a production model, but it has also shown another pair of Golf R concepts at the huge Worthersee gathering.

The first of these Golf R concepts has motorsport seats trimmed with black Nappa leather on the outer portions and anthracite leather on the inner facings with cross-stitching. Like the Cabrio Concept, the seat backs are finished in piano black.

Other details for this concept include orange-painted brake callipers, carbon fibre interior trim inserts and door mirror casings. The car sits on the same 19-inch Talladega alloy wheels as the Cabriolet Concept.

Volkswagen showed a second Golf R hatch concept finished in Aplomb Blue with 19-inch "Glendale" alloy wheels. Like the other concepts, it has carbon fibre door mirrors, but its door sill plates are also in the lightweight material.

The same motorsport seats are used but trimmed all in black Nappa leather with a blue centre strip. There's also a sports steering wheel in "carbon leather" and even the carpets have been made in a carbon fibre-effect fabric.

Rounding off VW's show car bonanza at Worthersee is a Polo kitted out with every imaginable optional extra. It has carbon fibre-look door mirrors and interior trim details, rear apron with diffuser and sports exhaust pipe, and 17-inch "Motorsport" alloy wheels.

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Published on June 3, 2011