Here’s Why This Sick Safari Golf R Test Mule Isn’t What You Think

Video footage of a lifted Volkswagen Golf R giving it all on the Nürburgring has fueled speculation that Wolfsburg is about to gift us an off-roading hot hatch. While it’d be a cool way to send off the R when the time comes, the odds of seeing a jacked-up Golf in a VW showroom are nearly nonexistent. The test mule shown in the video by Statesidesupercars is likely a preview of another high-performance VW model.

First, the facts. We’re looking at a current-generation Golf R fitted with wheel arch flares that seemingly cover up a wider track. It also has more ground clearance than the standard Golf R and a lot more body lean as it goes around the grueling track flat-out. Parts like the grille, bumpers, doors, and hatch look like they’re off-the-shelf items, but the fuel filler sticks out from the quarter panel.

On the surface, it sounds like VW is about to launch a lifted, rally-inspired Golf R. This might be a weird concept to wrap your brain around, but the idea of a lifted Lamborghini Huracán was at least as strange, and yet it happened. Porsche did it with the 911 Dakar, too, so why shouldn’t VW? The heritage is there; VW has built several Golf-based rally cars, and the second-generation Golf notably spawned a wild prototype powered by two GTI-sourced engines built for Pikes Peak.

While we’d love to see a safari-style Golf R, that might not be what we’re looking at.

Volkswagen hasn’t commented on the prototype, so what follows is pure speculation. One detail that we’re fairly certain about is that the lifted Golf is owned by VW. Its registration number starts with BS, which corresponds to Brunswick, Germany, and many of the test mules we’ve spotted in recent years were registered there as well. Fun fact: The first VW factory was located in Brunswick, not in Wolfsburg, and the company still operates a components factory there that includes a research and development center.

The Golf in question makes an appearance at 2:05:

This seemingly rules out a random dude mocking up a Golf R for the hell of it. I’m still not convinced that we’re looking at a preview of a lifted, rally-spec Golf R, however. It’s easy to draw a parallel between off-road modifications on a hot hatch and rallying, but don’t forget that a wider track and a lifted ride height are also what differentiate a hatchback from a crossover. And, there’s no reason for a hypothetical Golf R Rally to use a modified fuel filler; That implies that the production model would have a wider body than the regular-production car, which would require a great deal of re-engineering. For what, a limited-edition version of a car pegged in the second half of its life cycle? No way.

Look closely, and you’ll notice the fuel filler extension lines up almost perfectly with the passenger-side rear wheel arch flare. What this is, then, is most likely a test mule of a model that shares at least some parts with the current Golf, and I’m betting it’s a crossover. The modular MQB Evo architecture that underpins the eighth-gen Golf is also found under the Tiguan, the Caddy, and the Passat, among other models, and that list will grow when the second-generation T-Roc makes its debut before the end of the year. The nameplate probably doesn’t ring a bell if you’re in the United States, but in Europe, the T-Roc is marketed as a crossover alternative to the Golf. It’s a big deal for VW.

Now, the new model’s dimensions haven’t been released yet, but the current-generation T-Roc rides on a wheelbase that’s about 1.5 inches shorter than the seventh-generation Golf. It’s about an inch shorter from bumper to bumper and about an inch wider. It stands to reason that the new model due out in the coming months will keep the same basic proportions relative to the Golf it will again be based on. So, if this is a T-Roc mule, why use a Golf R body? Well, the outgoing T-Roc R uses the same drivetrain as the Golf R, so why wouldn’t the next one?

Sadly, this likely isn’t a preview of a Golf R Rally, Safari, Wüste, or whatever you want to call it. It’s just a hint that a new T-Roc R is coming.

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