The head of Volkswagen’s high-performance R division says the new Golf 8 R will feature “technology nobody expects”.

Speaking to MotorTrend, VW R boss Jost Capito – who recently ruled out a Polo R – promised there would be plenty of “small improvements” over the outgoing model.

"I can't tell you too much, what we put in the car, but there [are] a lot of small improvements," Capito told the US-based publication.

"The overall car [is] a real driving machine," he added of the model that would slot in at the top of the eighth-generation Golf range, above the new GTI and oil-burning GTD.

While Capito confirmed the new Golf R would not feature a hybrid powertrain, he did say there would be “technology nobody expects”.

What that will be remains to be seen but we expect the new Golf R to again feature a high-output version of the Wolfsburg-based firm’s familiar EA888 turbocharged 2,0-litre four-cylinder engine (with 245 kW, according to an earlier leak), again driving all four wheels.

A report from January 2020 suggested the new Golf R would be revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom in July, although it's unclear whether the event will go ahead amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Original article from Car