Earlier this week, Volkswagen pulled the wraps off two of its upcoming EA288 turbodiesel engines. Boosted by two twin-scroll turbochargers, the most powerful pumps out 240 horsepower and a very impressive 369 lb.-ft. of torque.
Initially, that engine is expected to appear in the next-generation Passat TDI midsize sedan. But according to Road and Track, a VW insider says we could also see a higher-output variant of the engine under the hood of a diesel Golf R.
Known as the RD, Road and Track’s insider suggests it could be the result of an impending horsepower war between Volkswagen and Audi, thanks to the Golf R 400 and its four-ringed platform mate, the A3 Clubsport Quattro. And because of the massive torque output (think in the neighbourhood of 442 lb.-ft., which seems absolutely unreal for a four-cylinder diesel), the Golf RD might be DCT-only.
Of course, this news is best taken with a large grain of salt, but the idea of a high-output diesel hot hatch resulting from a horsepower war is incredibly appetizing to say the least.
