Welcome Back: 2010 Volkswagen Golf GTi MK6 and 2010 Volkswagen Golf R

In XTM's Top Gear Korea, the standard Volkswagen Golf VI served as the reasonably priced car. Guests include Alex, Ahn Jae-Mo, Ryu Soo-Young, Boom, Ha Ha, Tony, Song Sun Mi, Huh Gak, and others pushed the Golf too hard to get their best possible lap times. Even Top Gear Korea host and touring car racer, Kim Jin Pyo, pushed this too hard. Surely, there will be more Korean celebs pushing the Golf for the top of the Top Gear Korea track.

These cars though, are not the Volkswagen Golf but rather they are Volkswagen Golfs with new brains and pumped up muscles. They started out in life as the Volkswagen Golf VI but since then, both of them are sport oriented for the enthusiasts in mind.

This is the Golf GTi...

...and this is the Golf R.

First was the Volkswagen Golf VI GTi, it still has the legendary GTi heritage dating back in the 70's and it's pumped up with the 2.0L engine that produces 210 PS (154 kW; 207 hp) of power, 280 N·m (207 lb·ft) of torque, 0-60mph time of 6.9 seconds and top speed of 240 km/h (149 mph). Surely, the GTi is one heck of a popular choice for the Volkswagen fans worldwide not only because of its heritage, but also for its sensible performance. It was one of my favorite Volkswagens ever made but when it comes to performance, I think the Golf VI GTi never won my heart because there was one kind of Golf that really won my heart because it was much of a tamed version of the GTi.

The Golf VI R is known to be the most powerful Golf ever made thanks to its improved 2.0L TSi engine that produces 270 PS (199 kW; 266 hp) of power, 350 N·m (258 lb·ft) of torque, 0-60m time of 5.7 seconds and top speed limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). What's surprising that the Golf R is packed with the 4Motion all-wheel drive system that no longer requires a difference in speeds between the front and rear axles thanks to some electric pump is used to build pressure. This car then really eat my Golf GTi Mk6 for breakfast but how? Let's compare both of these with a little time attack at the Top Gear Test Track...

Our Golf GTi Mk6 did it in 1:32.891 while the Golf VI R did it in 1:29.063 so on paper then, the Golf R really is quicker than the Golf GTi with such a huge gap to fill it in by other cars. But still, I can't deny that both the GTi and the R really worked out their magic of being track wolves in sheep's clothing. They may be mild but menacing.