2016 Volkswagen Golf R gallery

If you thought the Golf GTI was top of VW's hot hatch tree, think again. The Golf R takes the popular German 5-door and gives it a serious sports upgrade, with 4MOTION all-wheel drive and a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

That's good for 292 horsepower and 280 lb-ft. of torque, piped through either a six-speed manual transmission for those who insist on rowing their own cogs, or a 6-speed DSG auto.

That performance – and, it's important to remember, practicality – comes at a cost, however. With a starting price of $35,650 the Golf R carries more than a $10k premium over its GTI sibling.