During our recent visit to the Texas Motor Speedway with the Texas Auto Writers Association’s Springtime Auto Roundup, we had the privilege of riding shotgun with famed racing driver Scott Speed. The action took place in a bone-stock 2016 VW Golf R – a 292-horsepower, AWD hatchback with a proper six-speed manual transmission and a light, 3,300-pound curb weight.
The video above is Scott showing us just how capable the Golf R is around a road course. If the video makes the car look slow – its an illusion. Speed and his skills push the car around the track with each tire screaming for mercy, the tachometer nudging redline, and the brakes letting of their distinctive smell. Speed simply makes it look easy.
Race fans from several genres of motorsports will instantly recognize the name Scott Speed. He started as a youngster racing karts before graduating to open-wheel racing in 2001. A year later Speed was racing for RedBull in Formula Three. Speed soon moved up to Formula One, becoming the first American to compete since Michael Andretti in 1993. He spent time racing GP2, Gran Prix, ARCA, and even several NASCAR series.
Nowadays Speed can be found co-driving with Tanner Foust for Andretti Autosport and Volkswagen in the RedBull Global Rallycross. In a mix of dirt-road rally driving, drifting, and stadium-truck-style jumps, Rallycross is one of the fastest growing motorsports. Speed and Foust pilot a 560-horsepower VW Beetle with AWD a sequential six-speed gearbox, and a full safety cage. Missing from every Rallycross car is any sort of traction aid – meaning slides and wild maneuvers are a common sight during a race.
That’s why Volkswagen had Speed on hand to demonstrate the 2016 Golf R’s abilities on track. It’s easy to appreciate the Golf R’s smooth clutch, notchy shifter, versatile AWD system, and weighty steering when driving on the street, but it’s another thing altogether to experience the car with a man who’s completely familiar with the chassis, tires, and handling characteristics. For more on our Golf R driving impressions, click “continue reading.”
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