Close your eyes for a moment. Not now, obviously, but after you read this article. Click play on the above video before you do, and imagine yourself at one of the chilly stages of the 1984 Rallye Monte Carlo. The sound of a ridiculously boosted five-cylinder engine is barely audible, but it quickly crescendos to a roar as Walter Röhrl and Christian Geistdörfer fly past, their Audi S1 Quattro Group B rally car barely under control.
Actually, bump the video ahead a few seconds and then click play. Listening to this race-prepped Volkswagen Golf R going full-throttle just might take you back in time, to a moment when the turbocharged inline-five ruled the global racing scene. Yes, Audi's famous five-cylinder has graced many models since the wild days of Group B rally racing, but every time we hear one in a performance setting, we see the chunky old Quattro in our mind's eye, blitzing through stages.
Flash forward nearly 40 years, and we have this thoroughly built Golf R attacking corners in the 2022 Alpe del Nevegal Hillclimb, located in northern Italy. Built by LM Tech and Aereus Squadra Corse, it's a Mk7 model that ditches its stock four-cylinder for an Audi-sourced I5 making over 600 horsepower (447 kilowatts). According to the video description from MattyB727 - Car Videos on YouTube, it also sports a carbon body kit from a Golf GTI TCR race car. Amazingly, the all-wheel-drive system and DSG transmission are said to be stock Golf R equipment, though upgrades are coming soon.
From what we see in the video, all the mechanical components seem to work just fine. For approximately three minutes we're treated to pure automotive heaven – trackside video as the VeeDub tackles corners and straightaways with gusto. There's no voiceover, no music tracks, and no unwelcome cuts from the various camera positions. It's just the car, the scenery, and an internal-combustion soundtrack to die for.
Honestly, we have no idea if the driver won this event. We just know we're the winners for enjoying this five-cylinder thrill ride to the top.
