Volkswagen’s eR1 previews an electric Golf flagship model

If we can believe the information leaked so far, the 2021 Volkswagen Golf R will arrive in July with a 329-horsepower two-liter turbo-four in its nose. However, as VW is also planning to launch performance variants of its upcoming electric lineup, it shouldn’t be long before its R division comes up with a greener alternative to the traditional Golf flagship model. Volkswagen’s mule for such a rapid hatchback is certainly ready, all thanks to the ID.R program.

Based on a TCR race chassis and used as the drivetrain prototype of the wild ID.R record car, Volkswagen’s eR1 was finally allowed to show off its skills at the GP Ice Race festival in Zell am See. Alongside the likes of Audi, Bentley, Porsche, RUF, and Singer at this party held at a frozen Austrian airfield, Volkswagen Motorsport brought along not only the ID.R for display but also cars to carve that ice, including the classic racing Beetle known as the 1302 S “Salzburg”, the 560-horsepower rallycross Beetle R of Tanner Foust, and the new T-Roc R, its latest performance crossover.

Looking at this eR1 prototype, the combination of an all-wheel-drive Golf with 500 electric horsepower seems to be the not-so-distant future of fast Volkswagens, even if we get a firecracker of a Golf R before that.