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FastestThings

Cars

Volkswagen Golf R

Volkswagen states 270 km/h for the Mk8 Golf R with the R Performance package. Autocar and evo print 168 mph, the same governor rounded.

Also known as Golf R, Mk8 Golf R
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Top speed

Published as 270 km/hPublished as 270 km/hPublished as 270 km/h

Manufacturer claim and governor for the Mk8 Golf R with the R Performance package. Volkswagen states 270 km/h. Autocar and evo print 168 mph, and 270 km/h is 167.8 mph, so 168 is that figure rounded. The base car's 250 km/h / 155 mph limiter is a different variant and is not stored. GPS runs past the claim are not stored.

ClaimedVolkswagen (opens source in a new tab)

In context

  • 2.6× a cheetah's timed top speedSourced · Cheetah, 29 m/s. Sharp 1997, mean of three timed runs over 201.2 m
  • A football field in 1.2 sConstant · American football field, 100 yd (91.44 m)
  • London to New York in 20 h 38 minConstant · London to New York, 5,570 km great-circle

Worked out from the sourced figure above, which stays the ranked number.

This list

Why it's so fast

A car is fast when the force pushing it forward still beats the air, and when the tires and the gearing can use that force. A limiter is a different fact from an unlimited run.

  1. Drag and gearing

    Top speed is the balance point: thrust equals aerodynamic drag. The gearing has to still be pulling when the car gets there, or the engine falls off its power.

  2. What the sources signed

    A manufacturer claim, a magazine test and an electronic governor are not interchangeable. The measurement line says which one this page ranked.

A limited example is the Bugatti Chiron.

This is how the category works. A note written for this entry appears here once it is in the database.

Provenance

Every measurement

Claimed, measured and official figures side by side, each with its source. The ranked figure is marked.

  1. 270km/h168mph75.0m/s146knRanked figure

    Manufacturer claim and governor for the Mk8 Golf R with the R Performance package. Volkswagen states 270 km/h. Autocar and evo print 168 mph, and 270 km/h is 167.8 mph, so 168 is that figure rounded. The base car's 250 km/h / 155 mph limiter is a different variant and is not stored. GPS runs past the claim are not stored.

    Claimed
    Volkswagen (opens source in a new tab)

Reference

Specs

Model
Mk8 Golf R with R Performance package
Layout
All-wheel-drive hatchback
Not ranked
Base 155 mph limiter

Spot a wrong number?

Every report is read by a person, and corrections are dated on the page.