R400 all-wheel drive system and running gear

4MOTION. Typical of all Golf R cars, due to their exceptional power reserves, has always been their permanent 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. Of course, this also applies to the Golf R 400 being shown in Beijing. In this car, the all-wheel drive system is coupled with an automatic 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG), which can also be shifted manually as an alternative via the gear shift lever or steering wheel paddles.

Clever control. The 4MOTION all-wheel drive of the Golf R, which has been perfected with such features as a Haldex-5 coupling, is activated even before slip occurs. Traction loss is practically prevented by this. The system makes use of a pre-control strategy here, which depends on the specific driving state. Under low load conditions, or during coastdown, the front wheels transfer most of the propulsive power, while the rear axle is decoupled. This basic tuning saves on fuel. If necessary, the rear axle of the Golf R can be variably engaged in fractions of a second as soon as this becomes necessary. This is done by means of the Haldex coupling that is activated by an electro-hydraulic oil pump.

EDS, XDS, ESC Sport. Along with the Haldex coupling, which acts as a central differential lock, the electronic differential locks (EDS) integrated in the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system act as transverse differential locks. In addition, the Golf R 400 is equipped with the XDS+ system on both the front and rear axles, which brakes the wheels at the inside of a bend during fast driving through bends, and which optimises steering response as a transverse differential lock. Last but not least, the Golf R 400 has an "ESC Sport" function like that of the production model. The system is activated via a two-stage switch on the centre console. When the driver presses the button once briefly, this selects the "ESC Sport" mode of Electronic Stability Control (ESC). During very fast driving with lots of bends – e.g. on a race course – the ESC does not intervene as frequently, which enables even more agile handling properties. If the ESC button is held down more than three seconds, the system is fully deactivated for professional drivers on a race course.

Sport suspension and new wheels. The sport suspension of the production Golf R, which lowers the ride height by 20 mm compared to the base Golf, did not have to be changed for the Golf R 400 thanks to its large power reserve. In front, the two Golf R versions each have a MacPherson-type suspension with lower wishbones, while what is known as the modular performance suspension (multi-link suspension) is used at the rear. The tyres are also the same on both cars: 235/35 R 19. The alloy wheels of the Golf R 400 are a new development. Their design is based on the 19-inch "Cadiz" production wheels, but they were highly modified and equipped with high-gloss black inserts which, as air vanes, perfect cooling in the reinforced brake system.