HPA Motorsports Begins Production Of 50-Unit VW Golf R With VR6 Turbo Engine

Oct. 23, 2023 1:48 PM ET bySebastian Cenizo Tuning /7 Comments

HPA is giving the Golf R loads more grunt and, most importantly, Wookie noises!

A few months ago, prolific Volkswagen tuner HPA Motorsports announced that it was releasing aturbocharged VR6 crate engine upgradefor the Golf R with as much as 550 horsepower, and now production of the highly tuned hot hatch has officially begun. Just 50 examples of the upgrade, called the HPA VR550T, will be produced, each getting as much torque as horsepower from the narrow-angle V6 motor, a motor thatVolkswagen killed off early in 2023.

However, the engine that HPA uses is not a version most Americans will be familiar with, and for good reason. The 2.5-liter VR6 with the engine code DDKA was selected for several reasons, including its lower weight compared to North America's 3.6-liter unit.

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The DDKA was built for the Chinese market and, because of poor fuel quality, was somewhat overengineered, making it a good candidate for increased performance. At one point, Volkswagen itself considered using this engine in other markets, but therumored Arteon R VR6never materialized.

我n order for yourGolf Rto be eligible for HPA's transplant, it must be a 2018-2019 model with the DQ381 DSG transmission. The engine bolted into your hot hatch receives a custom HPG hybrid turbo, HPA tri-flow camshafts, a custom head with upgraded valves, an HPA intake and downpipe combo, an HPA 76-millimeter valved exhaust, an OEM MPI fuel rail upgrade, and a new low-pressure fuel pump with an integrated OE controller. An HPA Performance Series bolt-on intercooler helps the setup breathe better.

That covers the engine, but more work is required to make this operate like a factory build.

The dual-clutch transmission is upgraded with new clutch packs to handle the wave of turbocharged torque, while a CNC adaptation is performed to ensure that clamp and release points and pressures are suited to the new torque profiles. Naturally, the OEM ECU is also remapped, and this retains the original fail-safe protocols while promising OEM drivability. With full UDS CAN bus integration, there won't be warning lights on the dash or unavailable OEM features.

Completing the transformation is a custom carbon fiber engine cover, various VR550T badges and emblems, and serialized plaques in the cabin and engine bay.

According to the tuner's site, build costs start at under $40,000, including labor. That obviously excludes the cost of the Golf R itself. Not exactly cheap, but considering you're getting to hear the VR6 growl long after VW itself has abandoned it, perhaps it's special enough to justify the price.