The Volkswagen Golf R is one of the wonders of the sports utility segment. It’s about a compact atomic power 320 hp, associated with a 4Motion all-wheel drive system and a very fast DSG change. A car that is capable of accelerating to 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds, as well as boasting a “drift” mode with which to impress crowds in a crowded car park. Can this colossus beat a 1960s Volvo Amazon in a drag race? Of course, right?… right?
It all depends on what Volvo Amazon face. In its most powerful versions, the Volvo Amazon boasted the same 90 hp engine as the Volvo P1800. Taking into account that its weight was only 1,100 kilos, it had correct performance for the time. However, it was far from the performance of a Ford Mustang, to give a contemporary example. The fact is that the Volvo Amazon that concerns us has in its bowels a 5.7 V8 LS1 engine of Corvette origin. An engine associated with a four-speed manual transmission, modified to 430 horsepower.
The change of the Volvo was another handicap: its developments were very long.
Still, one would expect it to be beaten by the Volkswagen Golf R’s all-wheel drive, Launch Control, and automatic gearbox. However, in the latest episode of This vs. That of Hoonigan, it has been shown that Gross displacement, low weight and a motivated driver can break the latest technology. And this is what has happened in two of the three successive acceleration races. It’s worth watching as the Volvo lags behind for the first few moments, but then mercilessly annihilates the modern compact—which might as well be his grandson.
Photos of the Volkswagen Golf R 2021