2010 Volkswagen Golf R20 Exclusive Spy Video and Photos

Don't get too excited about the 2010 Volkswagen Golf R20. Like so many great European hatchbacks, this new super Golf might be restricted to overseas sales only.

A replacement for the current V6-powered R32, the upcoming R20 will ditch the heavier V6 in favor of a high-output version of the GTI's turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4. Expect to see around 270 horsepower from the upgraded engine. And this much power means all-wheel drive as well, according to Rolf Trump, the project leader for the GTI. "Anything over 200 horsepower requires it," he tells Inside Line.

We're told to expect significantly updated bodywork as well. Judging by the looks of the prototype caught testing on the Nürburgring, Volkswagen's idea of significant is different than ours. A new front fascia, side skirts and a center-exit exhaust are the only big changes we can spot.

As we said before, none of this is likely to matter much. A Volkswagen official told us that the last GTI killed off R32 sales in the U.S., so the Germans probably aren't too anxious to try it again. Expect to see the finished European-spec model unveiled later this year.

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