VW Golf R Lift Kit Brings Back the Off-Road Golf Country With 315 HP
It’s like the old-school Golf Country, but turned up to 11.
The Volkswagen Golf has dabbled in off-roading, but VW's iconic compact is primarily an on-roader. VW hasn't brought back the Alltrack, to be clear, but a lifted Mk8 Golf could still be yours regardless. A German off-road specialist has designed an all-terrain conversion that can turn the new Golf R into a more rugged hatchback than any stock Golf. It's called the Country, and it's absolutely trail-ready.
The conversion was conceived by delta4x4, which has developed similar oddball lifts for the likes of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Tesla Model 3. It was inspired by the Mk2 Golf Country, an obscure lifted model with long-travel suspension, all-wheel drive, a skid plate, and bull bars. The Golf Country was a poor seller in its day, but now it's a cult classic. With overlanding all the rage today, now's the perfect time to bring it back.
For the Mk8 Golf Country, delta4x4 took a Golf R and hiked it up 3.1 inches to achieve about 8.8" of total ground clearance. That's Subaru Crosstrek territory but with much more horsepower. A stock Golf R makes 315 ponies. The conversion also shrinks the stock wheels from 19" to 18" Hanma units and switches to off-road tires for extra traction and stronger sidewalls. To house them, delta4x4 adds fender flares, and polishes the package off with a roof rack and PIAA LED floodlights.
The whole thing is TÜV-compliant, meaning it's built to the high standard of German road legality. It's not cheap as a result: delta4x4 estimates conversions will cost the equivalent of $38,200, or almost as much as the donor car itself. You get exclusivity for your money though, as delta4x4 expects to make just 25 Mk8 Golf Country conversions. It's fitting that it'll be rare like the Mk2 that inspired it, though it's a shame that there won't be more of one of the most interesting Golfs ever built.
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