2012 Volkswagen Golf R

The R will do 0-60 in 5.7 seconds, according to Road & Track. A base 2-door model starts at $34,760; the loaded four-door you see here is $36,860.  (David Undercoffler / Los Angeles Times)

Sitting at the top of the pile in Volkswagen’s Golf lineup, the R picks up where the previous generation (then known as the R32) left off. The biggest difference is where a 3.2-liter V-6 once sat, a turbocharged inline four-cylinder now resides (hence the loss of the “32” in the R’s name).  (David Undercoffler / Los Angeles Times)

All-wheel drive is still standard on the Golf R, coming again from a Haldex clutch pack. In normal operation, the R is essentially a front-wheel drive car. VW says this is for fuel economy’s sake, and I can attest to its functionality; on several highway jaunts, I had no trouble averaging above 27 miles per gallon.  (David Undercoffler / Los Angeles Times)

The aesthetic changes to the Golf R were kept discreet, despite the car’s spicy potato status. New, slightly more aggressive front and rear bumpers have been added, as have twin, center-mounted exhaust pipes. Other changes include a unique grille; LED lights; side skirts; a larger rear spoiler; black brake calipers; 18-inch alloy wheels and the odd R logo sprinkled here and there.  (David Undercoffler / Los Angeles Times)

As a whole, the Golf R’s ethos will likely appeal to a more mature enthusiast looking to avoid the boy-racer persona of stated competitors like Subaru’s Impreza WRX STI and Mitsubishi’s Evo. Though it can’t match those models’ direct, manic responsiveness (or their power), the R doesn’t seem like it wants to. Instead, it’s content to trump them on refinement.  (David Undercoffler / Los Angeles Times)