The company even says not to expect R models built on the current MEB platform.
The reason given by VW is that an ID.3 R would be too expensive to develop and sell.
Electric R models are already being developed on the upcoming SSP platform.
Volkswagen recently said that there would not be any gas-powered R models in its lineup by 2030, which led many to believe that R versions of its current EVs such as the ID.3 and the ID.4 are on the way.
According to the company, this is not true. Indeed, when asked by TopGear.nl about the possibility of an ID.3 R, the boss of the automaker’s R division, Reinhold Ivenz, said that this model is not in the cards at VW.
Furthermore, the executive even said that there will be no R models based on the MEB platform currently used by all of the automaker’s electric vehicles.
This means that the rumoured ID.4 R is also out of question and it pushes back the possible introduction of new electric R models by a few years.
According to Ivenz, the MEB platform would require extensive modifications in order to provide a level of performance that befits the R nameplate, which would prove to be unprofitable.
This is why the next generation of R cars is currently being developed on the new 800-volt SSP platform that will underpin many of the upcoming Volkswagen EVs.
The R division has reportedly presented a wish list to VW’s engineers, which could include items such as more powerful motors and a torque vectoring system.
Going back to the ID.3 R, which could have been a direct successor to the current Golf R, Ivenz doesn’t close the door on a future hot hatch, but he doesn’t make any promises either, saying that it is too early to tell whether such a car would make sense on the new platform.
This is partly due to costs, but also because electric sedans and SUVs can already achieve a level of performance that is much higher than any current hot hatch.
