Volkswagen has confirmed that the Golf R model will be making it to North American shores by 2012.
"The European Golf R is simply the most powerful Volkswagen sports performance vehicle ever built," read a VW statement released Thursday confirming the move.
The German automaker has an ambitious plan to expand its sales worldwide, and particularly in the United States. The goal is to become the world's largest automaker by sales volume by 2018 with over 10 million units sold annually. The sales target for the U.S. is 800,000 VW-badged vehicles a year by 2018, about 3 times the current volume.
In order to achieve its goals, VW is going to have to increase its emotional quotient with American consumers and gain more appeal. Part of that requires fulfilling the desires of VW enthusiasts who have clamored for years to bring Europe-only models such as the Golf R and Scirocco R to North America.
"In the U.S., Volkswagen has earned considerable emotional equity over the years. Volkswagen enthusiasts are passionate about our cars," said Jonathan Browning, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, on Thursday in a speech in New York to the International Motor Press Association.
"We have products that appeal to the enthusiast and cars that are accessible to the majority," said Browning. "I'm pleased to say, there is more of this strategy to come."
