What the U.S. doesn't get are the hotted-up Golf R and Scirocco R models. Both are positioned at the top of each vehicle’s lineup, and boast an adjustable suspension, aggressive styling packages, “Talladega” wheels, performance tires, dual exhaust tips, sport seats, unique sport steering wheels, and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a neck-snapping 270 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.

While the three-door-only Scirocco R sends the power exclusively to its front wheels, the Golf R—available in three- or five-door flavors—is equipped with 4Motion all-wheel drive as standard. It’s simply the best Golf ever, and if Volkswagen is serious about emotionally connecting Americans to its products it needs to come to the U.S. stat!

But will it? Almost certainly. Bringing the Golf R to North America is still under study, technically, but we were told with a wink and a nod that official confirmation of U.S. sales just might happen at the 2011 Detroit auto show next month, and that, if importation did indeed occur, the car would hit as a 2012 model.

No one was willing to discuss pricing, of course, but we estimate a sticker of around $33K. Furthermore, VW R executives mentioned that the company is not averse to developing models for other markets, like a possible “Jetta R?”

If VW wants to reach its goal of selling a million cars per year in the U.S. by 2018, it’s going to have to open the floodgates on both high- and low-volume products, and highly gratifying and, “emotional” cars like the Golf R would be key in solidifying the brand’s enthusiast base.

For now, the Golf R is only a maybe but the U.S. market is eagerly waiting!

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