Obviously, VW doesn't love us much as we thought it did as the Germans appear to be far more interested in impressing Chinese than American show-goers. While it reheated the Golf GTI and Golf Estate (SportsWagen) for the New York Auto Show, in China and the upcoming Beijing Auto Show, the Germans will pull the covers off a new super Golf R 400 Concept that takes the hot hatch to a whole new level of performance.

As implied by its name, the four-wheel drive Golf R 400 is based on the Golf R, but instead of a 300PS (296hp) 2.0-liter turbocharged four, it gets an unspecified 400PS (395hp) mill under its hood, allowing for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of just 3.9 seconds or a full second faster than the standard R.

It also receives a significant boost in peak torque, from 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) to 450Nm (383 lb-ft) and can reportedly reach a top speed of 175mph or 282km/h.

The teaser drawings released by VW hint at a wider body with swollen wheel arches housing bigger wheels, and modified bumpers with spoiler add-ons.

Previous reports suggested that the 400 R may feature a carbon fiber roof and other exotic materials to reduce weight and increase performance.

Full details should be released over the next few days.

Concept features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 400 PS (294 kW)

Volkswagen's head of research and development has reportedly confirmed plans to build a production version of the Golf R 400 concept.

There's no word on when the car will be launched but Car & Driver says the news comes directly from Heinz-Jakob Neusser.

As refresher, the Golf R 400 has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that has been tuned to produce 400 PS (294 kW) and 450 Nm(332 lb-ft) of torque - an increase of 100 PS (73 kW) and 70 Nm (51 lb-ft). It is connected to a six-speed DSG transmission and a 4MOTION all-wheel drive which enables the 1,420 kg (3,130 lb) hatchback to accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds, before hitting an electronically-limited top speed of 174 mph (280 km/h).

Volkswagen’s insane Golf R 400 concept from the recent 2014 Beijing Auto Show has been confirmed for production, according to VW R&D chief Heinz-Jakob Neusser. Speaking with Car and Driver, Neusser revealed the good news but didn’t say whether the production version would be offered in the U.S. market.

The Golf R 400 concept is based on the latest 2015 Golf R hot hatch and was built to demonstrate the performance capabilities of the latest Golf. It features the same EA888 engine found in the Golf R, a turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter four.

In the Golf R the engine delivers 290 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, but for the Golf R 400 concept output was dialed up to 395 hp (400 horsepower in metric figures) and 332 lb-ft of torque. Incredibly, the Golf R 400’s version of the engine only received some mild revisions to handle higher boost pressure from its turbocharger, meaning we could see its performance figures maintained for production.

Also presented at the Beijing show was a second Golf concept called the Golf Edition. It was built to commemorate the popular hatchback’s 40th anniversary this year and came with a number of premium features that are likely to be offered in the Chinese market. VW says the concept was developed especially for China.

Some of the premium features were an exclusive pearl white paint scheme, 19-inch alloys, two-tone leather trim with a diamond pattern, real wood trim and a piano finish on some of the dash.

The VW Golf R looks set to lose its crown as the most powerful production Golf ever made, as an executive for the German automaker has confirmed that the Golf R 400 Concept will be built.

Unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show, the study is powered by a 2.0-liter, turbocharged EA888 engine tweaked using motor sport know-how to produce 395 horsepower (400PS), 99hp (100PS) more than the regular Golf R.

The Golf R 400 is obviously faster, reaching 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 174 mph (280 km/h). That means it’s faster by a full second to 62 mph and reaches a 30 km/h (19 mph) higher top speed than the Golf R.

According to VW research and development chief Heinz-Jakob Neusser, the VW Golf R 400 will be built. The executive told Car&Driver that the engine hasn’t been changed much from the version rated at 290hp in the U.S.-spec Golf R, with only mild updates being applied so that it can withstand more boost.

Although the engine in the Golf R 400 has the same basic architecture as the Golf R’s EA888 powerplant, it produces 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque between 2,400 and 6,000 rpm, 70 Nm (52 lb-ft) more than in the Golf R. According to another VW executive, the EA888 engine can handle the additional horsepower and torque output.

The uprated engine could also be used on Audi models, as VW wouldn’t spend money on development for just one brand. Whether this means that, the next-generation Audi RS3 will ditch the turbocharged inline-five for the new four-banger is uncertain though. Also not clear is whether the Golf R 400 will arrive in the U.S.

German tuning firm MTM says it has "worked its magic" on the fastest edition of the VW Golf branded with the "R" logo (at least until the release of the Golf R 400) pushing power from 296hp (300PS) and 380Nm (280 lb-ft) to 355hp (360PS) and 450Nm (332 lb-ft) respectively via its M-Cantronic ECU module, which can be fitted in 90 minutes at a price of around €2,055 (~US$2,850).

With this upgrade, MTM's Golf Mk7 R DSG promises a 0-100km/h (62mph) time of 4.2 seconds, shaving off 0.7 seconds from the factory model, while top speed continues to be electronically limited to 250km/h (155mph).

If you want to take the tune to the next level, there's a powerful eight-piston braking system for the front wheels that costs €5,115 (~US$7,090) plus €367 (~US$510) for installation, 19-inch Nardo alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 (235/35 ZR 19) tires and a four-pipe exhaust system.