I can’t wait to see what Volkswagen has cooking for its ID 2 R hot hatch

Just a few short years ago, the hot hatch was destined for extinction, replaced by an endless sea of humdrum crossovers and SUVs.

Now though, thanks in part to clever electric motors, the future of cars with fun, accessible performance looks very bright indeed. First we saw the bombastic Renault 5 Turbo 3E and its flared arches, which goes into production in 2027, and now it sounds like Volkswagen is readying a pumped-up electric hatch of its own.

To be based on the ID 2 – which itself is already poised to spawn a sporty GTI variant, above – the so-called ID 2 R will take things even further. According to sources of Autocar, the ID 2 R is said to be part of a new family of powerful R cars, and these models will use in-hub motors.

We saw this type of motor on the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, pictured below. Instead of being located at the centre of an axle, then sending power to the wheels along half-shafts, an in-hub motor sits directly behind the wheels themselves. The Renault has two, one directly driving each rear wheel. But Volkswagen is thought to be taking things further, retaining the standard ID 2 GTI’s single front motor, then adding a pair of in-hub motors at the rear.

This would give the Volkswagen hot hatch all-wheel-drive, and unlock the potential for clever torque-vectoring at the rear, since the power and regenerative braking of each wheel is controlled individually by each in-hub motor. In short, the potential for Volkswagen creating a dynamic, engaging and powerful version of its ID 2 hatchback is massive. And, for a relatively compact car, the in-hub motor design would add drive to the rear axle without completely compromising boot space, as a standard motor would.

As for power output, we already know a GTI version of the ID 2 could send around 280 horsepower through its front wheels. Add two more motors into the mix, and the ID 2 R could be deep into the 300s, or potentially even 400 horsepower; a huge amount from what should still be a relatively small car.

As for price? Renault is asking over £120,000 for its limited-run 5 Turbo 3E, but given the Volkswagen is likely to use a shared platform, and to now have the French car’s carbon bodywork, half that, or even less, is far more likely. Hopefully we’ll find out more soon – and, with a bit of luck, Volkswagen has a whole family of potent R-branded EVs in the pipeline.