Volkswagen Amarok R: High-performance ute ruled out

Those holding out hope for a Volkswagen Amarok R based on Ford Ranger Raptor underpinnings are set to be disappointed.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia has shut down the idea of a high-performance ute wearing the R badge, with the company instead working with Walkinshaw to create the Amarok W600.

“No, we wouldn’t touch [the R] nameplate,” said Nathan Johnson, brand director at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia.

“That nameplate is for German passenger vehicles. It’s synonymous with the [passenger vehicle] brand,” he told CarExpert.

“Whilst we believe the [Amarok W600] fits in that category, that R nameplate is a very sacred nameplate,” he said, adding that the W600 tips its hat to Volkswagen’s R brand with its brakes, sway bar, and shock absorbers being painted in Lapis Blue.

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“So, yes, there are elements there that pay homage to the heritage and so forth – but for calling it an R, no, I wouldn’t personally as a brand director, I wouldn’t touch that, because it’s sacred,” Mr Johnson explained.

Long before Volkswagen partnered with Walkinshaw on the previous-generation W580, the German car giant teased the Amarok R-Style concept (below).

Shown in 2013, the single-cab ute featured a body kit with wheel arches, lowered suspension, large wheels, a sailplane, and a GTI-inspired interior in red and black.

While Mr Johnson has hinted that the Walkinshaw ute could eventually be offered with a 2.3-litre turbo-petrol engine making 222kW and 452Nm, the W600 will soon launch with a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 putting out 184kW and 600Nm.

Though the engine remains untouched, Walkinshaw has made some major improvements to the vehicle’s chassis, removing the front sway bar, fitting a 22mm rear sway bar, and tuning a set of bespoke Koni shock absorbers.

The W600 also comes with a body kit, retracting side-steps, a side-exit exhaust, and 20x10-inch alloy wheels, wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres.

MORE: Explore the Volkswagen Amarok showroom