During the European press launch of the new 2011 Jetta, the media got a taste of the Jetta R with a special prototype fitted with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, six-speed DSG transmission and Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel drive system.

As you can see in the pictures, the V6 prototype's body has not been altered yet. Only the bigger wheels and four-tail pipes at the back signal that this is not your normal Jetta. Should it make it to production, you can rest assured that the R division will dress-up the Jetta with a body kit, racing seats, sportier steering wheels and pedals. The Jetta R should fit snugly in the R line-up, alongside with the Golf and Scirocco R models and the also rumored Polo R. Its future depends on customer feedback:

"If there are customers asking for it, we will do it. It wouldn't be a problem for us. The Jetta's platform can take four-wheel drive" VW R&D chief, Ulrich Hackenberg, told Autocar magazine.

The European Jetta has received many upgrades over its American counterpart. These include the use of higher quality and softer materials on the control panel with a more sophisticated four-link suspension system at the back instead of the U.S.-spec model's simple, beam axle setup. The base Jetta in Germany, which is powered by a 105HP 1.2-liter TSI petrol, starts at