Farago clearly enjoyed his time with the old Golf R32, but I’ve always thought there was something not quite right about V6-powered Golfs. Considering VW has approximately 750 vehicles based on the same platform, I figure you save the six-pot for the Audi. Anyway, my pedantic preferences are remarkably in line with, well, rising efficiency standards, so VW’s latest top-end Golf is getting a turbo four just like God intended. And the numbers that VW is claiming for the Golf R are the kind that would make the Almighty nod his head approvingly. All wheel drive, 270 hp, 260 lb·ft between 2,500 and 5,000 rpm, 0-60 in 5.5 seconds (with DSG) and 27 MPG. All wrapped up in an reworked Mk VI Golf body that makes the R32 look like a rice special. The inevitable downside is that VW won’t say whether it’s coming to America.
Given how poorly previous versions of the R32 and Audi A3 sold over here, I’m not holding my breath.
Nice numbers. Pity its a VW.
The YSE version has to be a Golf GTi, the soon to be replaced version can be had for about 16k currently and its a fantastic car. It can even be had with DSG and not to get all ricer but since its a turbo it responds very well to tuner chips…as in in 40+hp and 50 ftlbs of torque
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lY9ZGSck0I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzB6C1MquLI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiXrrm9KCUg&feature=fvw
“The inevitable downside is that VW won’t say whether it’s coming to America.”
Probably because they know that a $35,000 Golf is going to be a tough sell…
I have fond memories of that R32 review. It led me here to TTAC!
We’re probably not getting it until a bunch of journalists get to test drive one, and wonder why it’s not sold here.
I would prefer they bring over the GTD. It’s a perfect wife car; it can run in full auto with the fantastic dual clutch transmission, can be entertaining when I have to drive it, gets good gas mileage and is a hoot to drive.
I will say, I’d consider an R for me if I lived in an area with snow. Otherwise, RWD wins.
Will it still weight 3800lbs or has it gotten heavier?
The right turn signal is already burnt.
guyincognito: Will it still weight 3800lbs or has it gotten heavier?
The Mk5 GTI (with essentially the same engine in lower tune) weighs in at 3100 lbs. On the Tiguan the 4Motion AWD adds 200 lbs, so I would expect the R to weigh in somewhere around 3300 lbs.
Wow, still at 3300 lbs. it weighs over 100 lbs. more than my E36 M3 sedan–which was thought to be a little heavy for it’s time…
That said, a buddy of mine had a first gen R32 and I was always impressed with the package. It was a really nice car. Unfortunately it had a few all too common VW gremlins to go with it…
I have fond memories of taking a 2004 R32 for a test drive. The VW sales guy encouraged me to flog the shjavascript:document.getElementById(‘commentform’).submit();*t out of it. Oh, how I wanted that car!
I’ve owned VWs and Audis, along with other usual suspects. I never met a Japanese or American car that I could afford that I really wanted. There is something about the Germans that, to me, just fits. On the other hand, I’ll be the first to admit that past service/quality was not at the same level as shown by the Japanese.
I don’t mind the Golf, and have a fond place in my heart for its more powerful iterations; yet, there’s something about the GTI that says “boy racer.” Because of it, I’ve not ever been keen on owning one. The Rs, of course, take it all to a new level, and are too expensive to be considered in any way a “kids” car. Sadly, they’re probably a no-go here in the US, where (as FreedMike knows and explains above) very few will spend so much for so little (I’m speaking size).
Anyhow, I think VW has turned the corner on quality. At least I hope. I just left an ’06 Jetta for a new Passat. The Jetta, after three years, was as solid as day one. It was a leaser, but back then I didn’t want to own any VW given their rep. Because of my experience with a Mexican VW over the past few years, I decided to own the Passat. My confidence has been bolstered that much by my prior experience.
The MkV R32 comes in at a portly 3500 lbs +. Most of this is attributable to the 4-Motion, but some of that is also the VR6.
If the new R comes in at 3300 lbs, is the VR6 really about 200 lbs heavier than the 2.0T?
With hp and torque figures as high as they are for the new R, I can see “heavy-duty” engine and transmission parts helping to bring it to at least 3400 lbs, if not more.
Then, would it be worth the extra $ when you could chip the GTI to 90% of the power at 90% of the weight?
One more thing, the MkV R32 was DSG-only, adding 50 lbs or so of weight. Will the new R be the same?
@akitadog,
While you can chip a GTI (or a Golf 2.0T) to close to the R figures, you can also chip an R to even higher figures. Based on similar engines in the S3 and TT, the R likely uses a bigger turbo and intercooler …
Sounds like S3 performance in golf body for 10k less? For 10k more you can also buy entry Corvette.
I always say, if you want to go fast buy a Corvette.
@johnny ro,
That’s exactly it — it’s S3 mechanicals in VW clothing.
mpresley :
September 15th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Sadly, they’re probably a no-go here in the US, where (as FreedMike knows and explains above) very few will spend so much for so little (I’m speaking size).
VW is really in a tough spot when it comes to price. That probably explains why their really good stuff (like the new Scirocco) isn’t even sold here. A couple grand more than this Golf R, and you’re talking a CPO BMW 335i, which offers a next-level performance envelope, plus stud looks and BMW cachet.
Meanwhile, the Subaru WRX starts at 25 grand and has four doors (or a five-door hatchback), making it a more practical package.
That’s a tough place to be selling in. That’s a shame – if this car is better than the R32, it’s a helluva piece.
The inevitable downside is that VW won’t say whether it’s coming to America.
Same old, same old for VW.
Nice car, though.
I paid around $26,000 for my 4 door GTI.
I would pay around $29,000 for a 4 door version of the Golf R.
Any higher, and you are going into BMW/Audi territory – I believe the S3 is priced around 20,000 euros ($32,000) in Europe.
You can be sure that VW will never bring this car to the US at these prices, and that’s a shame. I love my MKV – so far has been light years better than my MKIV.
-ted
@cRacK hEaD aLLeY:
The right turn signal is already burnt
Isn’t. The vehicle hasn’t got either turn signal on. The lamp you’re mistakenly talking about is the right-hand LED daytime running light, and its beam pattern does not extend to the angle from which the photo was taken, that’s all.
zerofoo: “…I believe the S3 is priced around 20,000 euros ($32,000) in Europe.”
Eh? The three door S3 starts at 37.000€ in Germany. And the DSG adds a few grand. The manual starts at 51.000€ where i live.
“All wheel drive, 270 hp, 260 lb-ft between 2,500 and 5,000 rpm, 0-60 in 5.5 seconds (with DSG) and 27 MPG”
Sound like specs for RAV4 V6 AWD except the RAV4 is 0-60 in 6.5s and highway mpg is 26. In Base trim price of the AWD V6 RAV4 is $24K with current incentives.
Not that anyone will cross shop the two but it does give an idea of where price/weight/efficiency is falling with newer vehicles. The VW Golf R will be priced just too high for the US market.
VW turned the MkV R32 into more of touring GT as compared to the original MkIV version.
VW paid a price for it’s high MSRP by offering UNBELIEVABLE lease deals on the MkV just to move them.
If you were not an ‘early adopter’ you could have a new R32 for $199/mo with 2k up front-on a $32000 MSRP car.
Here’s hoping they make the same mistake again.
BD
If VW can’t sell a $29K Golf when the unemployment rate is 6% and banks are rubber-stamping loans, how in the hell do they expect to do it when it’s almost 10% and financing has tightened? Moronic.
You really have to wonder what in the hell VW’s North American management is doing. Their most recent tactic is to paint themselves as aloof and hitch their wagon to the Applecore demographic. Come on…if I’m gonna dump north of $38K into a CC, I’d expect a certain level of maturity and refinement. But that’s not gonna happen, because VW is in a no-man’s land when it comes to pricing (over-pricing) their vehicles. How many times will VW make the mistake of trying to be a pseduo-luxury brand in a country that won’t (sales numbers prove it over and over) accept them as that? VW deserves to fail over here…
Isn’t. The vehicle hasn’t got either turn signal on. The lamp you’re mistakenly talking about is the right-hand LED daytime running light
VW will find a way to burn LEDs too, just wait.