VW Golf R ‘20 Years’ arrives in Australia

Following its announcement in May, the Volkswagen Golf R ‘20 Years’ limited-edition started arriving in Australian Volkswagen dealership from mid-July.

The Golf R 20 Years marks the 20th Anniversary of VW’s local release of the Golf R32, which back then was the fastest production Golf ever built and the first VW offered in Australia with a DSG transmission. With that history in mind, the Golf R 20 Years offers what Volkswagen Australia says are significant design and engineering enhancements over the standard Golf R to set new performance benchmarks.

“The original Mark 4 and Mark 5 Volkswagen Golf R32 introduced the pioneering DSG and were renowned for their sonorous acoustics and compact agility,” said Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles director Michal Szaniecki.

“As our flagship hot hatchback evolved to become the Mark 6 and Mark 7 Golf R, they led the segment for all-wheel drive traction and performance at a time when rally-bred sedan rivals departed the segment or simply didn’t evolve.

“Now, the Mark 8 Golf R moves onto another level with its torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system fused with incredible technology. It is fitting that this 20 Years special edition is about both enhanced styling, more power and torque, sharper responses from the transmission and an even more expressive sound.”

The Mk8 Golf R’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine remains, but has been modified for the 20 Years limited-edition to produce new maximums of 245kW and 420Nm (increases of 10kW and 20Nm, respectively), while a 0-100km/h time of 4.6 seconds is 0.3 seconds faster than the current Golf R hatch, making the 20 Years the fastest Golf ever sold in Australia.

Holding the starter button for a longer 1.5-second time activates a higher idle speed of 2,500rpm and there’s also a more aggressive sound to the engine, particularly from 4,000rpm. Contributing to the aural upgrade is an Akrapovic titanium exhaust (a first for the Mk8 Golf R locally) that enhances the motorsport feeling with additional ‘pops’ and ‘bangs’, even at low revs.

The Golf R 20 Years also features turbocharger ‘pre-loading’; a new feature for this model that maintains turbo speed while driving in the part-load range (e.g. country driving at constant speed). This delivers faster power development for subsequent acceleration, faster build-up of engine torque after releasing the accelerator and then accelerating again, and in the ‘Race’ profile, an open throttle valve in overrun phases.

On the Golf R’s Direct Shift Gearbox, the 20 Years limited-edition optimises this auto transmission by adding a noticeable jolt when upshifting between first and seventh gears using the right-hand paddle. This is activated in gear selector positions S and S+ when the DSG’s in manual mode.

Paint options for the Golf R 20 Years are limited to Lapiz Blue and Pure White, while styling changes include exclusive ‘Estoril’ 19-inch alloys in black with deep black mirror caps for Lapiz Blue, while the wheels get a black and blue finish and the mirror caps are in Lapiz Blue for the Pure White version.

A ‘20 Years’ badge features on the B-pillar and is projected by the puddle lamps, too.

Inside, exclusive touches include real carbon fibre décor elements added to the dash and doorcards.

Optional extras fitted to the Golf R 20 Years as standard include the aforementioned Akrapovic exhaust ($6,000 value), a panoramic sunroof ($1,900) and premium Harman Kardon sound system ($1,000), while the engine upgrades and exclusive design features are valued at a claimed $1,600.

Australian allocation of the Golf R 20 Years is limited to 50 units – 32 in Lapiz Blue and 18 in Pure White – with local pricing of $77,490 (+ ORCs). This is an $8,500 premium over the Golf R’s current pricing, which increased to $68,990 from 1 July.

For more details and to confirm availability of the Golf R 20 Years, see your Volkswagen dealer.