Press Release

New edition of most powerful Golf ever

• 4MOTION plus V6: Perfection for the fast lane in automobile life
• DSG plus V6: Fast shifts and even faster acceleration

Central Aspects

By introducing the first Golf R32 based on the fourth generation of the best-seller, Volkswagen successfully met the demand for an exclusively equipped and high-power flagship Golf. The 177 kW / 241 hp sports car with its individual looks and standard four-wheel drive represented a venture into a new segment of high-power compact and midrange vehicles — a previously underdeveloped area. It did so impressively as the Golf R32 was an immediate market success.

Market

First-generation Golf R32 sparked off rush for powerful compacts in 2002

After the introduction of the first Golf R32 in August 2002, the size of this small niche suddenly exploded. Between 2001 and 2003, the volume of this sub-segment tripled in western Europe from 6,248 to 20,369 units per year – one in four top compacts was a Golf R32 in 2003. Even though the fifth generation of the Golf was launched in 2003, we continued to deliver the Golf R32 based on the fourth generation throughout 2004. Production of the Golf R32 did not stop until the end of that year after a total of 14,000 cars had been sold across the globe. The launch of the new R32 will end this period without a six-cylinder Golf.

Positioning

Perfect synthesis of six cylinders, four-wheel drive and classless Golf superiority

One look at the current Golf range shows how Volkswagen is constantly expanding the spectrum of the Golf series – in a sporty direction in particular. Since the introduction of the current generation, the Sportline version (up to 110 kW / 150 hp) forms the sports entry-level. The next level of dynamic driving is provided by the Golf GT, which is available with two 125 kW / 170 hp engines (Twincharger and TDI) and was presented at the Frankfurt International Motor Show. The legendary best-seller, the 147 kW / 200 hp Golf GTI, is positioned above that. While the front-wheel drive Golf GT and GTI have turbo-charged four-cylinder engines, the exclusively equipped Golf R32 features a six-cylinder engine and four-wheel drive. The agile 2.0-litre turbo engine in the GTI and high-performance 3.2-litre V6 in the R32 play a major role in the positioning. While the attraction of the Golf GTI is its character as a purist icon of sportiness offering straightforward driving fun, the special appeal of the now 184 kW / 250 hp Golf R32 lies in the superior technical combination of six cylinders, four-wheel drive and a classless appearance that only a Golf can offer in this segment.

Engine

3.2-litre displacement, 320 Newton metres and a powerful kick at low-rev ranges

The heart of the new flagship Golf is a four-valve six-cylinder. Its sonorous sound is true to its excellent power development. The engine pushes the Golf forwards from any rev range as if there was no air resistance. Power to weight ratio: 6 kg/hp. Together all cylinders deliver 184 kW / 250 hp (at 6,300 rpm). The 3,189 cm3 V6 produces its maximum torque of 320 Newton metres between 2,500 to 3,000 rpm. The performance of the new Golf R32 is therefore incredible. The five-seater with a top speed of 250 km/h catapults its passengers from nought to 100 km/in just 6.5 seconds. As standard, the engine output is transferred to all four wheels via a manual six-speed gearbox and 4MOTION. Volkswagen offers the new Golf R32 with the DSG direct-shift dual-clutch gearbox as an option. This unique automatic shifts extremely fast and precisely. The DSG version of the Golf R32 can accelerate to 100 km/h three tenths of a second faster, i.e. in 6.2 seconds. The Golf R32 races to the 1,000 metre line in 26.7 seconds with both gearboxes – these figures make this Volkswagen a top-class sports car that will be hard to beat.

In terms of design, the four-valve six-cylinder engine has a narrow V-angle of 15 degrees between the cylinder banks. The bore is 84.0 mm and the stroke 95.9 millimetres. Each of the four overhead camshafts – two per cylinder bank – use continuous timing adjustment. The adjustment angle is 52 degrees on the inlet side and 22 degrees on the outlet side. Roller rocker arms with hydraulic play compensation operate the valves. Each of the six cylinders is assigned its own ignition coil.

Gearboxes

Six gears as standard; DSG is currently the most exciting automatic

The DSG automatic dual-clutch gearbox features a particularly attractive way to change gears. It is optionally available for the Golf R32 as alternative to the standard six-speed gearbox. The transverse mounted DSG combines the agility and economy of a conventional manual gearbox with the convenience of an automatic. You can also select gears manually using the paddles on the standard multifunction steering wheel or the selector lever. The DSG has six forwards gears just like the manual gearbox. The Golf R32 with DSG consumes 9.7 litres of fuel every 100 kilometres on average. Equipped with the standard six-speed manual gearbox, this sports car consumes 10.7 litres. DSG is truly revolutionary in terms of automatic consumption figures.

Golf R32 and DSG are also a proven combination: The predecessor of the current flagship Golf was the world’s first car to feature the dual-clutch gearbox. Incidentally, the fact that the DSG is used in the new Bugatti Veyron indicates the potential of this superb technology.

Four-wheel Drive

4MOTION distributes the power to all four wheels via a Haldex coupling

The new Golf R32 converts its power reserves into continuous forwards movement by means of 4MOTION four-wheel drive. The advantage is that there are no traction problems on wet roads and there is not even a hint of torque steer. The first 4MOTION system made it debut in 1998 as a follow-up to the syncro drive. The system used in the new Golf R32 appeared in this form for the first time about a year ago in the current generation of the Golf.

Technically the most important 4MOTION element is the latest generation of wet (oil bath) plate clutch. It is called a Haldex coupling because it was developed by our long-term system ­partner Haldex in Sweden. Compared with a purely mechanical Torsen differential, the Haldex coupling has the decisive advantage that it can be controlled electronically. It therefore works in perfect harmony with the anti-lock braking system (ABS), the traction control system (TCS), the electronic differential lock (EDL) and the electronic stabilisation programme (ESP) – all of these driver assistance systems are standard in the Golf. Thanks to the electronic control, it now reacts even faster, more precisely and quieter. It has allowed us extended the maintenance intervals from 30,000 to 60,000 kilometres.

In principle, four-wheel drive technology is particularly advantageous in the wet, on ice and snow and is superior to rear wheel drive in particular. But also on dry roads, 4MOTION improves the lateral guiding force and therefore the active safety.