VOLKSWAGEN’s Golf continues to delight us with its broad-based range of options for the driver – whether it’s the city commuter who wants the easy driving convenience of a safe, quality-built hatchback able to challenge the Japanese in value-for-money, or the enthusiastic driver craving a little behind-the-wheel excitement. After the delightfully-quick Golf GTI and the surprisingly appealing Polo equivalent comes the latest Golf R32. It takes VW into hyper-hatch territory where a rousing 184kW and 320Nm of V6 is wielded via the 4motion all-wheel drive system to dismiss any questions concerning torque-steer or wet-weather traction. Most importantly, this fastest of Golfs comes to market with a huge price advantage over the also-delightful Audi A3 3.2 quattro that can cost as much as $10,000 more. That’s before we even start thinking about BMW’s beautifully refined 130i, or Alfa Romeo’s highly desirable 147 GTA, which are also priced well above the VW.
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Golf R32
Released: March 2004
Ended: July 2004
Family Tree: GolfTHE new Gen V Golf was just around the corner when the Gen IV-based R32 arrived in Australia. As the world’s fastest and most powerful Golf, there’s was little question that it was going to be a fitting swang-song for one of Europe’s top-selling models. A limited-edition supply of 200 examples ensured the three-door hot-hatch's exclusivity and all were snapped up quickly. At $63,000 for the manual-only 177kW/320Nm V6 all-wheel drive, it was a performance bargain for those tired of the boy-racer Japanese equivalents.
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