CARVOLKSWAGENVOLKSWAGEN GOLF IV R32

Intro: WITHOUT CONTROL, THE POWER IS NOTHING

No doubt about it, the silhouette of this car is very familiar. The same can't be said about the noise it makes which is monstrous to say the least... And yes, it really is a Golf as can be seen by the upper part of the body. When you look a little closer, the R32 mark preceded by a chequered flag attracts your eye. There can be no doubt about the sporting ambitions of this car.

Esthetique: TUNING, A BIG INFLUENCE

Volkswagen has produced a high performance version of its best seller. Its ultra aggressive look comes from its all-enveloping front bumper with its air vent gills, which give the impression of wanting to suck up the tarmac. Wing extensions and lateral valences complete the panoply, not forgetting the extra low profile tyres mounted on OZ 18 inch-wheel rims. These give an extraordinary view of the enormous disc brakes. In the front they measure no less than 33 centimetres in diameter. Not surprisingly, to give the car a more stocky appearance, the chassis has been lowered by 30 mm compared to a standard Golf. At the rear, the generously dimensioned bumper has been designed to take the two enormous exhaust exits.
The quality of the assembly and the materials bear no criticism. The marriage of black leather and polished aluminium is very successful. But it does make us wonder why the designers have given in to tuning fashion by sticking loud R logos in the four corners of the interior! The bucket seats provide perfect support.

Motorization: AN ALL-NEW V6

We must tell you that the R32 is the most powerful Golf ever produced. The engine compartment holds a previously unseen V6 that is also mounted on the Phaeton. With a cylinder capacity of 3189 cc, it develops 240 horsepower at 6250 revs while the maximum torque of 320 Nm is available between 2800 and 3200 revs. Its sonority is spell binding, notably thanks to the curvature of the exhaust pipes that accentuate the rough voice of the V6.

On the road: LACK OF RIGOR

The first contact with the R32 always seems to being with a few shakes - blame them on the very accelerator pedal, which is very sensitive at the start. The next thing you notice is that first gear is very short before you have to start negotiating with the gearbox. On the model we tried, it was impossible to change gear instantly. Having depressed the clutch pedal, you have to wait for a fraction of a second before the manœuvre is effective. You then have to handle the lever with precaution to select the correct gear because a strong retaining spring brings the lever back to neutral.
A real necessity since this bomb is capable of some lightening acceleration. Despite its not inconsiderable weight of 1477 kilos, it only takes 6 and 6 tenths of a second to reach 100 kph. Its top speed is 247 kph. Performance that it is impossible to exploit fully because the chassis is not equal to the task. It has been made rigid to the extreme but the front axle still lacks grip and you have to be patient before the car will accept to corner. When you do manage it, you then have to cope with the lack of progression in the accelerator, which leads to the front pulling up and ruining all your efforts. Just at that moment, part of the power shifts to the rear axle and pushes you to the outer edge of the corner. Imprecise behaviour that is manageable on a dry road but which becomes distinctly dangerous on small, slippery roads that leave no room for manœuvre. You have to constantly anticipate the lack of adherence because although the ESP brings it back onto the straight and narrow, it doesn't stop it leaving it in the first place.Volkswagen has put its confidence in the 4 Motion system to transmit the power to the ground. In normal use, the car behaves almost like a front wheel drive because only 3% of the power is transmitted to the rear axle. This percentage increases as the front axle reaches saturation. A solution that means that you don't feel any jerking in the steering even when you accelerate hard.