CARVOLKSWAGENVOLKSWAGEN GOLF IV R32 DSG

Intro: A SWEET SUCCESS

VW’s R32, the King of all Golfs, has just been given its very own dual-shifting sequential transmission system known as "DSG". A limited run of just 200 are scheduled for production and without a doubt it is the most efficient and attractive Golf ever produced to date. A sweet success. (by Jessica Paupinat)

Esthetique: BEASTLY

Inside, only the existence of a little numbered plaque distinguishes it from the standard R32. It has the same König bucket seats, same aluminium pedal and sunroof. In other words, the core of its very heart and soul.
On the outside, only a little logo on the tailgate sets it apart. The Golf R32 is the same machine. Beastly, thanks to unique bumpers and 18-inch rims, and thanks too, to its dual exhaust set up...equipped with a sports chassis, which has been lowered by 30mm. Volkswagen has succeeded in maintaining a certain level of "sober".

Motorization: SPELLBINDING

It is thus the most powerful Golf built to date. The motor is the same V6 found in the Phaeton. Measuring in at 3189cc, churning out 241 bhp at 6250 rpm with a maximum torque of 320Nm available from 2800-3200 rpm.
Its sonority is spellbinding, thanks in large part to the reworked exhaust system that tame the roar of this V6.

On the road: TRANSMUTATION

Last year, when we test ran the first "draft" of the Golf R32’s gearbox; we’d felt really let down. Its gearbox was poorly balanced, you couldn’t control it well. On the small roads we used during the test drive, the temporary all-wheel drive transmission was not doing well. Unbalanced, it turned the Golf into a traction - then a rear wheel drive - vehicle! Totally unmanageable.
Today, the DSG transmission has completely transformed the Golf R32. An incredible mutation process, to such an extent that the Golf actually comes off rather sporty looking for such a "family man".
In Drive Mode you choose between gears on the steering wheel or incorporated into the standard gearbox. Along with D Mode is the "Sport Mode". We’ll get back to that later but suffice it to say that it’s supposed to be just as efficient - if not more so than steering wheel shifting.
Once you’re behind the wheel and start shifting gear, the DSG transmission will almost knock the wind out of you. No hiccups at all, no break in torque. As a result, you get the very most out of its V6. It may become a bit "linear", true, but it remains efficient all the same. As for the Sport Mode, it’ll take you right up into the red zone with no problems. In full deceleration, it’ll down shift as high as 3200 revs/mn with a little friendly pump of the gas. The hand brake is strong too.
And once the Sport Mode kicks off, you can always decide to try shifting using the gears on the steering wheel...
Thanks to this type of transmission, the R32’s road behaviour has improved. The 241 hp is transmitted to the ground more efficiently. Speed on tiny, winding roads could even be classified as racing material, despite its relatively heavy weight load.