Right Now All I Want To Do Is Buy This VW Golf R32

The other day I spotted a diesel fifth-generation VW Golf made up to look like it was a rather hot, rather special R32. This did two things: it made me rather angry, but it also made me want a real R32. After all, I’m a Golf GTI owner, and its four-wheel drive, six-pot big brother seems like a logical next step. And I reckon they’re worth a look for any right-minded petrolhead.

With 247bhp and 236lb ft of torque on tap from the 3.2-litre ‘VR6’ engine (this configuration only has one bank of cylinders, so it’s technically not a V6), the hottest MkV Golf will get you from 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph. Most importantly, though, it’s one fine-sounding six-pot, as you’ll see from the example we filmed for a Readers’ Rides video last year.

Sure, they are a little porky with an unladen weight of 1590kg - over 100kg more than the current Golf R - but if you’re looking at something that offers decent performance plus a great soundtrack in a comfortable and practical package, the R32 is well worth a look. The best part? They’re now getting really affordable.

Prices start at under £7000. This 2007 manual one looks particularly tidy, and is up for £7,989. If you end up going to take a look, make sure you enquire about the mileage first, as it’s not listed on the advert so could potentially be on the high side.

Now could also be an opportune time to buy. Judging by the way MkIV R32 prices are starting to bottom out, you have to wonder if values of the MkV version have much further to fall…