October 28, 2004

Volkswagen’s R32: Eat my dust!

By Ryan Ozubko
Automotive Writer

Volkswagen vehicles have long been a favorite of high schoolers, college students and young adults; namely the Jetta, New Beetle and GTI. These cars are known for their comfort, sporty appearance and affordability.

Volkswagen’s newest sport coupe is the R32. Built upon the Golf format, the R32 redefines “sporty.” The R32 is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.2-litre V6 engine that produces 240 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. The power that the car puts out is unreal, especially at highway speeds; 30-50 mph acceleration is faster than even the Mitsubishi Evo and the Subaru WRX STi.

The thrill factor goes through the roof once you realize that the powertrain has been paired with Volkswagen’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. I found myself praying for empty pavement when approaching freeway cloverleafs and driving over the hill to Santa Cruz. The car simply devours the curves while screaming at the pavement and leaving other traffic in its dust. A colleague of mine commented on a recent sighting of what he thought was an R32; he was so amazed with how quiet the car was as it accelerated past his less impressive vehicle. He was obviously mistaken—the R32’s dual exhaust sings a tune that is unmistakable and anything but quiet. The sound is not too loud, just loud enough to not be missed.

Another distinguishing feature is the body trim. The front end is slightly reminiscent of the Porsche Turbo, with its gaping intake funnels. The rear end sports the chrome dual exhaust as well as a subtle spoiler above the rear window.

Inside, occupants are surrounded by the familiar Golf and Jetta treatments—clean, simple lines that denote a level of sophistication. The R32 takes things a step further by adding brushed aluminum trim to the shift knob, center console, stereo and climate control surround, instrument gauges, door handles, and foot pedals. The aluminum treatment is nicely finished by an R logo (as in R32) that has been affixed to the bottom of the steering wheel. The seats and floormats are also adorned with the R logo.

The Konig bucket seats are aggressively styled and sure to keep driver and passengers in their intended positions, but access in and out could be somewhat cumbersome to negotiate, especially for those who have the build of the average couch potato. Even with a 32-inch waist, I found my hips getting wedged between the steering wheel and the side bolster of the seat on a regular basis. As comfortable as they are, I still have a major complaint about the seats, which is that the manual controls are almost impossible to reach and operate while the front door is closed. As a matter of fact, I was in absolute shock when my hand had actually gotten stuck between the door and the seat while trying to recline a bit. Thankfully (and surprisingly), no damage had been done to my new Breitling watch. For some unknown reason, all manually controlled VW seats seem to suffer from the same fate.

One of the least publicized but most useful features in this VW is the multi-function trip computer. At the touch of the button, it will provide the driver with trip time, trip length, average trip speed, average trip fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, outside temperature and miles to empty.

The R32 is being produced in limited numbers; only 5,000 of them were made for the current model year. Available colors include Deep Pearl Blue, Tornado Red, Reflex Silver and Black Magic.

With a price tag under $30,000, the R32 may very well be the best deal available for those who want a turnkey, street-legal racer that will surprise drivers of American muscle. Considering the limited number of vehicles available, you may want to rush down to your local VW dealer to find out if they have any left.