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Today, a 2.0-liter engine already feels special in a compact car, and 3.0 liters is the top of the range even in bigger performance models. But there was a time when a VW Golf could have a 3.2-liter six-cylinder under the hood. A German car enthusiast recently took a close look at one of them: a Volkswagen Golf 4 R32.
The car in the video is one of the farewell editions, with the DSG gearbox, built in only 500 units. In fact, the DSG dual-clutch gearbox made its debut on this very model.
A planned 5,000 cars became more than 12,000
According to the owner, Volkswagen first planned to build 5,000 Golf 4 R32s in total, including the manual versions. Buyers loved the car so much that more than 12,000 were sold in the end, over 7,000 more than planned. To celebrate, VW added the DSG version at the end of the model’s life.
The VR6: a V6 in a single block
The engine is the most fascinating part. It is a VR6: the cylinders are set at a narrow angle of just 15 degrees to each other. Because the angle is so small, VW didn’t need two separate cylinder banks like in a normal V6. Instead, all six cylinders sit in one block, in a staggered zigzag pattern. The same idea later led to VW’s W engines.
In the Golf 4 R32, the 3.2-liter VR6 makes 241 hp and 320 Nm. That doesn’t sound like much today, but in 2002 it was a lot, especially in a light car. With the DSG gearbox, the R32 reached 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.4 seconds, without any launch control.
And the sound is something today’s engines, choked by particulate filters, can only dream of. The owner says the car is completely stock, engine and exhaust included. It sounds so good that you would think it had been modified, but that’s how a standard car sounded back then.
He also recalls that VW came very close to building a Bora with a VR8 engine, not the W8 that went into the Passat W8. It was truly a golden era for Volkswagen.
Weak points to know about
The R32 is not without problems. According to the owner, who has had three of them:
- Early cars had weak timing chains that need attention.
- In his experience, the DSG gearbox was not very reliable.
- The manual gearbox regularly had problems with the synchronizer rings.
- The Haldex all-wheel-drive coupling could also cause trouble. It can be fixed, but when it acts up, the car behaves strangely.
The interior has held up well, even if some materials now look simple and dated. The car has a few spots of rust, mostly on the suspension, but it still delivers emotions that modern Golfs can’t.
You can see everything in the video below. You can turn on automatically translated subtitles in the player settings.
Working on a Golf R32 or any older Golf?
Timing chain, DSG, Haldex and synchronizer work all need the exact procedures and torque values for your car. We have Volkswagen Golf factory repair manuals for every year from 1995 to 2026, including all the Golf 4 (Mk4) years. See also all Volkswagen repair manuals.
