gavriil

So, after the confirmation of the arrival of the Evo 8 to the USA, now the "poor" WRX will have yet another competitor. Things are heating up folks





Volkswagen chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder confirmed to AutoWeek the performance-oriented R32 Golf is indeed coming to the U.S. market. We last reported a decision on whether to sell the car stateside was dependent on whether it could meet U.S. crash standards.
Apparently, the car passed the tests because now Pischetsrieder is saying the R32 will arrive within the next year as a 2004 model.

The R32’s launch date depends upon how quickly the car can be adapted to meet U.S. certification standards, he says.

Expect 5000 to 10,000 R32s priced somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000 to be earmarked for the United States, although Pischetsrieder left the door open for more if demand exists. Technical changes from the 237-hp European R32 will be limited only to those required under U.S. standards.

mattg

we'll have to watch out for those :o

Zoot

The golf goes from rags to riches

gavriil

Certainly. This thing will do the 0-60mph in about 6.1-6.3 seconds. So it's as fast as the 6speed CLS. Plus a year after its intro, that engine will make 260HP.

Red Nj-s

That is def a hot car. Gotta love the look of it, but aren't they replacing it in like a year?

SiGGy

nice, I like the stlye of that car alot.

Water-S

that's probably what I'll get because I want something with a good amount of power but something small (the CL is a little bit big) that's either FWD or AWD.the WRX (at least the '02s kind of ugly with the big bug eyed headlights, the 03s(or whatever the new model is)(someone posted the new model style) has a too big of a hood scoop for the car.
then I concidered the Evo but the interior looks trashy (if you ask me). plus with the Evo and the WRX is kind of boy racer image.
I don't think the R32 will be. it's not the"pull every HP possible out of a 4-cylinder" kind of a attitude like the WRX is.

I kind of wanted to stay with Honda but right now all Honda has (in the 25-30 grand price range) that comes close to the Evo ,R32, or WRX . is the Civic Si and that's only 160 HP.(grant it it's about 10 grand cheaper and just FWD(its still a good little car) but I don't see Honda jumping into the AWD market soon.

Black CL-S 4-Life

$25,000-$30,000 No thanks.

astro

I think I need two of them....

neoprufrok

DAMMIT!

I just leased my CL-S for three years!

I hope something equivalent will be out when my lease is up.

Zoot

I agree!

Nashua_Night_Hawk

The seat are nice... just like the CLS

charliemike

I'd say $25-30k for a NA 6-cyl AWD car that does 0-60 in 6.1-6.3 is pretty good.

Maximized

That car is worth every penny. Its going to be a great car both in acceleration and handling. Those litte VWs are fun cars to drive. Plus you have one of the nicest interiors in its price range.

cusdaddy

Isn't 6.1-6.3 close to what a well driven and in cold weather Auto CLS should be able to pull? For 240HP, it's size, 6 speed and AWD, I think it should be faster. Why does a WRX with less HP do 0-60 in less than 6? Oh well... Still hot

gavriil

Yes they are. With a larger better car. Also, for the first time in USA soil, we will get Golf's luxury version, the Audi A3 which you saw in spy photos in another post here.

gavriil

The main reason is weight. This car will weigh around 3300 pounds, which is heavy for its size.

leo Shpitalnik

Aside from my type-s I have a '02 GTI 1.8t and that thing is quick, the r32 should be pritty nasty with AWD, and it's gonna need it too. My wheels spin all the time and totally by accident. But it also came with the wrong tires for the car, it should have had a turbo version witha 1.8t and a chip and your ready to go

DtEW

Weight is one thing, but I think it's also the Haldex, which as you should know isn't true AWD but rather part-time AWD. The rear axle doesn't come online until the front begins to slip, and even then the car can never deliver more torque or rpm to the rear axle over the constantly-driven front axle.

(FYI, the Haldex center "diff" isn't a diff at all but really an electrohydraulic clutch pack that's better qualified as a coupling along the lines of the viscous units of the old Syncros.)

I suspect that due to spatial constraints, the Haldex in this retrofitted AWDer (originally designed and intended as a FWDer) couldn't be big and strong enough to fully handle the instantaneous torque that would bear upon it from a big-displacement engine and a weight-transfer-glued-to-the-ground rear axle. So they programmed the Haldex to slip in order to keep from trashing it.

(Of course, a stout enough Haldex unit can probably aid hard launches almost as well as a true AWD drivetrain if the car was originally designed to accomidate it.)

This rationale for the acceleration figures is just my conjecture. It could be something as simple as gearing and/or ultra-firm, handling-biased suspension.

chikai

Yeah for real...

I know it's like comparing apples to oranges, but I would get the CL-P/S over the Golf anyday...even though it may be technologically more advanced w/ its all wheel drive and what not.