Each year, it destroys a number of clutches.
What happens if you lose a drag racing to a GT in your brand-new Golf R32? In the case of this South African Golf R32 owner, you immediately started turbocharging your VR6 engine so it doesn’t happen again. This is how South African Golf R32 owner, who has owned his MK5 golf R32 since 2009. A lot has happened since then, resulting in a monster of 1,000 horsepower that can compete with a Porsche 911 Turbo.
Jacque de Beer, Golf R32 owner was not thrilled to see his brand-new Golf R32 bested by a GTI in drag racing. This was back when the car was new and had very little mileage. De Beer turbocharged the narrow-angle V6 engine (known as the VR6) to ensure it could beat GTIs in drag racing. The car’s current condition, after years of work and refinement, is not as stock-looking as it was in the beginning. However, its performance is much better than that advertised by VW for the Mk5 R32.
The final year VW introduced the VR6 engine to the Golf was 2005’s MKV Golf R32. From 2005 to 2008, the MKV Golf R32 was only produced in small quantities. With every new model, turbocharging saw huge improvements. The top-of-the-line Golf R32 was only slightly faster than the GTI.
The R32’s extra power was negated by the VR6’s heavier engine. The VR6 engine, 3.2-liter in displacement, produced 247 horsepower (184 Kilowatts) as well as 236 lbft (320 Newton meters) of torque. This was transmitted through a 6-speed dual clutch transmission before finally reaching the pavement via a Haldex all wheel-drive system.
De Beer’s R32 does not have to worry too much about GTIs. It routinely beats Nissan GTRs and Porsche 911 Turbos as well as BMW M3s in drag racing. De Beer now targets a quarter-mile time of 9 seconds, which is a great time for a hatchback.