In May, Volkswagen introduced the 20 Years Edition of the Golf R, celebrating two decades since the R32’s debut. A special hot hatch is coming to North America, but with a few changes. It will be called the VW Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition in the US and go on sale this fall.
Over the next year, Volkswagen plans to produce about 1,800 units for the North American market. The hatchback will be available in three colors: Lapiz Blue Metallic, Deep Black Pearl, and Pure White. The white and black models receive Lapiz Blue mirror caps, while Lapiz Blue vehicles get black mirror caps. It will sport 19-inch gloss black Estoril wheels at all four corners. They come wrapped in 235/35 summer performance tires.
53 Photo
One thing unique about cars for North America is the gearbox – or gearbox. Volkswagen will offer a limited edition Golf R here with a six-speed manual transmission. This joins the seven-speed automatic dual-clutch DSG available at a premium.
The Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition has no shortage of badges denoting its special status. It has a blue R logo on the front and rear bumpers and front fenders. It also has a 20th anniversary badge on the B-pillar. Inside, there’s a blue R logo on the steering wheel cap, which is one of the interior tweaks for the particular car. Volkswagen is giving away pieces of the Golf’s original carbon fiber interior trim, a first for a VW production vehicle. Even the key fob features a blue R logo.
Powering the unique Golf R is the VW EA888 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine. The factory doesn’t produce as much power as the Golf R 20 Years edition, but instead produces the same 315 horsepower (234 kilowatts) and 310 pound-feet (420 Newton-meters) of torque as the regular model. It has torque-vector all-wheel drive and VW DCC adaptive damping settings.
The Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition goes on sale in North America this fall. It will have an MSRP of $44,940 to start with. This is for models equipped with a manual. Those who want automatic will have to pay a little more – $45,740. VW doesn’t provide a destination fee, but VW lists the cost of the 2022 Golf R as $1,095.
