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CAR REVIEW:
Decades ago, Volkswagen gave its Rabbit and Golf a boost and made it
into the GTI. There wasn’t that much more juice on tap, but with a
firmer suspension and a few visual extras the spunky little three-door
hatchback created a ton of enthusiasm for pocket rockets. The GTI is the
ancestor of today’s Volkswagen R32.
Some drivers are never
satisfied. Today’s GTI is tough and sporty, but the R32, which stands
for Racing and a 3.2-liter engine, out muscles it. Compact on the
outside, but surprisingly heavy at 3,547 pounds, the R32 can shuttle
five people effectively. And with 250 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of
torque, it does it very quickly through VW’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive
system.
Volkswagen claims a
zero-to-60 time of 6.5 seconds. And that’s without a turbo.
VW’s narrow angle VR6
engine has a V of only 15 degrees. That means all six cylinders share a
single aluminum alloy cylinder head. That formula has worked for speedy
VWs for quite a while now.
The EPA gives the R32
fuel economy numbers of 18 City, 23 Highway - pretty good considering
the car’s potency. I scored an average of 21.4 mpg, based on 1,919
miles, which included my test and the few drivers before me who didn’t
reset the trip computer.
The EPA awards the new
R32 a 6 for both Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases scores - a little
above average, especially good considering that six-and-a-half-second
zero-to-sixty run.
The R32 comes only with
VW’s six-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG). It essentially is a manually
controlled automatic, through a floor-mounted shift lever or paddles on
the steering wheels. Simply flick the left paddle to downshift or the
right one to shift up. Racers appreciate the virtually immediate gear
changes possible with this double-clutch device. I missed the manual
six-speed from my 2004 R32 test car, but I realize that the good,
old-fashioned manual transmission is going the way of hand crank
starters, carburetors, and eight-track players.
The previous R32 was,
like this one, sold as a limited edition of 5,000. After supplies of the
previous R32 got snapped up, there was a drought until these new cars
returned on the new body design. Still recognizable as a “two-box”
shaped VW Golf and Rabbit, the R32 adds a more aggressive face with
unique grille and front spoiler and body-color bumpers.
Body color spreads to
the side strips, mirrors, door handles and outside mirrors too. The rear
flaunts a roof spoiler. The sporty 18-inch alloy wheels have 20 spokes
apiece! Of course you get R32 badging, but even with that, it’s easy to
not know how potent this baby is, especially in the Candy White paint of
my tester. What kind of candy are they talking about, anyway?
VWs boast some of the
best executed interiors in the industry. The seats in my tester were
supremely comfortable and supportive. The dash and doors look strong and
solid, and the design is easy to use. The R32 gets sparkling brushed
chrome accents.
Of course, there are
racy alloy foot pedals and an “R” integrated into the seats. The fat,
leather-wrapped steering wheel feels hefty in your hands. My tester had
the optional iPod attachment in the center console, which killed off the
six-disc CD changer, but allowed control of the little player from the
car’s knobs. With the iPod, you don’t need to carry CDs anymore and soon
you can add them to the list of automotive dodo birds from a few
paragraphs back.
With all that power
underfoot, it’s good to have electronic brake-pressure distribution.
This system varies the amount of brake force for each wheel based on
road conditions. Brake assist makes sure you get the maximum braking
during emergencies. You can see the VW’s sturdy blue brake calipers
though the wheels. There are lots of airbags in case of an unavoidable
crash.
With its power and
features, not to mention its limited edition status, the R32 prices out
at $32,990 plus $640 for destination charges. My tester added a $1,800
navigation system to that. For entertaining driving, combined with
reasonable mileage and a decent carbon footprint, the VW R32 is about
ideal.
By Steve Schaefer ©
AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
VW Home Page
Byline: Car Review provided by Tony
Leopardo © AutoWire.Net
Column Name: R32 is Racing and a 3.2-liter
Engine
Topic: The 2008 Volkswagen R32
Word Count: 763
Photo Caption: The 2008 Volkswagen R32
Photo Credits: Volkswagen R32 Internet
Media
Series #: 2008 - 27
Download
the Microsoft Word version here:
2008 VW R32
Download the Original Image File here:
2008 VW R32
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