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Long wait lists for the normal VW Golf R have pushed the 20 Years birthday special – and a power boost for the standard Golf R range – to next year for Australia.
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The 2023 Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years special edition – and a power boost for the core Golf R range – are not due in Australia until the first half of next year, as the car maker works through existing orders and wait times of up to 12 months.
Revealed in May, the Golf R 20 Years special edition celebrates two decades since Volkswagen’s original Golf R32 launched in 2002, with unique colour combinations, special badging, carbon-fibre interior trim, and more.
The 20 Years debuts a higher-output version of the familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, up 10kW to 245kW and 420Nm – which, as reported first by Drive, will be made available across the standard Golf R range at a similar time.
The limited edition was initially due to arrive in Australian showrooms in the third quarter of 2022 (July to September), roughly alongside the power boost for the standard model.
However, high demand and a backlog of orders for the standard Golf R – which, as of writing (but subject to change), have led to 12-month wait times on new orders – pushed both launches to the first half of next year, pending no further delays.
The delay may cut the number of Golf R 20 Years editions made available in Australia, as the model is currently planned for global markets for “approximately” 12 months – ending after June 2023 (or thereabouts, having started in June this year).
“Golf R demand has exceeded even the highest expectations and we are currently seeing wait times of approximately 12 months,” a Volkswagen Australia spokesperson told Drive.
“Please note this is variable and we are working closely with the factory to improve supply. We thank customers for their patience and understanding.”
Both Golf R hatch and wagon body styles are expected to receive the higher-output tune, however full details of the roll-out is yet to be confirmed. The hatch can do 0-100km/h in a claimed 4.6 seconds, two tenths quicker than the current 235kW/400Nm version in Australia.
With outputs of 245kW and 420Nm, the new tune is up 10kW/20Nm on current Golf R hatchbacks sold in Australia – or 10kW (and 0Nm) on Australian Golf R wagons, or all European models, which add a petrol particulate filter to reduce emissions.
The 245kW tune appears likely to feature a petrol particulate filter in Australia, as it does in Europe – given it offers the full 420Nm torque output.
Prices for the power-boosted Volkswagen Golf R are yet to be confirmed, however the return of the particulate filter may result in a $1000 price rise – the amount cut off the 2022 Golf R hatchback’s price when the filter was removed before its launch in Australia earlier this year.
Meanwhile, prices for the Golf R 20 Years are also still to be confirmed.
In Europe, with the same features fitted and option boxes ticked, the special edition is priced similarly to a standard model. However, to justify its extras and limited-edition status, it could command a premium of a few thousand dollars.
For the extra spend, 20 Years buyers get the power boost, an Akrapovic sports exhaust (at least in Europe), an ‘Emotional Start’ mode (which revs the car to 2500rpm on start-up), and blue or black/blue 19-inch ‘Estoril’ wheels, depending on the body colour selected.
Other additions include blue R exterior badges and mirror caps on white-painted cars (or black, if the car is blue), ’20’ badging on the window pillars, ’20 R’ branded puddle light projection (from the mirrors), a blue R logo on the steering wheel, and Volkswagen-first genuine carbon-fibre dashboard inlays.
Stay tuned to Drive for more details on the arrival of the 2023 Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years in Australia – 21 years after the 2002 Golf R32 – along with the standard, higher-output Golf R.
Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
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