Friday 8th February 2013

Topless Golf R, fast Beetle GSR

These aren't the fast VWs you're looking for. You can go about your business. Move along.

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As we await the Mk7 Golf GTI later in the year Volkswagen has decided to keep our interest in fast Golfs awake with ... a two-wheel drive R Cabriolet based on the Mk6 platform.

265hp and the best part of £40K. Hm.

Apart from a canvas roof and a hefty £38,770 pricetag you'll have 265hp to help blow away those nagging doubts about the wisdom of spending nearly £40K on an old ragtop Golf when a 306hp BMW 135i M Convertible starts at £35,625. DSG only is inevitable in this day and age and unlikely to prompt even the flicker of an eyebrow.

The fact it costs £8K more than the adequately rapid, also DSG-only, also front-driven 210hp 2.0-litre TSI Golf Cabriolet might though. Ditto the loss of four-wheel drive. It does run special R suspension, which is 25mm lower than standard, but not being based on the new Golf's MQB platform it's unlikely to get the trick active differential promised for the GTI.

Cabrio Golf R too macho? There's an alternative

Further signs of curious goings on in Wolfsburg - via the Chicago Auto Show (nor us) - have been confirmed with a limited run Beetle GSR. Though claimed to be designed "solely with dynamics in mind" there's a little more to it than that, the GSR name (Gelb-Schwarzer-Renner, or Yellow-Black-Racer if our GCSE German serves) reviving a classic badge and paint scheme applied to a limited run of 3,500 original Beetles built 40 years ago. Go on, guess how many of the new one they'll be making...

Claimed as now one of the most expensive and sought after classic Beetles, the 1303 S was, in its day, the fastest Volkswagen on sale. Somewhat optimistically VW boasts this new one will also become a collector's item and invites speculation to how values will hold in 2053. Check the PH classifieds in 40 years' time to see how that goes.

A future classic, promises VW

210hp is, at least, more than four times the 50hp of the original and, unlike the Golf R, there is the option of a manual or DSG. If the whole bumblebee thing isn't to your taste there's also a more subdued grey/black option too. Prices in Germany start at 30,300 euros, UK availability TBC.

[WMP]

For £38,770.00 buy a Millennium Falcon I could.

Hmmm, retro nonsense the Beetle is.

[Cyrus1971]

VW's pricing on it's "fast" cars has been taking the pi$$ for years. Another two examples to add to the list and guarantee them small sales figures.

[Mastodon2]

Those are two of the goofiest looking cars I've seen in years.

[Robbie1400]

I imagine the first year depreciation on that Golf cabrio will be pretty chunky!

[MagicalTrevor]

As suggested in the article, a BMW M135i would be where my money went. Ok, I wouldn't get the convertible version but still. VW have lost the plot.

[fathomfive]

The farce is strong with these two.

[funkyrobot]

Blimey. VW prices are getting obsurd now!

[100SRV]

fathomfive said:

The farce is strong with these two.

I agree, cynical marketing of mundane crap.

Horrid horrid cars.

[J4CKO]

I think the new Beetle Looks ok, kind of more like. MK TT, not sure about the colour scheme on that though, will be decent enough cars and very popular but not really very PH, sure the owners will love them.

[P4ROT]

These aren't the cars you're looking for

[buckline]

A hair's breadth away from £40k for a Golf is completely insane. I am spec'ing a M135 at the moment and even when feeling flush I struggle to get to that sort of money. When VW get around to moving their game on to matching the M135 it'll be 50k plus.

[jmesgotav8]

I have always been a fan of the over engined golfs. It is everything that you need from a one car garage (apart from fuel economy on the older R32s but hey fuel was cheap then) but this seems like a marketing exercise.

"Crap we have a load of golf convertible bodies left"
"Make them Golf Rs and we can make more money from them"
"But the 4WD won't fit"
"Not our problem"

[n4aat]

How does this bks get taken seriously. It must be a quiet motoring news day.

[pSyCoSiS]

£38k+ for a front wheel drive Golf?!! fk THAT!

What sort of a toss pot would actually spend that money on a new one, when there are SO MANY better options out there?!

FFS, what the hell is this world coming to!

[BMWill]

this is the second article I've read on here in 24 hours that's got a slightly cynical tone to it's headline.... 3 series GT being the other.
Don't get me wrong, I agree with both of them, it's just a bit more blunt this time =P

[GroundEffect]

pSyCoSiS said:

£38k+ for a front wheel drive Golf?!! fk THAT!

What sort of a toss pot would actually spend that money on a new one, when there are SO MANY better options out there?!

FFS, what the hell is this world coming to!

What do you mean what is the world coming to? No one's bought one yet...

Surprised they moved the Golf R to 2WD for the rag-top.

[pSyCoSiS]

buckline said:

A hair's breadth away from £40k for a Golf is completely insane. I am spec'ing a M135 at the moment and even when feeling flush I struggle to get to that sort of money. When VW get around to moving their game on to matching the M135 it'll be 50k plus.

VW will NEVER get around to moving their game on the level of the equivalent BMW.

Over-priced tat is what they are. I'm not saying they are necessarily bad cars, but, the money they command is just stupid. I mean, they're not exaclty going to set the world on fire are they?

[pSyCoSiS]

GroundEffect said:

What do you mean what is the world coming to? No one's bought one yet...

Surprised they moved the Golf R to 2WD for the rag-top.

People will. That's my point. Why, I will never understand...

Each to their own, I suppose....

[AML]

2WD cabriolet Golf R
Belter of a car



For 18k!
Surely somebody in accounts has hit the wrong key?

[LuS1fer]

Ah, we'll be getting a revival of the similarly-hued Jeans Beetle of the 70s before long, with it's denim seats.


Suirely they would be better bringing back the Karmann Ghia. Please don't suggest the EOS is a modern version....

Edited by LuS1fer on Friday 8th February 10:05