2015 Volkswagen Golf R Manual

Highlights

• 296bhp Golf performance flagship
• Good maintenance record
• Very smart condition with advisory-free MOT
• Fantastic sound and performance
• Immaculate interior

Overview

Ever since it launched the G60 version of the Golf Mk 2, Volkswagen has always had an ace up its sleeve to serve customers for whom a standard GTI was never quite potent enough.

G60 begat VR6, then V6 4MOTION and R32, the latter of which was the precursor to the hot Golf R, which has been the flagship of the model range for the past 11 years.

Instead of the V6 engine in its immediate predecessors, the Golf R moved back to four cylinders and forced induction when it arrived in 2013 – but with 300PS (or 296bhp) on tap from its turbocharged four-cylinder engine, it certainly wasn’t left wanting – 0-60mph could be despatched in just 4.6 seconds, which was only a tenth of a second slower than the contemporary Porsche Carrera 2.

Yet despite the performance, which certainly isn’t shy or retiring, the Golf R is an absolute master of discretion. Look at this one and to the uninitiated it could be pretty much any old metallic blue Golf. There are clues, notably in terms of the ride height, wheels and exhaust tips, but none of them are overt.

It’s a car with colossal Q-Car appeal, and to some people that ‘Stealth Mode’ approach is just the ticket. If you don’t drive at ten-tenths all the time, you’ll get 40mpg out of it as well – discreet, usable, efficient and blisteringly quick, it’s a car that makes a lot of practical and financial sense as well as one that will slice a grin from one ear to the other.

If getting a performance car past Domestic Management is a challenge, then here’s one that’s a tough call to argue with, while 4MOTION all-wheel drive also means secure handling in all weathers – perfect as we head into winter.

History and documentation

• UK V5C in the name of the vendor
• MOT to May 2025 with no advisory notes
• Two keys
• Digital service record shows services recorded at 22,138 miles (2017), 23,252 miles (2018 – used car multi-point check service), 35,554 miles (2019 – used car multi-point check service), 44,043 miles (2020), 49,189 miles (2021)
• Separate invoices for services in 2022 (58,762 miles) 2023 (61,958 miles) and 2024 (70,230) at garage local to vendor
• Some old MOT certificates
• London ULEZ compliant

Interior

• Two-tone grey cloth and Alcantara sports upholstery in excellent condition
• Sports dials
• Alloy pedals (some wear to footwell foot rest)
• Three-spoke leather-rimmed sports steering wheel
• Genuine VW rubber floor mats
• Digital air con
• Factory infotainment system
• Cruise control
• Carbon-effect dash inserts
• Excellent condition with only very minor age-related wear and tear

Exterior

• Night Blue Metallic
• Good overall condition with a few very minor marks and scuffs commensurate with age and use
• Some scratches on rear bumper
• Factory alloys in good order, but with some small kerb marks and minor signs of alloy corrosion
• Smart paint finish and no obvious evidence of previous paintwork or accident repair
• Chip in windscreen will have been repaired by auction end

Mechanical

• 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
• 296bhp
• Six-speed manual gearbox
• 0-60mph in 4.6 secs
• Some light corrosion to rear suspension lower arms
• Said by the vendor to drive brilliantly with no known faults
• Sounds fantastic with factory sports exhaust system

Summary

If you want a car that’s almost as quick as a supercar but with none of the attention-seeking visual drama, then this is the one for you.

The Golf R is an abject lesson in making a devilishly fast car that blends seamlessly into the background – it’s Q-Car 101, so good is it at hiding its light under a bushel.

And what a light it is, because let loose, that 296bhp TSI turbo engine is an absolute corker, popping and fizzing its way around to the red line as the four-wheel-drive system keeps the power planted. This is a seriously fast car, and one that has a tenacious amount of grip to go with it.

If you love driving but don’t like to draw attention to yourself, you simply won’t find a better choice of hot hatch.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in East Yorkshire..