The 450hp Mk7 Golf R is not a new prospect, what with Revo having got there a few years back, producing a fairly staggering Volkswagen hatchback. Today's news of Manhart replicating the feat is perhaps more notable for the fact that the Wuppertal-based tuner is best known for BMWs. Clearly the appetite for even faster Golf Rs is showing no sign of abating.
Much like the Revo car, Manhart's enormous power gains mostly come from fitting the EA888 2.0-litre - an engine proving itself very useful to tuners - with a chunkier turbo. The Manhart RS450 then gets to its headline figure with a new intake (including a carbon airbox), an ECU remap and exhaust tinkering. Interestingly, too, torque is very close to the Revo car, this Manhart making 369lb ft against 376.
Manhart will make 10 of these RS450 specials, presumably all to this spec: H&R lowering springs, new wheels, the stripes and so on. All very good for 10 German customers. However, if this news has reawakened a desire for a 450hp Golf in the UK, early Mk7 Rs are now half their new price. Add the Revo goodies for a few thousand more, and there's the potential for A45-baiting performance for something like 50 per cent of the cost. Intriguing, no?
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