Volkswagen’s Golf R Black Edition – THE GOLF OF AMERICA!

Volkswagen’s Golf R Black Edition

THE GOLF OF AMERICA!

It’s been some 50 years since Volkswagen’s Golf – dubbed ‘Rabbit’ in the U.S. – first landed on Volkswagen showrooms. As a one-time Beetle driver (my folks owned it – I thrashed it), I was curious, and that curiosity would become a full-blown infatuaction. That affection was amplified by the later U.S. intro of the Golf GTI. I’ve not yet pulled the trigger on a Golf – the closest I’ve come was the purchase of a new Scirocco in the late ‘70s – but the since-discontinued Golf Alltrack wagon is viable, while this newest Golf R is visceral. And given that it’s the only Golf available stateside (along with the Golf-is-not-referenced GTI), we’ll call it the Golf of America, and await the presidential decree…

That intro of the all-new Golf/Rabbit was the revelation in 1974 that you might have hoped…but wouldn’t have expected. At that point the Beetle was almost 40 years old, and while there had been a significant number of tweaks over that four decades, the footprint was essentially the same ‘people’s car’ envisioned by Herr Hitler und Doktor Porsche in the late ‘30s. With an oh-so-modern hatchback profile, the efficiency of front-wheel drive and a cabin capable of transporting a young family, the all-new Golf/Rabbit didn’t just move the needle – it was an all-new metric.

Fifty years later and now in Mk8 guise, this newest Golf continues checking the boxes. In the U.S. we get but two variants, the performance-oriented GTI and Golf R.  The ‘R’ is for the German ‘Rennen’ or ‘Race’. And with its 2.0 liter turbocharged four delivering 328 horsepower to all four wheels, you could (and should!) Rennen the hell out of it. 

The Golf R has historically been a bit of an outlier, with its more accessible GTI stablemate garnering the bulk of consumer attention. But with the advent of Honda’s Civic Type R, Acura Integra S and Toyota’s GR Corolla, this niche segment has grown, garnering both more attention and more dollars. And speaking of…between the base GTI and Golf R there’s a difference of around $15K; that’s $300/month over 60 monthlies. But then, 0-60 in an estimated 4.0 seconds (Car and Driver) has never come cheap, and rarely been more controllable.

On the driveway you can’t help but appreciate just how tidy the Golf platform remains. Obviously, it’s grown since that 1974 debut (haven’t we all?), but the square footage it occupies isn’t much more than my ’21 Miata, and seems half the size of our ’23 Grand Cherokee. In this ‘Black Edition’ (they spell it out for us, as if we didn’t know it was black) strikes me as almost oppressive, but it does seem to minimize the Golf R’s front overhang. There’s nothing here that doesn’t need to be, and notably avoids  the Boy Racer appendages seen on various competitors. 

Inside, that Black Edition theme continues with an all-black interior, supportive buckets in front covered by perforated leather, while the split bench in back is heated and wrapped in Nappa leather. (That rear seat, however, isn’t perforated, so the kids can eat Cheetos and your adult friends can spill their drinks!) The room is more than adequate for four adults, and wholly inadequate for five…don’t even think about it.

Of course, with a hatch and folding rear seats you can carry things. My road bike fit with the front wheel on, while my mountain bike fit with its front wheel off. I’m not sure you can still carry a love seat in the back, but for Ikea runs it beats the Miata, and is easier to park than the Jeep.

The performance payoff, of course, is behind the wheel – and the Golf R’s 328 horsepower and dual-clutch automatic never disappoint. It’s one thing to claim a 0-60 of 4 seconds, but that doesn’t begin to convey all that’s available at your right foot in a time of need. One evening I was following a listless minivan toward an intersection, and its driver just didn’t want to arrive at the intersection. (In the driver’s defense we were near an Emergency Room – perhaps he or she was having a seizure.) Anyway, I nailed the throttle and safely(!) rocketed past the medical emergency and back into the right turn lane, without drama and – we’ll hope – little trauma. 

For cyclists, it’s the difference between having a motor between your legs  and little more than padded lycra between your legs. At this point I’d go for the motor. 

Of course, with prodigious power comes responsibility – and that is provided by VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive. Here’s what the manufacturer has to say:

The new system distributes the drive power not just between the front and rear axles, but also between the two rear wheels. Using a rear differential with two multi-plate clutches, it can distribute up to 100% of the rear torque to an individual rear wheel, making it possible to significantly increase the agility of the Golf R, particularly when cornering. In a typical corner, more power can be directed to the wheel on the outside of the curve in a matter of milliseconds, reducing the cornering radius.

Beyond the Black Edition there’s one more available trim, the Euro Style package. It’s addition (almost $4K) via subtraction: lighter weight sport buckets, a sunroof delete and a lighter Akrapovic titanium exhaust. You spend $4000 and drop 80 pounds. Or, just leave your ten-year old at home.

The Golf R’s payoff – at that $50K – in Northern Virginia is true all-weather, allroad performance. It’s like getting two cars – the Jeep and Miata? – for the price of one. 

And maybe – MAYBE! – that’s how my wife and I eventually do it.