Dream Cars - VW Golf R32

In the next part to our dream are series that has already looked at the Focus RS, Nissan Skyline, BMW M3 and the Mitsubishi Evolution we are going to take a closer look at the VW Golf R32.

The Golf GTI has always been a car of distinction in the performance and sports car world. This car is still hugely popular even after over twenty years of production. The main reasons that this car has remained an icon is the fact that its superior German build quality and the fact that it holds its value very well are very popular among buyers.

The performance of these machines has always been good. The fact that they come at a reasonable purchase price and that performance car insurance can be relatively cheap is always a bonus. When the mark 2 was launched VW have gave the consumer a choice of two main models, the 8 valve and the 16 valve. This was then topped off with the top of the range mark 2 the golf rallye G60 which gave the consumer that little extra power.

This trend continued into the Mark 3 where VW offered both 8 and 16 valve models with the 2.8 litre VR6 being the option with a little more power and performance.

This lead the way for the launch of the mark 4 which came in a 1.8 litre GTI and 2.0 litre GTI with the edition of turbo and diesel models to the Golf range. However VW was criticised for the fact that the Golf GTI seemed to be putting on weight without the addition of extra power and therefore being left in the wake of its competitors.

With this in mind VW launched the mark 4 Golf R32 in an attempt to bring a mark of distinction back to the Golf family. The R32 is the top of the range mark 4 golf with a bigger engine than the VR6 replacement the V6 4Motion.

The R32 hit the streets in 2003 with a 3.2 litre engine that produced approximately 230bhp and propelled the heavy golf chassis from 0-60 in 6.6 seconds. The car was reported to have a top speed in excess of 150 mph and sold for about £28,000.

In 2005 you can expect to pay up to £23,000 for a car in good condition, which is a relatively low cost for a car with such impressive performance statistics. The R32 falls into car insurance category 18 and a 26 year old from Hull for comprehensive car insurance with a £250 excess can expect to pay in the region of £1300 for young driver car insurance.

In my opinion the Golf will always be an icon and there is no disputing the fact that the build quality of these cars is exceptional. Add this to the fact that VW’s are a good investment because they hold their value so well what’s stopping you?