It’ll be available with a six-speed manual transmission.
Listen to this article
In May, Volkswagen introduced the Golf R 20 Years edition, celebrating two decades since the R32 debut. The special hot hatch is coming to North America, but with a few changes. It’ll be called the VW Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition in the US and goes on sale this fall.
Over the next year, Volkswagen plans to produce around 1,800 examples for the North American market. The hatch will be available in three colors: Lapiz Blue Metallic, Deep Black Pearl, and Pure White. White and black models receive Lapiz Blue mirror caps, while Lapiz Blue vehicles get black-capped ones. It’ll wear 19-inch gloss black Estoril wheels at all four corners. They come wrapped in 235/35 summer performance tires.
Gallery: Volkswagen Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition
One unique thing about the car for North America is the gearbox – or gearboxes. Volkswagen will offer the limited-edition Golf R here with a six-speed manual transmission. This joins the seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic that’s available for a premium.
The Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition has no shortage of badges that denote its special status. It has blue R logos on the front and rear bumpers and the front fenders. It also has 20th anniversary badging on the B-pillars. Inside, there’s a blue R logo on the steering wheel cap, which is just one interior tweak to the special car. Volkswagen gives the Golf genuine carbon-fiber interior trim pieces, a first for a production VW vehicle. Even the key fob features the blue R logo.
Powering the unique Golf R is VW’s EA888 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The mill doesn’t make more power like the Golf R 20 Years edition, instead making the same 315 horsepower (234 kilowatts) and 310 pound-feet (420 Newton-meters) of torque as the regular model. It has torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and VW’s DCC adaptive damping setup.
The Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition goes on sale in North America this fall. It will have an MSRP of $44,940 to start. This is for the manual-equipped model. Those who want the automatic will have to pay a tad more – $45,740. VW did not provide the destination charge, but VW lists the 2022 Golf R’s fee as $1,095.