Manhart turns the Golf R into a 331kW hot hatch beast!

What makes a car a sleeper? Usually it’s a level of performance that far exceeds a relatively commonplace exterior. We know, however, that even though a Volkswagen Golf R looks quite subdued, it’s actually a bit of a rocket. Not such a sleeper to most.

But then Manhart came along and said “what if the Golf R had 331kW?” Well then we’d have ourselves a sleeper. So they did just that.

The Volkswagen Golf ‘RS450’ by Manhart still uses the EA888 engine originally nestled in the Golf R’s engine bay, but has an upgraded turbo, a Manhart intercooler, and a carbon air intake. Of course, the ECU was remapped for the new parts and output.

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The total outputs are now 331kW and 500Nm, up 103kW and 100Nm from the car it started with. The European Golf R It based the back on had 228kW instead of the 213kW Australian cars get.

Manhart also added its own exhaust extractors, an upgraded (higher flow) catalytic converter, and a removal of the petrol particulate filter should contribute to a louder, more aggressive tone.

The RS450 is lower too, with a H&R set providing a new stance and Manhart’s suspension tuning making sure the ride isn’t too compromised.

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Interestingly, Manhart only offers brake upgrades as options, and the RS450 just uses the standard brakes as they are. Manhart also offers optional wheels, those pictured being a set of 19-inch ‘Manhart Concave One’ wheels.

The only other styling additions are a front lip spoiler by Rieger, and a set of Manhart decals. Oh, and the paddle shifters are also replaced by Manhart - an important detail!

Currently there’s no official Manhart dealer in Australia, but if you’re after more bang from your Golf R, Brisbane-based Harding Performance offers a kit to extract 290kW and 550Nm from a Mk7.5 R!