Volkswagen Golf R Special Edition announced for Australia

Volkswagen has confirmed a new Golf R is set to scorch Aussie soil with a rumblier growl, bitier brakes, and lighter wheels when it arrives with the MY19 range.

Called the Golf R Special Edition, a run of 400 will arrive with bits from Akrapovic and the Nürburgring-thumping Golf Clubsport S that have previously only been available to European customers as ‘R Performance options’.

The active exhaust from Akrapovic is hand built from titanium, helping to unlock a unique roar from the Special Edition’s 2.0-litre turbo four cylinder and shave 7kg from the old system.

The Special Edition also pinches the brakes and wheels from the track smashing Golf Clubsport S, which held the Nürburgring Nordschliefe front-drive record shortly with a 7min 49.2sec lap. The brake system uses drilled rotors and special pads to shed 2kg.

This system is caged by 19-inch Pretoria style wheels that are said to shed further rotating mass from the Golf R, and they’ll come finished exclusively in black.

The turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder skips any further tuning and endures with the detuned 213kW and 380Nm for the local market. It also comes matched to the Golf’s recently introduced seven-speed DSG.

Spotting is helped by a special “R Performance Options” badge and door mirrors painted gloss black instead of silver. They’re visual cues on top of the wheels, gold-tinted exhaust, and brakes.

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Volkswagen hasn’t dropped superflous options, Grid Edition style, to accommodate the new kit. It’ll come with a 400 watt Dynaudio system as standard, black Vienna leather upholstery and electrically adjustable seats, along with a digital dash display.

Volkswagen have added Tumeric Yellow as a paint choice to the R’s colour pallette, while a Panoramic roof features as the only option at $1900.

We’re told the exhaust system, custom made for the Golf R and factory fitted in Germany, is worth more than the price premium alone, and that there is already strong demand for the Special Edition.

Despite this, the Golf R Special Edition’s premium sees the standard Golf R price jump by $5500 to $61,990.