Been driving a mk4 gt tdi for a while, but looking for something a bit more grrr.
There’s a 03 plate R32 at a local garage, 55k on the clock, tidy, just over £8k….but the catch is no service history. should i steer clear on that basis? wheels and tyres are new so i can’t really check easily to see how if it has been overly ragged or not.
obviously i’d expect a car of this nature to have been pushed in its life, but i have never bought a car without any service history before….

wotchareckon?

MkIV is one ugly car.

what gearbox?

Surf mat to the forum, faster than a RS6, slower than a Clio Cup. Probably.

The R32s are nice cars, but i’d prob go for a 2.0T as they can be chipped a bit more easily without killing your fuel consumption too much.
Mind you the R32 sounds GRRRRR!
Hmmm no history on a car like that would prob have me steering clear tbh.

I tried one and was really dissapointed. I think it’s too much money too.

If you want a V6 then save up for a 4 motion.

If I could find one I’d get a MkII Rallye…

Get the reg number and inquire with your local VW dealer, if its been serviced at a VW franchise it will have been recorded.

They may as well quote ‘data protection’ as why they can’t give you the details, but just say that you are looking to buy it and obviously will need it servicing etc (by them), but really wanted to know some history.

Its also probably been a lease/company car, and none of mine ever had any books ‘stamped’.

My memory is that it may be AWESOME.

I think you might be right

b r – thanks for the advice.
manual 6speed gearbox.
from what little i’ve read, doesn’t the r32 have better handling than the other ‘hotter’ golfs?
zedsded – what was disappointing?

I just expected more from it really. It looked nice enough and was built well but it just didn’t go as well as I hoped it would.

Faster than an RS6!! Ha ha!

I used to have a Mk4 V6 4motion (essentially same car as the R32 just with a 2.8L V6 not a 3.2L).

Was really nice motor to drive and returned 28mpg on average. Wasn’t fearsomely quick but did everything without any fuss at all. Don’t buy if you want something to scare you on the limits (Focus ST or the hot Renault Clios are much more involving to drive)

Only downside is that some of the unique parts weren’t up to the usual VAG quality standard. Once they go wrong you have to go to VW as none of the cheaper places stock these parts (GSF, Eurocarparts etc).

Given the choice I’d have another 4motion……

Definately not faster than an RS6 I’m afraid………..not by a long chalk!

especially my 500+bhp RS6 (officially more AWESOME than a 335d)

What about trying to get R32 performance from your Golf?
Got a hybrid turbo, remap, big intercooler & brakes/suspension uprated on my 1.9PD VAG diesel for not a lot over £2k – 240bhp yet keeps its 55mpg economy if driven sensibly.

There’s utter cr4p being spouted here by many who have never driven or owned anything more exciting than a Vauxhall Astra – an RS6 struggled to keep up with me and my R32 on a very twisty B road. Of course it’s not “faster” overall just like a standard Elise isn’t fast in a straight line but is super nimble. It’s simply physics – an RS5 weighs almost two tonnes, an R32 weighs under 1.5 tonnes. The mk4 R32 also got the same Top Gear lap time as an SL55 AMG Merc – does that also mean the R32 is “quicker?” no it isn’t to those of you who understand nothing about cornering, weight and agility in a car.

Nor is the R32 “more or less the same as” a V6 4Motion. The mk4 range (V6 included) handled very badly indeed – VW worked some magic on the R32 and made it handle pretty damn well. It “won” a few tests at the time against rivals, the V6 4Motion was always slated.

It’s a nippy car but not ballistic, it grips VERY well, handling is nice but very slightly vague, the interior is very special and rivals much more pricey cars, the mpg is heavy and the sound of the engine is utterly glorious. The engine is utterly rock solid – it’s very understressed. It MUST have an ECU map done by VW called v4643 (I think) – without this it hesitates horribly at 2.5krpm. The “chip” also releases up to 20 more bhp and is free. I was the first in the UK to have it done after getting overtaken by London buses (almost) when caught in that flat spot.

Big Yinn – at the time it was a 1.8T not a 2.0T and was a pretty horrible engine. The “GTi” came with it and handled so badly, it could be outrun by a well driven milk float.

Best only buy if you have secure parking – we did in London then didn’t in Bristol – and I ended up having to sell it because it was such a massive target for crackhead thieves who wanted the wheels.

A good solid motor.

The Mk4 R32 is good, the rest of the mk4 range isn’t. It knocks spots of a diesel mk4 (my sister has the 130bhp diesel one)

Mutant – pics of your RS6 or I assume you are a keyboard warrior pretending he has one. They don’t appeal to me to be honest – too heavy. An RS4 is a different matter.

my 1.4dci clio can keep up with amg mercedes if it’s twisty enough.

How about a real R32?

was getting 673BHP at the wheels from this and the pressure could have been turned up!

Proper scary beast!

No it didn’t Thom because it has almost no power. An why are you reading and writing on a thread about R32s when you have a very gutless shopping car for girls?

Stick to bikes.

almost. being key there.

anyway i would have steered clear of a dsg with no sh but a manual makes it more interesting again.

Zeds – yikes! Never liked Skylines but they are flipping quick even untuned. Did you race it? Any drag times? I imagine that was mentally rapid?!

Thom – actually you speak sense about the DSG box – early ones weren’t great. Getting better. Mine was a manual – even that wasn’t a great ‘box to be fair. Bit sloppy, set too far back in the car. Also the Konig seats look great but are uncomfortable on long journeys.

Just for AWESOME Matt

505bhp bike carrier. Owned for 4 years and very nippy. I’m ex Scoobynet Matt so remember you from there

MM

MM – nice. I wasn’t convinced but now I am.

Right colour and one of the nicest engines sounds out there – love the woofly turbo’d eight pot motor.

Prefer that shape to the current one TBH.

an RS6 struggled to keep up with me and my R32 on a very twisty B road

Apologies for the slight deviation from the main topic here but I drive a 3.2 A3, not a million miles away from the performance of an R32. I’ve also driven a number of 500 plus bhp cars at the limit (around a track, I hasten to add). I know how fast you’d have to be travelling to outgun an RS6 “in the bends”. When you say “B road”, I take it that you don’t mean a public road? I agree with your comment about agility versus outright power, but please tell me you’re not driving like that on the same roads that I could be cycling with my kids (or even that you would have the desire to drive like that on a public road, let alone brag about it on a forum). There’s “spirited driving” and there’s madness. If you’re outsprinting an RS6 on a public road you’d have to be driving at a completely mental speed. Apologies for the rant. This is a great forum with lots of interesting and funny people who offer very useful advice, but this sort of talk lowers the tone to a level that makes me very sad.
Please continue……
Back on topic, I’d stay away from any performance car without a service history.

Tinners – not outsprinting, just out cornering. Not outright grip – an RS6 has way more. But agility – just like an Elise would easily out maneouvre and R32 on back roads.

Can you please also write to every performance car mag, to Top Gear, fifth gear and to anyone else with a performance car that uses it properly with your sanctimonious rant too? What are quick cars for – just for scoring ego points over others? No they are there for people to enjoy. In some cases people are silly. In many case people can enjoy there cars in relative safety always driving defensively whatever the road conditions. I have never crashed and never had a point for speeding. If I drive dangerously, that would be a massive load of good luck and not really fair. Just like to keep things in balance. Thanks.

And of all those who have added to this thread, about two actually give the OP useful information about R32s. The rest are just vague BS spouted by those who haven’t a clue.

What happened with the Skyline stays with the Skyline…. 😈

Apologies if I offended with a sanctimonious rant. I’m not generally into sanctimonious rants. It’s just that the original description made it sound like you were driving like a complete tw*t. Now I know that you weren’t and that you were merely “out cornering” an RS6. You had me worried there for a minute.

The reg on that Audi sex machine makes me think of the Picolax thread…to be honest, I’d rather go for a very fast drive in that to shift my gut than have a dose of the Picolax stuff!!!

Golf…just not interesting in any guise…

Dick – surely slightly interesting when a VR6 lump is stuck under a mk2s bonnet?!

surf-mat

you know, one of them came up for sale about 5 miles from me not so long ago. I was very tempted to go check it out….. I really liked my mk2 …

Zeds – I have always been tempted…!

Nope…I’m just not a Golf fan – in any guise…they lack character (in my opinion, but I know sod all – personal ownership of cars has been a Berlingo, Legnum VR4 and now a Bravo Sport so I clearly know sod all); they are common as muck and to be honest, they are far heavier than the competition (which makes me think they should be even faster than they are but due to the extra lard they aren’t).

All personal choice…I’ve driven a few Golfs (not performance ones) and plenty of Audis/Seats and Skodas so I’m very familiar with the VAG drive…but a Golf? No thanks…

That Audi RS6 though – good grief I’d love that…

The one thing that put me off was it’s FWD. Then I got thinking about building my own in the workshop and making it either RWD or AWD?

Then I thought what’s the point? Just get a Lancia Delta! I haven’t driven a Delta yet but I always loved them and wanted one. Everything I ever read about them makes me want one more…. one day…. one day…

I might still build the mk2 special too…

chaps (and chapesses) – thanks for, er, some of the replies!
I’d thought about doing things to the golf tdi 130, but it would need a load of work and still wouldn’t be what i’m after. i had heard that vw had done good stuff to the r32 that wasn’t available on the rest of the range.

what i’m really after is a decently rapid hatch, with lots of grip to have fun in the twisties with. i’m not worried about going mental, but i do like the feel of going along at a fair lick.

interesting the audi has come up – the other car i’d been thinking of was the s3 – seen a couple in the same price bracket (post 2002 with the 225 engine)…and with a FSH.
I’m probably only going to keep the car for a year or so before selling it on, so resale value is an issue – hence the big concern about the one local to me not having service history.

fwiw, the golf we have is really mrs rex’s car. i endure an old 1.6 primera estate as a bikewagon….you can all probably empathise why i am after something a little lairier….

If you drive an R32 then it’s worth noting that it doesn’t feel immediately quick, in the way that something with a turbo will. There is no kick in the backside; the speed builds very unspectacularly, to the point that you assume you’re not travelling quickly when in fact you are.

This will be a significant difference if you drive an R32 against an S3.

Your appreciation of an R32 will often build in the same way as the speed – initially you won’t rate it, but it will gradually and, almost unnoticeably, really get under your skin – so much so that you’ll almost be able to overlook the pounding your wallet is taking at the pumps 😉

Having said that, I’m not sure I’d commit any significant money on a car with 55K and no evidence of a service history – partly based on condition, and partly resale.

-m- has it pretty much spot on there. An odd but fun thing in the R32 is the super quick throttle response – it’s Ferrari-like which is great but do watch speed bumps – easy to end up “donkeying” all over the place!

When I got the R32 I tested a few other cars – one being the S3 (at that time 225bhp 1.8T engine) – lovely to sit in,looked great but the R32 was a lot more fun and sounds heaps better. If you like tuning your cars though it’s VERY hard to get more bhp out of an R32 N/A engine. An S3 1.8T is very easy to tune to silly bhp.

Zeds – it is a consideration but then it’s light and apparently good conversions handle the power well. There is the Syncro but it’s not the most fun handler apparently.

Deltas are lovely but SO much hassle to look after! I think I’d go for a uR Quattro – my dad had three – the last one a full Treser converted one – that was a bit of a beast.

wise words -m-, and the lack of SH is really putting me off.
will keep and eye out on the market as in no rush to buy. i just have got that itch to have a decent car again………and i’ve had to drive past that bloody r32 three times today, and each time she calls me like a siren… 8)

there was an absolute BELL END in an R32 on the motorway (M32) this morning

pretty much the stupidest driving i’ve ever seen

what you need is an RS6 + a stainless exhaust and a remap, then your knocking on 7oo hamsters 😉