AN ICONIC hot hatchback that Jeremy Clarkson once described as “absolutely perfect” some 10 years ago can now be picked up for a bargain price.
The very cool Mk7 Volkswagen Golf R from around 2014 can be bought second-hand for around £12,000 – and it certainly shouldn’t be judged on its looks.
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In a column for The Sunday Times back in 2014, Clarkson described the Golf R as like a “a cloak of invisibility for millionaires,” comparing it to cars that are “inspiring to drive but that could pass through a library without causing anyone to look up.”
He even says it “looks like the sort of Golf that your mum has – it doesn’t even get the red line on the radiator grille that you find on a GTI.”
However, it seems the Golf R packs more punch than the famous GTI model that it’s compared with.
VW’s R brand is used to indicate a sport or high performance model – and often comes with a subtle, more aggressive-looking bodykit.
Jeremy said: “Under the bonnet it has the same basic 2-litre turbo engine as you find in the GTI.
“But by fiddling with the boost from the turbocharger, the valves and the pistons, the engineers have upped the power to nigh-on 300 bhp.
It looks absolutely perfect
Jeremy Clarkson
“That’s almost 80 bhp more than in the GTI, which is probably why it’s been fitted with four-wheel drive.”
While its top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, its impressive 0-62 mph time of just 5.1 seconds is roughly 0.6 faster than the previous R model.
The hot hatch also boasts all-wheel drive, which offers a difference in grip to the GTI that Jezza says “boggles the mind.”
For its looks, he added: “It looks absolutely perfect.”
Like the GTI, the Golf R is built as a three or five-door hatchback, and comes with a ride height that’s 20 mm lower than the standard model.
Today, the Mk7 can be found for around £11,000, with a five-door example with around 40,000 miles on the clock costing up to £15k.
We found a good 65,000-mile example for less than £12k on Motors.
This comes as VW recently revealed they’re set to release a special edition Golf GTI Clubsport to celebrate the model’s 50th anniversary.
The sporty, optimised version of the classic model made its debut in front of an enthusiastic crowd of motorsport fans at the Nurburgring in Germany last week.
Elsewhere, a classic motor once bought for just £12,500 by Mike Brewer on an episode of Wheeler Dealers is now worth six-times more.
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