A MINUTE WITH MIKE ON THE R32
When I stopped by Klosey’s place to grab the R32 after he’d picked it up for me earlier in the day, he’d already ducked out down the road for a pint. He left the keys for me though, so I headed downstairs to meet the monster.
Bloody hell, that’d be right; four doors. Still a good looking unit, of course, but who wouldn’t prefer it minus a pair?
Being something of a traditionalist, I was also looking forward to the six-speed manual transmission. No such luck here; the wave of the future had reared its head again and dumped me in a DSG-fitted model. If Steano was aiming to get one up on TMR’s notorious Captain Fussy, he was off to a ripper of a start.
Well, not quite.
Once I’d reminded myself that an R32 is an R32, I slid into the firm but comfortable sports seats and turned the key over in the ignition. Did I say bloody hell already? Well, bleedin’ heck. At that moment, you couldn’t have dragged me out of this car if Beyoncé were draped over the bonnet and lamenting the lack of a tubby white guy in her life. I tell you folks, the R32’s got some serious pipes on it.
If Klosey’s goal was to upset me, he really shouldn’t have left such a bellowing brute in a big enclosed concrete room. Nice try old boy.
After I’d completed a couple of hoon laps of the car park and set off a few alarms (deny deny deny), the monster and I rumbled out into the crisp Melbourne night air and off to the surrounding hills for the real trial.
There’s nothing Insiderama has said that I can’t get right behind. While the Evo X is ultimately the king of the hills out of these two, the R32’s got nothing to sulk about. Quick off the mark, a delicious programmed blip of the accelerator on downshifts, and a real go-getter through the turns.
I have to confess I don’t have the Insider’s Infinite Skill, handed down to him when he became the fourth Monkey King twelve centuries ago, and so I initially found the front-heavy hatch to be a real trial in the tighter corners. I quickly gathered myself though and discovered the same trick of tumbling in hard, feathering the brakes, and powering through. And lo, the fun was on.
This car is a massive thrill packed neatly under the seats of a genuinely livable daily driver. As Klosey confided in me later - after looking around to make sure no real men were listening in - the R32’s secretly been his favourite car for a while. I reckon I’d just about agree, if it had a proper transmission.
Don’t get me wrong, the DSG’s a good unit. In point of fact, it is great. It’s exceptionally responsive - more so once you learn how best to treat it - and a solid partner when you’re hard into a series of tight corners where you really want both hands on the wheel. But damn it all, I’m the captain of this ship and I won’t have some fancy pants computer telling me when I can and can’t shift down to second. I’ll blow up the engine if I drop down right now? Well bugger ya, that’s the Captain’s prerogative innit.
Would I take the R32 over the Evo X? In a heartbeat. I’m no track junkie, and I don’t divide my time 40/60 between the missus and the mountain. What this writer wants is a smokin’ hot daily with the ability to out-corner a good whack of the heroes out there, and an exhaust that would make any SS driver look around - straight past the glorified Golf next to him - and ask “Jeez, where’d that unreal sounding car go?” The R32’s got that nailed.
2009 Skoda Superb V6 3.6 FSI Elegance 4x4 
2009 Holden Cruze CDX
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Nice Article Lads… I personally loved the R32, I am going to have to make a point of getting out and sampling the Evo X now to make my own comparison
Agree they are both great cars, not an obvious comparison but well done for looking at two cars that appeal to a common market, elbeit for different reasons. Once I sell my IX I’ll have to decide whether to grow up or not…. R32 or X MR, with a family my mountain jaunts and track days are far fewer so maybe the time has come? I think the only thing that will keep me in an Evo is the improved interior and accessories in the MR combined with the TCSST for my daily crawl down the Westgate….. Decisions… decisions….
Nice review! Like Brett I didn’t really see them as being similar cars, but the Insider definitely convinced me otherwise! Kudos for not following the rest of the flock and doing YET ANOTHER Evo vs. STi article too!
Hmmm…nice situation to be in Brett. I’d take the R32 myself, it’s very ‘liveable’ and a hoot to drive with that exhaust note and DSG blipping the throttle for you.
Good write up guys, I think it captured the character of each car and gave fair assessment. I’ll be getting a new ride so took my prettier half to an auto show - 350Z ‘not practical enough’, EVO X ‘too boy racer’, R32 ‘just right’
I went the R32 route, I was first smitten with the sound of the VR6 when test driving a Bora V6 4Motion with my old man. He didn’t go ahead but I later traded in my WRX to buy one. I agree with Mike’s comments re: DSG, which is really quite good, but absolute control would be my preference too. Mine is DSG and as a ‘manual driver’ have found it to be not quite to my taste once the initial honeymoon period was over.
On a side note I am not certain that the standard seats are Recaros, optional Recaro racing buckets are available (which are tops!), similar to those in the Audi RS4.
Brett - maybe the X will be a more civilised compared to your IX. I catch a taxi with shot dampers and think “this is so much better than my IX with 10/8kg coilovers and thick sway bars”!
I am waiting for my R32 to arrive. Have just sold a 2007 Gti DSG to get it. Absolutely loved the GTi. Having had a DSG box now I would never go back to a manual. I own a 2006 MB SLK280 as well. I hope I will still want to drive that too when the R32 arrives!
From what i gather they have ditched plans for an R36. The rumour mill suggests they may make a MkVI R42, which is a 350hp turbo version of the 2.5 5 cylinder, the one the Audi TT-RS is picking up. If this is the case The R will lose its amazing exhaust note but gain an incredible amount of horsepower over the 3.2L R’s.
Have driven the R32 and was basically….ho hum… generally unimpressed. Given it was within a couple of days of driving the STi. Quite simply the R32 was nice inside and had a very nice exhaust note, but the drive and performance itself was uninspiring comparatively. Not sure that I would buy one really.
Have driven R32 friday 17-10 2k8.NO WHEEL SPIN ,but it made up 4 it on the paddle shift LAUNCH.Interior smooth,seat,s that you can lower yourself like a kart racing style ,the feel of R32 wrapping around you.But the BEST point THE HOWLING EXHAUST THAT DOESNT SEEM TO ERASE FROM MY MIND.WANT 1.FOR SECOND HAND 18KM $52,000.have to sell all my other car for this Missile.
I would buy the R32 because I know how good the standard golf is compared to a Lancer, though the current Lancer is much better than its predecessor. But I must admit the Evo X looks more interesting and dynamic, but the R32 is more civilized and acceptable with the classy ladies. Hum decisions, impossible solution: I’d buy both and put the good stuff from the Evo X into the forthcoming new Golf GTI-R.
We currently drive an 08 VW Golf 2.0 TDI w/DSG (sensible and fairly fun); Now in a position to call that the wife’s car and get my own TAC taunter. So I went off to test drive R32…. as Flying High stated, I too felt Ho Hum… so off to drive the Subarus…ho hum some more, and as a previous manual lover, I can’t seem to stand anything that’s not DSG like these days…so thanks for the great write-up and I am off to try the Evo next; if it doesn’t rock my world, then I am seeing a chipped up GTI in my future..(prefer a bit of wheel barking from time to time).
fantastic read! Provocative POV, great pics, well written.
nazi win