2021 VW Golf 2.0 TSI R DSG

Highlights

• R-Performance Package, with ‘Drift’ mode

• Full VW service history

• Mechanically unmodified and factory specification

• One owner from new

• 320bhp / 310lb-ft

Overview

Sometimes you just want a really good portion of chips. Yes, a fine risotto, a beautifully cooked Kobe steak or a punchy bowl of puttanesca is all well and good. But nothing really satisfies like proper “chippy tea” chips. Ones cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside, fluffy inside, lashings of salt and vinegar… Okay, now we’re hungry.

Well, the Golf R is like the best portion of chips you ever had. Alright, at its most basic level it’s just a fast Golf, and there are lots of those around. But that’s like saying a really good chippy tea is “just some chips”, and we all know that would be insanity. Good chips make the divine Ambrosia look like school semolina pudding.

You see, when fast Golfs are good, they’re very, very good. And the Golf R – particularly in Mk8 R-Performance Package trim such as this – is truly great. Want to bait supercars, decimate every B-road you come across, annihilate cross-continental trips in comfort, fear no inclement weather and still be able to burble about town quietly and relatively subtly when you want to? Then one would be in the market for a Golf R.

Whilst the powertrain of the Mk8 is largely carried over from the Mk7, there are a whole host of technological advancements, twin digital screens, multiple driving modes (including the supermarket car park favourite ‘Drift’) and a refined Haldex all-wheel drive system that incorporates a true torque-vectoring differential on the rear axle, so is much less front-biased than the Mk7 was. It is, to put it mildly, excessively capable and offers pretty much all the performance, capability and practicality that you could ever reasonably need from a car on the public roads.

So this is actually like the best chippy tea you’ve ever had, splashed with the finest balsamic vinegar and sprinkled liberally with the very best pink Himalayan salt. And with a dose of hot sauce on the side. 

Okay, now we’re REALLY hungry.

History and documentation

• First registered 23 March 2021

• R-Performance Package

• One owner from new (lease for 3 years, then transferred into the current owner’s name on 4 April 2024)

• Complete VW main dealer service record with services as follows: October 2022 @ 24,582; February 2023 @ 30,534; January 2024 @ 43,202; Haldex oil and brake fluid changed in March 2024

• 50,356 miles on the clock, verified by service and MOT records

• Full document pack

• Two keys

• Current MOT with no advisories expires 22 March 2026

• V5 present in owner’s name

• HPI clear

• London ULEZ compliant

Interior

• Black health-leather upholstery with grey and blue fabric inserts, featuring a striking diamond pattern with blue contrast stitching

• All of the upholstery looks to be in excellent condition, with no tears, sagging or notable wear to be seen

• Dark grey headlining appears to be in fine condition, with no damage or sagging we could identify

• Black carpeting throughout, with OEM black over-mats, all presenting in good order with no threading or damage

• All of the switchgear, trim and other cabin fitments look to be in fine fettle, with no significant marks or wear, and no damage to note

• Dual-zone climate control

• Blue ambient lighting throughout the cabin

• Electrically operated windows

• Heated electric door mirrors, with power fold function

• Heated multifunction steering wheel

• Factory Apple CarPlay ICE system

• Integrated navigation system

• Multiple USB-C charging ports front and rear

• Lane-keeping assist

• Automatic headlights

• Rain-sensing wipers

• Parking sensors front and rear

• Small piece of plastic trim in the driver’s footwell has come loose and may require refixing

• Usual commodious Golf boot space, trimmed neatly in black carpet and offering superb practicality

• There is some light staining to the boot floor, but nothing that would concern us

• The vendor assures us that everything in the cabin works just as it should, with no faults or malfunctions to report

Exterior

• Lapiz Blue paintwork with contrasting black roof and silver wing mirror casings

• The roof is a black wrap, which would be relatively easy to remove

• Overall the paintwork is in fine condition, with a deep gloss and smooth finish

• There are a few stone chips and minor blemishes, and a larger scuff to the lower near-side corner of the front bumper

• Rear privacy glass

• LED headlights and daytime running lights

• The rear lights have been wrapped with a smoked tint, which can be removed if the buyer prefers

• Some silver strips have been added to the rear diffuser to accentuate the lines and enhance it visually

• The bodywork all looks to be excellent, with clean, crisp lines, neat panel gaps and no damage or corrosion we could see

• The vendor says there is a very small dent on the roof, but that it is hardly visible

• The lights all appear to be clear and free from cracks or chips

• All of the glass elements show well, with no cracks or chips we could discern

• 19-inch Japan Racing JR28 multi-spoke alloy wheels, finished in gloss black, with no lacquer peel or notable kerb damage apparent

• A brace of Goodyear tyres are fitted to the rear axle, and there are a pair of nearly new Nexen tyres fitted to the front – all look to be in good order

Mechanical

• 1,984cc four-cylinder turbo (EA888 engine)

• 7-speed DSG transmission with paddle-shifters

• Factory rated at 320bhp / 310lb-ft

• Manufacturer’s claimed performance figures: 0-62mph in 4.7 and a limited 155mph top speed (although the R-Performance Package ups this to 168mph)

• 4Motion all-wheel drive system

• Rear torque-vectoring differential

• Driving modes (some of which are R-Performance exclusive): Comfort, Sport, Race, Drift, Special and Individual

• Adaptive Cruise Control

• Unmodified and offered in factory correct specification

• The vendor assures us that the car starts, idles and drives just as it should, with no faults or mechanical issues to report

Summary

There’s something incredibly satisfying in knowing that your five-door, family hatchback could quite happily show the vast majority of sports cars – and a fair number of supercars – a clean pair of heels on any country road you care to mention.

The fact that the Golf R can do that while also being really quite a lovely place to sit, benefiting from some delicately aggressive styling and still being perfectly suitable for a long, cold commute in the depths of winter really does show its range of ability.

Just as we wouldn’t trust anyone that says they don’t like a fresh, hot bag of chips, we’re not sure we can trust anyone who doesn’t admit to having at least a grudging respect for what VW have accomplished with the R. It’s a phenomenally competent performance machine.

Really good chips. Honestly, the best ever.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.