2023 Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years price and specs – UPDATE

UPDATE, 13 July 2023: All 50 examples of the 2023 Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years special edition sold out within 30 minutes of orders opening, VW Australia confirmed today.

Our original story on pricing and specifications published in May 2023 continues unchanged below.

25 May 2023: The 2023 Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years – the two-decade birthday special edition of Volkswagen's hottest hatch – is finally coming to Australia later this year, priced $8500 to $10,500 higher than the standard model.

After multiple rounds of delays which have impacted the global auto industry, Volkswagen has confirmed 50 examples of the Golf R 20 Years hot hatch will come to Australia, with more power, a louder exhaust, and unique design touches.

The anniversary special will be priced from $77,490 plus on-road costs – $10,500 more than the standard Golf R hatch at current pricing, or $8500 more after a $2000 price hike is applied to the standard model on July 1.

It will be the most expensive Volkswagen Golf – and the most expensive four-cylinder Volkswagen passenger vehicle – ever sold in Australia.

Orders are due to open on 13 July 2023 through Volkswagen Australia's website. All examples are en route to Australia, ahead of arrivals in July, and deliveries commencing August 1.

Of the 50 examples earmarked for Australia, 32 will be Lapiz Blue with black wheels and mirror caps, while the remainder will be Pure White with black and blue wheels, and blue mirror caps.

The Golf R 20 Years boosts power and torque from the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine to 245kW and 420Nm, and includes a petrol particulate filter (PPF) that reduces emissions.

These outputs are 10kW and 20Nm higher than the standard Golf R hatch sold in Australia – which lacks a PPF – and 10kW higher (but 0Nm) than a Golf R wagon, which is fitted with a PPF.

Volkswagen claims a zero to 100km/h time of 4.6 seconds, two tenths quicker than the standard model.

Headlining the upgrades – aside from the power bump – is an Akrapovic titanium sports exhaust, which makes its debut on a 'Mk8' Golf R in Australia with the 20 Years edition, and is valued by VW at $6000.

The Golf R 20 Years gains an 'Emotional Start' mode – which revs the car to 2500rpm when the engine is started, if the starter button is held for 1.5 seconds longer than usual – plus a "more aggressive sound overall" and a 'jolt' between gears when upshifting manually in Sport and Sport+ modes.

It also adds a turbocharger 'pre-loading' system "where turbo speed is maintained while driving in the part-load range (e.g. country driving at constant speed)" for "faster build-up of engine torque after releasing the accelerator and then accelerating again," according to Volkswagen.

Visual changes vary depending on the exterior colour: Lapiz Blue cars feature black 19-inch Estoril alloy wheels and black mirror caps, while Pure White cars get black and blue Estoril wheels and blue mirror caps.

Further tweaks shared with both exterior colours include '20 Years' logos on the driver's door pillar (B-pillar) and in the puddle lights, blue R badges, and inside, genuine carbon-fibre inserts on the dashboard and doors.

The panoramic sunroof and Harman Kardon sound system optional on the standard Golf R – which cost $1900 and $1000 respectively – are standard on the 20 Years edition.

Orders for the 2023 Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years edition are due to open on July 13.

Data provided by Volkswagen shows the company has sold 19,833 Golf Rs and R32s in Australia from the arrival of the original Mk4 Golf R32 in 2004, to the end of March 2023.

This is comprised of 195 examples of the Mk4 R32 in 2004, 2041 Mk5 R32s from 2006 to 2010, 3276 Mk6 Rs from 2010 to 2013, 13,864 Mk7s and Mk7.5s from 2014 to 2020, and only 458 Mk8 Rs since it arrived in Australia last April, due to production constraints.

Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.