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Review: 2008 Volkswagen R32

The scraping as I pulled into the church parking lot worried me. I'd only had one of the rarest of VeeDubs for a few hours and I might have already nicked it. An unholy shame for sure, since for two weeks I had looked forward to blasting down I-20 at the wheel of an R32. For two weeks I had wondered how loud a redlined VR6 could wail. But for the last two hours I'd done nothing but get lost in Atlanta gridlock trying to set my destination on the car's in-dash nav. Pulling in the First Pentecostal parking lot's steep entrance was a decision made in frustration and impatience, one made ... Read More

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    Volkswagen R32
    No 2009 Volkswagen R32 for the U.S.
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    The Volkswagen R32 has a die-hard following here in the States. Unfortunately for the sprightly hatchback's groupies, you'll have to head overseas if you want a 2009 model. Volkswagen spokesman Thomas Wegehaupt confirmed the R32's early exit out of the U.S., which means the original 5,000-unit allotment of hot hatches will be the only current-generation ...

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    Volkswagen R32
    Review: 2008 Volkswagen R32
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    The scraping as I pulled into the church parking lot worried me. I'd only had one of the rarest of VeeDubs for a few hours and I might have already nicked it. An unholy shame for sure, since for two weeks I had looked forward to blasting down I-20 at the wheel of an R32. For two weeks I had wondered how loud a redlined VR6 could wail. But for the last two ...

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    Volkswagen R32
    Rabbit on 'roids: Abt tunes the Volkswagen R32
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    Click above for a high resolution version It was only a matter of time before Abt got its hands on a Volkswagen R32. The hot hatch is no slouch in stock form with 250 horsepower, but Abt has boosted output to 370 bhp via a supercharger complete with a water-cooled intercooler. This knocks the 0-60 mph time down to 5.0 seconds flat and raises the top speed ...

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    Volkswagen R32
    Noodle vs. Strudel: WebRidesTV pits MS3 against R32
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    Everyone loves a good shootout and it's even better when the two vehicles duking it out are actually attainable. Enter the WebRidesTV crew who setup shop at our new favorite road course, the Horse Thief Mile at Willow Springs, to run the Mazdaspeed3 and Volkswagen R32 through their paces to see which vehicle provides the best bang for the buck in the ...

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    Volkswagen R32
    Brand new VW R32 catches on fire
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    As a fellow GTI owner, I really feel for this guy. A South Florida owner of a brand new 2008 Volkswagen R32 walked out of work and found that his car, which had been turned off and parked for six hours, had set itself on fire. The flames started in the driver's side dash, grew to the door and roof, and melted a hole in the windshield. According to the ...

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    Volkswagen R32
    VW R32: So fast you'll need shorter songs
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    To emphasize just how quick its new Golf R32 hot-hatch really is, Volkswagen has mailed out a CD to potential customers and dealers containing some very short road-trip songs. The album, simply titled 'Short Car Songs,' contains three short classics, such as 'One Green Bottle,' 'It's a long way to Tip,' and 'She'll be coming around the mountain,' and is ...

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    Volkswagen R32
    Snatched! VW R32s selling quickly before hitting dealerships
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    The last R32 was a favorite of tuners and VW enthusiasts alike, and from the looks of the early orders, the 2008 MK V R32 is going to be in hot demand. The kind folks over at Volkswagen gave current GTI and R32 owners first dibs at the 2008 model, and the VW loyalists didn't disappoint. Of the 5,000 R32s destined for the US, nearly 1,000 have already been ...

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    Volkswagen R32
    Spy Shots: VW Golf R36
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    For those following the development of Volkswagen's hottest of hot hatches, it's common knowledge that the automaker has been hard at work adapting the engine from the R36 Passat to fit within the confines of the new Golf. Hans Lehmann and his clandestine photogs were able to catch this new breed of hatch undergoing cold weather testing, but according to ...

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    Volkswagen R32
    Bad brakes lights lead VW to recall 790,000 vehicles
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    Volkswagen has discovered that a previous recall of 362,000 vehicles (1999-2002 Jettas and 1998-2002 New Beetles) for a defective brake light switch actually affects a much larger range of vehicles. The German automaker is extending the recall to an additional 790,000 vehicles that include 1999-2006 Golf and GTI models, 2001-2005 Jettas, 2001-2007 New ...

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    Volkswagen R32
    High performance R-badged Touareg on its way
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    According to AutoTelegraaf, a loose-lipped V-dub employee spilled the beans that the German automaker is developing an R-badged high-performance version of the Touareg SUV. Unlike current gas-powered R variants such as the R32 Golf and upcoming R36 Passat, the R-badged Touareg will likely be based on the 4.9L V10 TDI model. Motor Authority reports that ...

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