Our Cars: Volkswagen Golf MKVI R

Dates owned: 2010 to present day

Our time with the hottest Golf

The Golf R in standard form initially felt somewhat disappointing, maybe that's because it accommodated most driving conditions very clinically without particularly shining in any one area or because with an ex-showroom price of £36k plus, the expectation was high.

Milltek took delivery of the Golf R in May of last year and at that time the stars of the Milltek fleet were the Audi TT-RS and the Focus RS, in cost terms the TT-RS was considerably more expensive and the Focus somewhat lower cost than the Golf R, both cars 'felt' more performance focused than the Golf R on road and track.

its performance on track is relentlessly consistent

Initially the Golf received a remap and Milltek cat back exhaust and whilst the car was more rewarding to drive in terms of power and sound, ultimately it still felt less crisp than either the Focus or the TT-RS mainly due to the DSG box which gave the driver less than full control in 'attack' mode driving.

The Golf clearly had more to give, so during the winter months we first developed and emission tested a full Turbo back exhaust whilst sending the cat back exhaust away for homologation testing, it passed with flying colours so that product has full 'E' Mark certification allowing sale throughout most countries in the world. The Turbo back system required a more precise remap to allow for the increase flow and the change in catalytic operating cycle, we worked closely with Revo Technik to achieve this, at the same time they recommended installing an Autotech high pressure fuel pump allowing us to safely run higher boost levels.

Revo Technik carried out meticulous road testing and Exhaust gas temperature monitoring to ensure long term reliability of all components. Although at that stage we were unable to remap the DSG, Revo Technik changed the sensitivity of the change-up points through the gears, making for a more involved and controlled driving experience.

Track driving and testing of the car had taken its toll on the original brakes and we happily accepted an offer from Tarox to test their new 360mm front brake kit which hugely increased confidence when using the full extent of the new found performance.

So now we feel that the Golf has truly earned it's 'R' title, its performance on track is relentlessly consistent (as you can see in this video of it lapping the Nurburgring GP circuit) regularly passing higher powered vehicles due it's fluent power delivery, impeccable handling and awesome brakes, take the car away from track and the car is equally happy facing a long cross country journey or a trip to the shops.

Power is now rated at a conservative 330bhp up from 265bhp on our car with torque now rated at an impressive 430nm, but the car is so much more than just numbers.

Now if only VW could make a Bluetooth system to work with an iPhone then the car would be complete!