Volkswagen has announced a special option package for its Golf R performance hatch.
Volkswagen has announced a special option package for its Golf R performance hatch, focused on weight-saving and exclusivity.
Volkswagen Australia has added a new option package for its performance Golf R hatch, bringing an Akrapovic exhaust back to the model since it last appeared in the nameplate’s 20th anniversary edition two years ago.
The Warmenau Package, which will be available on the MY26 Golf R but not the limited-run Black Edition, includes the Akrapovic titanium exhaust system, 19-inch Warmenau forged alloy wheels, and genuine carbon-fibre featuring on the dashboard and doors.
Volkswagen dealers are now able to take orders for the Warmenau Package, the brand says, with arrivals expected around October this year.
At a cost of $6900, the car maker says the package is designed for buyers after bespoke lightweight performance options for their Golf R which also offer exclusivity.
Aside from a $2100 panoramic sunroof, the Warmenau Package is the only optional extra to be had on the Golf R, with pricing for the standard car starting from $70,990 before on-road costs and $72,490 for the Black Edition.
Arjun Nidigallu, Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles Head of Product, said the Warmenau Package ups the ante for performance enthusiasts.
“Performance has always been a core strength of Golf R and the lightweight, forged Warmenau wheels and Akrapovič titanium exhaust system elevate it to new heights, both from a visual and auditory perspective,” he said.
The 19-inch forged alloy wheels, developed in-house by Volkswagen, are said to improve unsprung mass by reducing the weight of each wheel to 8kg or roughly 20 per cent.
Large openings for efficient venting also improves brake cooling, according to the car maker, which it says gives it more durability when taken on track.
Overall, opting for the Warmenau Package, which is named after the village in Wolfsburg in which the R brand is based, makes the Golf R 7kg lighter.
However, the additions, though weight-saving, offer no performance increase for the Golf R, which produces 245kW/420Nm – up 10kW and 20Nm on the previous model – using the Volkswagen Group’s EA888 turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, sending power to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The addition of the Akrapovic exhaust to the updated Golf R follows its introduction to the local T-Roc R city SUV range earlier this year, forming part of the ‘Wolfsburg Edition’ – a farewell to the current generation of the nameplate before it is replaced by a new model later in 2025.
A born-and-bred newshound, Kathryn has worked her way up through the ranks reporting for, and later editing, two renowned UK regional newspapers and websites, before moving on to join the digital newsdesk of one of the world’s most popular newspapers – The Sun. More recently, she’s done a short stint in PR in the not-for-profit sector, and led the news team at Wheels Media.
