UNSUNG H3RO

When it launched in 2002, Volkswagen’s first R-badged Golf was just as much of a step into the unknown as the Mk1 GTI had been 30 years previously. The R32 had its roots in that familiar hot hatch all-round capability but let its wilder side run riot, and found an audience much bigger than Wolfsburg ever imagined during development. Today, one in ten UK-bound Golfs is an R, and that badge has featured on more than 250,000 sold worldwide since those first Mk4s. Audi never quite had the same centre-of spot light appeal with the S3, despite a three year head start, but it also hasn’t missed out on the perks of that popularity.

“It seems like everyone is starting to forget about these,” shrugs Phil Griffiths, as we ask what lured him towards the S3. “I had plans to build a fast road car that I could use on track and my sights were set on a Mk6 Golf R, but they’re really sought after and the prices are crazy. That would have meant I couldn’t do what I wanted to do with it. The S3 has the same running gear, but a cheaper price tag because it doesn’t get all the hype. It’s a no-brainer.”

There’s a deep-rooted need for that performance here.