The Golf 7 is probably in its last year of life, so we're soon going to say goodbye to it, just like the Focus RS. But it has given us quite a few exciting moments, as well as the first R Varian model.
The Golf R has done exceptionally well for itself, becoming a popular drag race machine. But for those people who want to go custom yet still want to retain their factory warranty, Volkswagen currently offers a performance exhaust system from Akrapovic. Usually, this is part of the €3,800 options pack which is added on top of a car that presently costs €43,925 in Germany, basically the same as the old A45. That's an eye-watering amount of money, but there's no shortage of buyers out there.
The Golf R Performance pack also gets you adjustable dampers, 17-inch front brake discs, a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and a modified rear spoiler. The power rating stays the same, at least officially, so you have 300 HP and 400 Nm if the car is WLTP-compliant. However, we've seen plenty of Akrapovic systems over the years, and they usually add about ten horsepower to a 2-liter turbo like this one, as well as a little more torque.
We want to side with the people who say that the Golf R should sound better right out of the box since it's the German automaker's top hot hatch. But there's plenty of buyers who want a good everyday car, and the one in the video fitted with the Akrapovic titanium system definitely isn't.
Volkswagen is by no means the only company to offer an Akrapovic system from the factory. Renault famously fits these things to most of its Cup cars. Also, BMW offered aftermarket pipes through its parts catalog. Ford also sells Montune kits while Toyota has TRD.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News