2023 VW Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition revealed

Another day, another anniversary arrives, and with it, a special edition car. This one comes to us from Volkswagen. The 2023 VW Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition marks the anniversary of VW’s first Golf R model, the VR6-powered R32. And it follows the pattern of many an anniversary edition with some special trim and some unique features.

Well, lack of features might actually be more appropriate for this Golf R. It actually deletes the standard sunroof for weight savings and better center of gravity. VW doesn’t say exactly how much weight it saves. Other updates include blue “R” badges inside and out rather than the standard silver. The 19-inch wheels with 235-mm summer tires also lose the silver finish, but are gloss black instead of blue. Black “20” badges adorn the B pillars, the puddle lights read “20 R,” and the interior gets genuine carbon fiber trim on the dash and door panels. The latter is apparently a first for a production VW.

Only 1,800 will be built, with production split among three colors: blue, white and black. Blue features black mirror caps, and the others get blue mirror caps. They’ll be available either with the North American-exclusive six-speed manual or the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Pricing starts at $46,035 for the manual model (with the $1,095 destination charge) and $46,835 for the dual-clutch. The cars will be available this fall.