29 Sep 05
Quick cornering in the GTI, like most front-drive cars, is all about carrying speed into the bend, counteracting understeer with a lift of the throttle and then balancing engine revs as the front wheels scrabble for grip. The R32 is different. There's more weight to the steering, for one, and the turn-in feels more deliberate. Squeezing the throttle doesn't cause the nose to push on, as you might expect from a car with a hefty V6 over its front axle. Instead the 225/40-profile tyres - set 20mm lower than the GTi's on stiffened suspension - dig even deeper into the bend, drifting into a gentle four-wheel slide if really provoked. The last car I drove with a cornering attitude like this was the Porsche 911 C4S. If only the VW had a fraction of the Porker's steering feel...
The car's ability to power so smoothly out of bends has a lot do with the character of the engine. Where the GTI's acceleration builds with a sustained rush from 1,800rpm, the R32's V6 builds in steady increments, the sequential manual gearbox instantly slotting in the next ratio (nominally 7,000rpm, but actually 6,600rpm on the DSG) without so much as a polite cough.
The throaty, bassy thrum of the engine at idle disappears as the revs climb, only to be replaced by a delicious growl that builds into a howl at high revs. Its full, multi-layered glory can only really be appreciated with the windows down or, better still, from behind. The metallic rasp from the twin pipes will give you goosebumps.
The insulated cabin pays off on the motorway. Combined with an expertly spaced set of gear ratios - longer than the GTI's, especially sixth - and a pair of seriously supportive front seats, it adds up to effortless cruising ability. The suspension also plays its part here, providing a taut, rigid ride that retains enough damping ability to suppress most surface imperfections. Even at three-figure speeds it feels surefooted and thoroughly connected to the road.
