Volkswagen R has teased a new limited-edition Golf R hot hatch, set to premiere on May 31.
Dubbed the 2023 Volkswagen Golf R 333 Limited Edition, the new model appears to be a very yellow take on the Mk8 Golf R hot hatch, complete with all available performance options.
The performance arm posted a teaser video to its social media channels, captioned: “May we serve you a little foretaste of what we have in store for you next? This is a small sneak peek of our new limited edition Golf R 333. Are you excited, yet? Mark the 31st of May 2023 in your calendars for the full reveal. Stay tuned!”
While we’ll have to wait until May 31 for all the official details, the preview offers a slew of clues.
One of the most obvious is the bright yellow exterior paint, known in Australia as Pomelo Yellow Metallic and Lime Yellow Metallic in the UK. While available on core Golf models locally and the GTI in other markets, this finish has not been made available on the Mk8 Golf R – which is currently limited to Pure White, Deep Black and Lapiz Blue options.
Then there’s the name: 333 may initially be confusing given last year’s special Golf R 20 Years commemorated two decades of R-badged Golfs, but using the UK’s metric horsepower as a guide, 333PS is how much power the uprated Golf R 20 Years’s 2.0 TSI petrol engine (245kW).
With that in mind, this will be the second iteration of the Mk8 Golf R to use the beefier 245kW/420Nm tune of the 2.0-litre EA888 turbocharged motor, which in ‘standard’ R trim puts out a still-healthy 235kW (320PS). The 245kW tune reduces the 0-100km/h sprint time to 4.6 seconds, a 0.2s improvement over the standard variant.
Other features shown in the teaser video include black ‘333’ side decals, black 19-inch Estoril alloy wheels ahead of cross-drilled brakes and bright blue R calipers, as well as a quad-tipped Akrapovic titanium exhaust system.
Effectively, this Golf R 333 Limited Edition is a 20 Years in Lime Yellow Metallic with black decals. The 19-inch wheels and uprated brakes form part of the R Performance Package that comes standard on Australian models, which also includes the removal of the standard 250km/h speed limiter allowing for a 270km/h Vmax.
Like the R 20 Years and R Performance Package-equipped Golf Rs, expect the additional Special and Drift drive modes to feature in the 333 Limited Edition – the former tailoring the drivetrain and chassis for the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and the latter primes the ESC and 4Motion all-wheel drive system to enable drifting by switching to the ESC Sport setting and sending the majority of torque to the rear axle.
It’s unclear whether the Golf R 333 Limited Edition will also get the 20 Years’s real carbon-fibre inlays.
It’s also unclear whether the Golf R 333 Limited Edition will make it to Australia, especially given ongoing component and supply challenges have delayed the R 20 Years for our market.
The R 20 Years was initially earmarked for a third quarter 2022 release Down Under, though it’s now under a cloud of doubt having been subsequently delayed to March-April 2023 and then now no firm arrival date.
Currently, Australian customers aren’t even able to order a Golf R due to said component shortages, with improved supply of the smaller T-Roc R and larger Tiguan R hot SUVs throughout 2023 aiming to offset the Golf’s stop-sale.
CarExpert has reached out to Volkswagen Australia for further comments, and is awaiting a response.
Mk7.5 Golf R Final Edition
VW’s local division has a long history of bringing limited-edition hot Golf GTIs and Rs Down Under, including several iterations of the Mk7 and Mk7.5-generation hot hatch.
In 2020 the Golf R Final Edition brought the availability of Colour Concept factory hand-painted colour options, as well as a Nappa leather interior that wasn’t available as a factory option for the standard model; while the 2019 Golf R Special Edition brought the exclusive Australian availability of the Akrapovic titanium exhaust, performance brakes, as well as real carbon-fibre mirror caps and the option of Turmeric Yellow Metallic paint – sound familiar?
Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest, including our coverage of the Golf R 333’s reveal later this month.
Do you want to see the Golf R 333 Limited Edition in Australia? Let us know in the comments!
