Golf Mk 6 bows out with new VW Golf R Cabriolet

Volkswagen is finally delivering the VW Golf R Cabriolet Mk 6, just as the Golf Mk 7 hits the road, but it does without 4WD.

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We’ve been expecting the VW Golf R Cabrio to arrive in VW’s showrooms ever since Volkswagen took a concept to the Worthersee Tour in 2011.

But it’s taken until now – 2013 and after the Mk 7 Golf arrived – for VW to fulfil the promise of more powerful open-top motoring in the Golf with the arrival – following a Golf R Cabrio tease video at the end of 2012 – to finally reveal it.

Just as you’d expect, the Golf R Cabriolet is mechanically similar to the Golf R in that it gets the same 2.0 litre turbo four cylinder petrol engine that delivers its power through a six-speed dual-clutch auto box.

But where the cabriolet differed from the hatch is that VW has decided to ditch the 4WD system on the Gold R in favour of putting drive just to the front wheels – just like the Scirocco R – which will make driving the Cabriolet a more scrabbling adventure than the hatch.

So your neighbours know you’re driving a properly warm Golf Cabrio, the ‘R’ gets a gloss black grill with ‘R’ logo, black diffuser, chrome tail pipes, smoked lights, a new front bumper and either 18″ or 19″ Talladega alloys.

Inside you’ll get sports seats covered in Vienna Cool Leather (we don’t know whether it’s just plain cool, or cold) with ‘R’ logos on the headrests, leather on the gear lever, handbrake and steering wheel – all with contrast grey stitching – and ‘Silver Lane’ trim on the dash.

The new VW Golf R cabriolet goes on sale this spring and costs £38,770