The Coolest Car CEO In The World Wants To Make The Coolest Hot Hatch Restomod

It is in fact, as the man himself explains, "something you didn’t expect the CEO of a hypercar company to drive." It’s a Volkswagen Golf R32. And, if all goes well, we might one day see an updated version, as you can see in the Instagram post at the bottom of this article.

Only the second Volkswagen Golf to don the R32 badge when it arrived in 2005 (a Mk. IV had been unveiled three years earlier), the Mk.5 was a slightly madder alternative for those who believed arguably the best Golf GTI there’s ever been was a bit too sensible. In many ways, the R32 was a precursor to the Golf R that would eventually land in 2012, but that turbocharged car only arrived because the VR6 couldn't meet emissions standards.

Why We Might Someday See A Rimac - Supported Hot Hatch Restomod

"I bought this car because I really, really wanted it when I was, like, 19, 20 years old," said Rimac. The Bugatti-Rimac CEO also admits his desire to one day commission a stick-shift restomod of the R32. Minus "a few little flaws," like plasticky touchpoints and an outdated infotainment system.

Even so, if the idea of a hypercar CEO calling for a restomod of a humble hatchback seems ingenuous, bear in mind that Mate Rimac, just a few weeks after the Bugatti brand entered into a new partnership with Rimac Automobili, put the brakes on plans for the French marque to become all-electric, and even a producer of luxury SUVs. Preferring the brand to stay hyper-exclusive, he instead greenlit the new Tourbillon. Pushing for an updated version of a classic hot hatch hardly seems that farfetched.

The R32 Is Full Of Character, And That's Why It's Perfect To Revive Someday

The R32's 3.2-liter narrow-angle V6 (if you were wondering where that name came from) produced 247 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque, dwarfing the 197 hp and 206 lb-ft of its 'sensible' stablemate. Complete with a new, rorty soundtrack - "I love the sound of it!" exclaims Rimac - said power was pumped through all four corners, as opposed to the Golf’s rear-wheel drive setup, courtesy of Volkswagen’s Haldex 4Motion system.

And if that sounds like the antithesis of hot-hatchery, bear in mind that the R32, when equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, could hit 62 mph from standstill in just 6.2 seconds. Faster even than a 330i BMW 3 Series at the time, and, interestingly, three-tenths quicker than the R32’s optional dual-clutch automatic.

There was more to the R32 than just raw power, though. Beneath the bi-xenon headlamp-attired, chrome-accented surface, the R32 featured stiffer dampers and springs, larger anti-roll bars, and a lower ride height for yet further improved body control. Bear in mind, though, whilst more exclusive (only 5,000 examples arrived in the U.S. from 2007 onwards), the R32 was no stripped-out racer, and still featured four half-bucket seats, climate control, and a refined cabin. Sounds perfect for a restomod, then.