2026 Volkswagen Golf R goes light on weight, fuller on sound

Volkswagen Australia has confirmed a new optional package for the 2026 Volkswagen Golf R, which will finally make lightweight performance options previously reserved for special editions and overseas models available for production vehicles in Down Under.

The Warmenau package ($6500) brings the entire catalogue of weight-saving and performance-enhancing features available from the Volkswagen R global catalogue, including an Akrapovic titanium exhaust system, 19-inch ‘Warmenau’ forged alloy wheels, and genuine carbon-fibre trim inlays for the dashboard and doors.

Commencing from MY26 production – first local customer deliveries of which are due around October – these features will be available for the series production Golf R in Australia for the first time, with the exhaust system and carbon inlays having only been previously offered together on the super-limited R 20 Years Edition.

Volkswagen has named the wheels and option package after the village in Wolfsburg where Volkswagen’s R division is headquartered in Germany.

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The 19-inch Warmenau forged alloy wheels have been developed in-house by Volkswagen R, and have already appeared in blacked-out form within the arches of the limited-run Golf R Black Edition. VW says the lightweight wheels reduce unsprung mass by 20 per cent – with each rim weighing 8kg.

Additionally, their design has a “high opening ratio” allowing for improved brake cooling “and by extension, durability” when driving the Golf R in high-performance conditions like on track.

Then there’s the Akrapovic titanium sports exhaust, which has been offered since the Mk7.5 Special Edition and is currently available for a number of VW Group models locally including the limited-edition Volkswagen T-Roc R Wolfsburg Edition, the Audi S3 as well as Cupra Ateca and Formentor.

Crafted from titanium alloy, the lightweight exhaust and silencer is distinguished by its four rounded tailpipes which produce “a unique and addictively menacing sound”. This combines with a 7kg weight reduction compared to the standard Golf R exhaust system.

“Australia is a very significant market globally for Volkswagen R and now the Warmenau package gives Australian customers the opportunity to own the definitive version of the ultimate performance Golf,” said Arjun Nidigallu, head of product for Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles Australia.

These new performance options further enhance the credentials of the German brand’s flagship performance hatchback, which in latest Mk8.5 guise develops 245kW of power and 420Nm of torque (over 2100-5100rpm) from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine.

As before, drive is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed ‘DSG’ dual-clutch automatic transmission. Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration drops by 0.2 seconds to 4.6 compared to the outgoing Mk8 Golf R, and the standard R Performance Package derestricts the top speed to 270km/h.

For reference, Cupra offers the Akrapovic exhaust as a standalone option for the Ateca and Formentor crossovers for $6500, while Audi charges $9900 to fit the titanium exhaust to the S3 and a further $700 for carbon inlays.

Orders for the MY26 Volkswagen Golf R range – including the new Warmenau package – are open now ahead of deliveries commencing around October 2025.

Pricing

Options:

• Warmenau package: $6500 – N/A Black Edition
• Panoramic glass sunroof: $2100

MORE: Everything Volkswagen Golf