This $100k Supercharged AWD Golf G60 Limited Is One Of Only 71

The modern Volkswagen Golf R’s ability to cover twisty roads in bad conditions at near-supercar speeds without drawing attention to itself has won it plenty of fans. And that blend of discrete styling, all-wheel drive traction, big performance and an “R” badge can be traced back to the first Golf R32 of the early 2000s.

But more than a decade before the R32 hit the streets there was another hot factory Golf serving up the same recipe of stealthy looks, sledgehammer performance and no-slip traction. But we’ll let you off if you haven’t heard of the Golf G60 Limited because only 71 were built by VW Motorsport.

Back in the late 1980s, Volkswagen’s speedy Golf lineup started with the 110 hp (112 PS) 8-valve GTI, then stepped up to the 137 hp (139 PS) GTI 16v, which used the same engine with a four-valve head. Volkswagen also offered a supercharged version of the 8-valve motor that made 158 hp (160 PS), which was fitted to the Corrado coupe, the Golf G60 and the square-arch Golf Rallye, which tried (and failed) to take on the Lancia Delta Intregrale in WRC.

The boxy Rallye certainly looked like it ought to be top Golf, and if you saw one parked next to the G60 Limited with its conventional fenders, four-doors and old fashioned bumpers you’d be excused for giving the Limited, well, limited attention. But only the G60 Limited got the dream combination of the revvy 16-valve GTI’s twin-cam head with the torquey low-end response of the supercharged 8-valve cars, which resulted in a thumping 207 hp (210 PS), making it almost twice as powerful as a stock GTI.

The mashup motor also generated 186 lb-ft (252 Nm) of torque, which was pretty sturdy for the time, so Volkswagen routed it through the all-wheel drive Golf Syncro’s transmission hardware to make sure none of the G60’s output was wasted. The factory quoted a zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) time of just over 6 seconds, which made it seriously potent for the time.

The simple exterior ditched the GTI’s four-lamp grille for a plainer two-headlight setup, and swapped that car’s red highlights for blue. There were subtly wider plastic arch extensions, 15-inch BBS RM wheels and a couple of discrete badges, but very little to alert anyone to what was going on under the hood, or to the smart leather interior.

Though the Limited was only available in left-hand drive, a few have found their way to the UK over the years, including this one, which arrived in 2007 and is now up for sale with 4 Star Classics for a serious £79,995 ($98,000). Number 16 of 71, it shows 67,680 miles (108,900 km), and has had fresh paint and an interior re-trim to make it look as good as new, as well as a few powertrain upgrades to makes it go better than new, including an uprated supercharger, gas flowed head, Shrick cams and a bespoke stainless steel exhaust.

Would you pay $100k for the most desirable of all Mk2 Golfs? Leave a comment and let us know.