Back when the Mercedes A-Class was still a weird small minivan and not a 381PS (376hp) rocket in its top guise, Volkswagen was near the top of the hot hatch food chain with the R derivatives of the Golf.
For the fifth generation of the compact car, the German car firm chose a 3.2-liter VR6 engine, which generated 250PS (246hp / 184kW) and 320Nm (236lb-ft) of torque. The R32 had a rather short life span, coming out in 2005 and been discontinued three years later.
With permanent four-wheel drive and either a six-speed manual or an optional dual-clutch gearbox, the Mk5 Golf R32 was quite swift for the time. It took 6.5sec to reach 100km/h (62mph) from a standstill with the stick shift, or 6.2sec with the automatic transmission, while top speed was limited at 250km/h (155mph) in both cases.
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Volkswagen has since released the Mk6 and Mk7 iterations, and the Mk8 is coming next year. So, why all this talk about the Mk5? Well, that’s because we have recently come across an example that’s said to have a whopping 800PS (789hp / 589kW) produced by the tuned VR6 engine.
The mega hatch is more powerful than most modern supercars, and was filmed at an event in Germany recently, where it was raced against the clock in half-mile runs, reaching speeds of up to 259km/h (161mph).
The best part is that its exterior remains unmolested, which makes it a true sleeper – or wolf in sheep’s clothing, if you prefer.