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When it comes to the world of high-performance Golfs there´s no doubt that the most highly-tuned examples are to be found in the custom areas of the GTI shows. But by the same token it doesn't follow that only a modified Golf can be wild - when VW flex their muscles they can create some pretty impressive machinery.

	Rick Walker´s with his car: G60 Limited Edition No. 41

However, unlike some of the more radically styled vehicles, when VW build a seriously quick Golf they don't scream about it from the rooftops. Just look at the plain-looking G60 Limited Edition. To the casual observer it's just a black five-door GTI with a blue-trimmed grille. Surely such an innocuous looking Mk 2 can't be anything too special? Okay, well try this for size. Four-wheel drive. Supercharged 16V. 210bhp. 142 mph top speed. One of only 70 versions built by VW Motorsport. It must be the ultimate example of a sleeper - a proper 'Q'car.

Best of all, is how the heads of VW introduced the G60 Limited Edition to the press. In typical understated fashion, the head of VW Motorsport, Klaus-Peter Rosorius commented that the idea behind the project was to build ´a nice elegant-looking Golf without any exterior alterations, that incorporated a number of interesting underbonnet changes.' Who else but Volkswagen would describe a fire-breathing 210bhp supercharged 16V engine as 'interesting'?! In fact the Limited Edition is easily the most 'interesting' Mk 2 Golf ever built. For Starters it wasn't built an the main Wolfsburg production line, but at VW Motorsport's main base in Hanover. Each car was hand assembled by their motorsport technicians, with each taking a week to complete (during which time Wolfsburg could churn out several thousand cars).

THE STARTING POINT was a bodyshell featuring both Golf Rallye and Golf Syncro five-door features - the inner wheel arches for example are from the Rallye, while the outer wheelarches are standard Syncro-style items (rather than the flared arches and spats employed an the two-wheel drive G60). The windscreen too is a Rallye-style bonded-in item and is Said to add a little torsional rigidity to the bodyshell. Only seventy of these lovinglycrafted Mk 2 Golfs were constructed, each being sprayed in metallic black and featuring a blue-trimmed grille. This was unusual in itself as it was a 'twin lamp' item rather than the quadheadlamp version sported by all other high-performance Mk 2 Golfs bar the Rallye. In fact, other than the tasty split-rim BBS alloys, the only exterior clue that this was no 'ordinary' Golf was just a couple of discreet VW Motorsport badges attached to the grille and rear panel.

In fact to the average Joe in the street, to all intents and purposes the Limited could be just a five-door GTI with different badges and a blue-rimmed grille. Which is just the way VW wanted it to be. Under the bonnet, you get the first indication of just how wild Limited really is. Shoehorned into the engine bay is a 16V engine mated up to a VW Motorsport-tweaked G-Lader supercharger, cooled by a Rallye intercooler and a large capacity radiator. An individually-numbered engraved plaque indicates that this particular Limited is No. 41 out of 70. Transmitting the power to the ground is a VW Motorsport clutch and the 02A cable-change gearbox found in the Rallye (and said to be notchier than the GTI-style rod-change 'box), which has a reputation for being bulletproof. A Rallye-style braking system comprising beefy 280mm front vented discs, rear discs, and ABS helps haul the car down from its Autobahn storming 142mph top speed. Although the exterior of the car is pretty frill-free, the same can't be said for the interior, which boasts a whole load of electronic gadgets. As it should: at the time the Limited's purchase price was double that of a Golf GTI 16V (which retailed at around £ 12,000).

Limited drivers get cosseted in black leather trimmed seats (the front ones being heated), with power-steering, electric windows and mirrors being standard equipment. Naturally, centrallocking is standard, as is a sunroof and an electric headlamplevelling control. The leather trim also extends to the doorcards, handbrake cover, steering wheel rim and the gearlever gaiten. The only clue to the performance of the car is provided by the VW Motorsport gearknob.

	Not the standard alloys but a nice alternative to the standard BBS items. Wheels, like the rest of the car, highly buffed!

THIS PARTICULAR EXAMPLE belongs to Rick Walkner, from Grimsby. If his name sounds familiar, it should: Rick is the owner of R&A Design, the wellknown firm who specialise in body styling parts, sports exhausts and accessories for most types of water-cooled Volkswagen. For those of you unfamiliar with the company, it was officially founded in 1994 as a full time company, expanding to new premises in Grimsby in 1997. Specialising initially in just Volkswagens, Rick has since branched out into other marques and reckons that the French GTI market - Saxos and 106s - are currently amongst his strongest lines. lt was actually through his business that Rick first got to hear about this particular G60 Limited, which at the time belonged to a guy called Kevin Smith. As Rick explains: "Kevin used to do a few bits of paintwork for me, as he owned a massive garage. He also used to be responsible for running Volkswagen's massive distribution centre at Grimsby.

"In 1990 the G60 Limited was one of the test cars an the Volkswagen Press Fleet that were lent out to journalists. It was used as a press car for about nine months to a year, at which point Kevin bought it off them. "It was then professionally converted to right-band drive by Kevin's garage using all genuine parts. It then got used as a runabout by his wife - Kevin used to have all sorts of other cars, including a Corrado." During this time, the car was maintained with almost religious zeal, and was serviced every 2,000 miles, and even had two cambelt changes. By 1995, VW changed plans and Kevin found himself no longer in control of the Grimsby distribution centre. At the same time his garage business was taken over by the Dixon Motor Group. It was at this point that he offered Rick the first refusal an bis rare G60 Limited, which had only covered 15,000 miles at the time. Needless to say Rick bit his arm off...

Since then, Rick has used the car as a second vehicle, using it only once or twice a weck and well and truly pampering it. He's also taken the opportunity to treat it to a few of his bolt - on goodies - nothing irreversible you understand - and it often takes pride of place an the R&A stand at VW shows. The most obvious addition has been a smart set of R&A's Schmidt TH Line alloys, which are a whopping eight inches wide and shod with 215/50-15 tyres. Rick points out that "they don't catch at all, either" - probably due to the extra clearance offered by the Rallye inner arches.

	That badge says it all. Guard it with your life as it means your car is special, very special. One of only 70 ever made special...

EAGLE-EYED READERS may also have spotted the Milltek stainless steel tailpipe poking out of the back valance this is a custom-made system that Rick had specially built for the car. To complement this system he's also slipped a K&N panel air filter into the original airbox. The only other subtle tweaks he's made to the car have been to spruce up the engine bay by polishing the manifolds and colour-coding the rocker cover. Rick is at pains to point out though that "it can all be returned to stock." However, although the subtle looks of the car are very appealing, it's the performance that Rick really rates. "It's much better than a VR6", he comments, "and it has a wave of torque from about 3,500rpm all the way to 7,500rpm. When it comes an power it's very rapid." Rick, does admit though that he rarely drives the car hard and doesn't really use it that much at all. "It's for this reason - and to fund future plans for the business - that I've decided to offer it for sale. I'd really like it to go to some enthusiast who will be able to get more use and enjoyment out of the car than me." So if you fancy owning one of the most desirable Mk 2 Golfs of them all - and easily the quickest - you'd best give Rick a ring at R&A Design (01472 811711). Just make sure you're prepared to offer over £9,000, or £10,000+ if you also want the Schmidt alloys. There were only 70 Limiteds ever built and as far as we're aware, there are currently only four in the UK (one owned by a Scot, one by the former H2O Konnection and one with roof bars based around the London area).
Just think, for less than the price of brand-new Skoda Fabia 1.4 you could be behind the wheel of a real piece of Volkswagen folklore. Can you imagine the fun you'll have when your 'Plain Jane' five-door Golf creams away the opposition at the traffic lights?

Quelle: VW Motoring 08/2001