Might not be as quick as a DSG transmission but it almost guarantees driver enjoyment!
The advertising title infamous with North American petrolheads.
A Golf R that requires some fancy footwork.
We get it, you have a cooler car than us for a change but that hasn’t always been the case.
Americans never seem to be on the receiving end for cool cars, partly due to stringent automotive regulations with safety standards and emission rules. In what seems to be an inversion of the norm, North America will now solely receive a clutch pedal for their Mk8 Golf R and Volkswagen USA have cheekily created an advert boasting this titled: long live the manual.
The advertising title infamous with North American petrolheads.
Starting off with a moving aerial clip of a desert flat with a vague blue vehicle travelling towards the camera at speed, text then appears on screen stating: “European model shown. Not Available in North America.” at which point the front DRL’s of the Mk8 Golf R signify the silhouette which smashes the on-screen text away in an animation.
The Golf R is then shown driving on the flats, billowing dust behind as it moves forward. Text stating “North American model shown. Not available in Europe” is displayed on screen before a cut to the driver of the hot hatch engages the clutch pedal and gear knob simultaneously.
A Golf R that requires some fancy footwork.
The boastful antics continue for another half minute reassuring the viewer of the validity being broadcast while sympathising for the European market at the same time. The promotional video then concludes with a cinematic pan of the blue Golf with text aside stating “Long live the manual” in what is sure to make every petrolhead outside North America green with envy.
Might not be as quick as a DSG transmission but it almost guarantees driver enjoyment!
Even South Africa which has one of the most well received markets for the German brand will not receive a manual derivative of their hatchback but that could be partly due to the fact that Vrrphaa rules the roost locally.
Here is a list of cool cars that can or could be bought locally but not in North America, just in case you are feeling a bit overwhelmed after reading this. The family hauling, highly ominous Audi RS6 Avant is a popular premium staple on our roads from the Ingolstadt brand and would set buyers back just over R2 million. Looking further back we also received the twin-turbocharged in-line 6 powered Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 which is a revered option for tuners and petrolheads alike (also, long live the manual on this one!). Moving further away from high performance cars, the peppy off-road Suzuki Jimny never sold within the USA at any point, perhaps because its diminutive size would have been dwarfed by everything else on their roads.
We get it, you have a cooler car than us for a change but that hasn’t always been the case.
So it’s not all that bad but we can’t help wishing we could have some fun in that Mk8 Golf R, long live the manual!
Keyword: Long live the manual Mk8 Golf R but only in North America