Johannesburg - Volkswagen SA is adding fuel (or is that gearbox oil?) to the 'manual versus automated' debate by releasing a manual version of its Golf R in South Africa.
Aimed at purists that enjoy the feeling of full control that a clutch pedal and manual gear linkage brings, there's really not much extra to say about the new derivative, except that it has six forward gears and one reverse cog. That, according to VW, will cost you an extra 0.2 seconds when accelerating from 0-100km/h - the manual pulling it off in 5.2 seconds.
Oh yes, and it's R14 590 cheaper at R485 400 - although we doubt that saving will really make much of a difference to someone already making a half-a-bar hole in their pocket.
As per the regular Golf R dual-clutch DSG model that was launched earlier this year, the right pedal provides access to 206kW and 380Nm from VW's EA888 2-litre turbopetrol.
Bend-hugging stability is provided by VW's 4Motion all-wheel drive system and a fifth-generation Haldex coupling. Buyers can opt for a Dynamic Chassis Control system that that allows the driver to choose from various modes, including a 'Race' function.
Just hope you know how to snap change correctly.
PRICES
Golf R manual - R485 400
Golf R DSG - R499 990