Right - it seems that there's a few people who are incapable of clicking the rather handy link I posted (
http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/road-tax/?deriv=18512) showing the current 4motion tax, what it's going up to from May 09 and what it's going up to from April 2010.
So here it is in table form - you don't even have to click anything, just read and digest. Tax for the 4motion and the mk4 R32 for that matter is not going to be anywhere near £400 a year as it stands.
Volkswagen Golf Hatchback (97-04) 2.8 V6 4MOTION 3dRates effective from 13 March 2008Date of Registration 6 Months 12 Months Band CO2 (g/km)
5 Jan 2000 – 1 Mar 2001 £101.75 £185.00 -
1 Mar 2001 – 1 Jan 2004 £115.50 £210.00 F 264
Rates effective from May 2009Date of Registration 6 Months 12 Months Band CO2 (g/km)
5 Jan 2000 – 1 Mar 2001 £104.50 £190.00 -
1 Mar 2001 – 1 Jan 2004 £118.25 £215.00 K 264
Rates effective from April 2010Date of Registration 6 Months 12 Months Band CO2 (g/km)
5 Jan 2000 – 1 Mar 2001 £112.75 £205.00 -
1 Mar 2001 – 1 Jan 2004 £134.75 £245.00 K 264
As the R32 wasn't registered until August 2002, it does not qualify for the "old" tax bracket for pre April 2001 cars. It does however, still fall into new Band K which means that it's only going up to £245.00 per year in April 2010 the same as the 4motion.
The website can be found here -
http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/road-tax/ and you can put any car in to find out what you'll be paying in tax in the coming years.