Golf R 3 door/5 door speculation/information thread

[ddre78]

I guess you didn't read the replies in your thread about the GTI or R decission linked below then:

LOL no, forgot about it. Sounds like I dont want to read it.....

[WhiteJames]

Power in reserve is good for safety. Better slightly more power for overtaking than less. At the end of the day, it’s people that cause accidents, not motor vehicles. Having said that: There also comes a point where additional power requires upgrades to other aspects of the vehicle, such as – brakes, suspension, wheels, tyres and in extreme cases, chassis stiffening. Anything more than a 15% power & torque increase may be significant amount & necessitate an RTA engineer signatory to approve the hike in power output. Even NSW finest are ordering 5K Brembo brakes as standard equipment for the chaser Falcon XR6 Turbo as the optional in-between performance brakes Ford offer are not up to the job.

Ultimately, you’d be looking at having a good performing vehicle between 40kph – 140kph for local conditions. This is the conundrum between being a prospective owner of a GTI –v- R. The difference in performance between the GTI and Golf R in the 40-140kph bracket favouring the Golf R may not be as pronounced in the real world. 140kph – 240kph window belongs to the Golf R undoubtedly. These are issues that any prospective buyer has to be asking themselves when part with an additional 10K for the Golf R.

The track times quoted are not entirely useful as a guide for the street. Attacking a series of tight twisties on your tourist drive resembles something closer to a hill climb to tight race track. You only have one lane to play with, not three – four car berths for a wide entry & exit as the case on the race track.

Coming back to my neighbour's issue, he’s looking at the Audi A5 Coupe now – either 2.0l AWD or V6 TDI AWD – v – GTI or Golf R. Styling of the A5 Hatchback is a tad odd. The A5 Coupe styling is a work of art. The Audi dealer goes on about extra performance of the diesel A5. I’d be inclined to head for the marginally slower 2.0 litre with 100kg less weight under the bonnet for improved balance front to rear and greater agility. My neighbourly friend, being no stranger to modifying his rides more so than driving them, could look at a set of large aftermarket Brembo type brakes to fill the wheel centres just nicely and an ECU retune to bridge any power deficiency concerns he has, and possible suspension mods consummate with the power upgrade if not going with magnetic dampers.

Another point in regards to my lurking neighbour is that the wheel base on the Audi has been stretched in a similar fashion as a VE Commodore, to allow for better weight distribution by situating the motor further rearward in the chassis. This is great for balance front to rear, but a longer wheelbase is not necessarily sporty in feel. Ferrari & Porsche coupes are generally short in wheelbase & wide in track length, as is the case with the compact Volkswagen Golf – this will accentuate the feeling of sportiness for day to day driving, but at the expense of balance front to rear with most weight of the GTI being up front. Making a purchase decision can involve many more aspects than simply outright acceleration figures. In terms of quality, it’s becoming increasing difficult to separate Audi quality from Volkswagen quality, esp. to the tune of 40K premium that Audi is asking.

Speaking of Audi’s, interesting to note that the new Audi RS5 Coupe V8 has XDS at the front wheels in addition to AWD, with a trick torque sensor LSD diff in the rear. XDS at the front – LSD behind. For Audi A5 money, I’d be inclined to look for a base model Cayman/Boxster for a better feeling drive, rather than outright pace. Problem is this article below:

DCOTY 2009: Best performance car under $60,000

The Mark GTI with its revised suspension tune & electronic aids performed better than the Cayman on the slalom run. Only vehicle to better the GTI was the Nissan GTR (Godzilla). Which raises the point, why a Cayman or Audi A5 Audi when the Golf GTI does such an adequate job. Decisions, decisions.

Cheers.
WJ

[G-rig]

WJ, sounds like you have almost decided on the GTI ?

A stage 1 retune would give you that extra power without any real lag, or the need for supporting mods giving it a more similar power output the the Mazda 3 MPS for example. I have noticed my brakes aren't as good as the R32 which was to be expected but still fine for around town. Wouldn't mind doing a mild upgrade once these wear out as i could brake later in the R32.

[WhiteJames]

^Not looking to change anything on my new ride re: ECU or Suspension (DCC ordered). GTI is fast enough in stock form for me. Taking out the ECU on 2010 models sounds like a drama. If my neighbour goes for the GTI, he will probably opt for a BBK package for the front at the very least, or perhaps all four, shortly after purchase. Not that he will be looking to track/targa or anything - more for looks to fill in the wheel space. Probably look at Golf R32 or Golf R BBK or Brembo/AP Racing for additional coin. Here a video of a GTI with R32 brake upgrade by North American Tuner Futrell:

YouTube - 2010 MK6 GTI Braking Upgrades

The only thing I want to add is OEM Volkswagen mudflaps to my ride ... cost $294.00 fitted I'm told. 3 three warranty is provided if mudflaps are fitted to the vehicle prior to handover. Buy mudflaps from Volkswagen spare parts, 12 month warranty applies. Bit annoyed that I have to pay for something that used to come std on Falcon for the last 20 years. Thought installation could be included free of charge as part of the vehicle preparation. Anyway, a bit off topic now.

Cheers.
WJ

[hooba]

why a Cayman or Audi A5 Audi when the Golf GTI does such an adequate job.

The operative word here being "adequate".

Drive a Cayman (I have), you can't possibly compare it to a GTI as it isn't fair on either car. The Cayman has a gloriously balanced chassis and a perfectly mated engine. Its handling so communicative that you feel like you are part of the car. Both cars will leave you with a smile after a drive, but if I had both in my garage and was going out for a drive, the choice would be the Cayman every single time.

[G-rig]

Well the Cayman is a much more expensive car so I'd probably chose it too .

Good to keep it fairly OEM WJ, I'm sure you'll be happy with it. This time i'd like to do a select few and small improvements doesn't need too much.

[ddre78]

Just had info from my contact that in the short term, its very unlikely there will be any Corp+/Fleet discount on the Golf R. For me that means the RRP needs to be very close to $50k to make it worth while. Not going to happen.

[G-rig]

Re: Golf R 3 door/5 door speculation/information thread

There was none on the pirelli and even now highway wouldn't give me Corp disc on the 08 demo they had.

[elisiX]

Golf R being delivered to dealers (WITH PICS))

Some pics of the R arriving @ VWA.

[ddre78]

Some pics of the R arriving @ VWA.

Nice work.

18" or 19" rims on those ones?

[Pauly]

Are they 18" or 19" rims?
(these images are from the link about, with Golf R's already being delivered in Australia)

[Pauly]

Nice work.

18" or 19" rims on those ones?

lol you beat me to it.

[ddre78]

The Polo is wearing 17" rims according to the NZ spec sheet. Makes the R look like it has 18" rims, but they look better than I would have expected.

[waterboy]

Man I gotta wait a while to buy that beast

[elisiX]

I'd say these are the press cars - not customer deliveries.

Either way - I want white - BAD!