Golf R - First Drive

[Diablo]

An article on TheAge Drive website:

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/first-drive-volkswagen-golf-r-20100201-n7a5.html

[fuzion]

hmm the red is tempting.. but very plain jane interior for vw

[FJ Steve]

In terms of ear candy, though, there's some disappointment. The four-cylinder turbo doesn't sound as sweet as the old R32's lusty V6.

Game...set...and match.

[Corey_R]

This article and discussion on it is already posted in the Golf R arrives in July? thread

[Rthirty2]

well there is the noise.. the new R just wont compare to the sounds of the R32... but wait there's more!!

its also being detuned for the australian market

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/fastest-golf-slowed-by-aussie-heat-20100201-n78l.html

down to 188kw... yes i know torque/fuel consumption/0-100 times/emmisions etc are better and yes chipping it will take it well over 200kw, but you would have to feel disapointed... and really apart from the twin pipes at the back it looks exactly like a GTi that looks exactly like a normal Mk6 golf.

[Corey_R]

I'm not disappointed at all.

It looks no more like a standard Golf than the R32 did. I mean, you've got a unique front bumper with a large 3 section intake, daytime running LEDS and the Xenon's by standard. Around the side you've got the black coloured mirrors, and body coloured full-length side skirts - the only MK6 Golf with side skirts which extend the full length and which are body coloured. You also have the unique wheels in either silver or black, again only available on the R.
Around the back you have the LED lights and unique bumper, black diffuser and the central dual exhaust.

So um, there are a lot of visual clues to the fact that it's not a normal MK6 Golf.

As for the reduction in power, I can understand the marketting reasons for this, although I agree it is crap. But having said that who will it really affect? Anyone here who's serious about their Golf R would be driving it straight down to their local APR dealer and having the ECU flashed, which immediately puts that to 240KW / 435NM, which puts it at identical power to a flashed S3 or TT-S.

But even if you didn't flash it, it's significantly quicker than a GTI (even a Stage II one), or than the R32 - 5.5sec 0 to 100 instead of 6.1 - plus, with 75kg less weight it'll corner much nicer and not have that huge unbalanced dead weight feeling at the front due to the 3.2L V6.

So yeah - some will miss the sound of the old engine - but in my opinion the Golf R is an improvement over the R32 is practically every way.

[Lima]

Game...set...and match.

Turbo whistle bro, sik ulleh!

[Lima]

well there is the noise.. the new R just wont compare to the sounds of the R32... but wait there's more!!

its also being detuned for the australian market

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/fastest-golf-slowed-by-aussie-heat-20100201-n78l.html

down to 188kw... yes i know torque/fuel consumption/0-100 times/emmisions etc are better and yes chipping it will take it well over 200kw, but you would have to feel disapointed... and really apart from the twin pipes at the back it looks exactly like a GTi that looks exactly like a normal Mk6 golf.

I don't think this fact has hindered S3 sales.

I'm surprised the detuning is surprising to so many people given it's been over 3 years since the S3 was launched here with the same engine and the 188kW spec.

[MariusGT]

this is the part that surprised me the most:

..."variable suspension - which, surprisingly, is optional on the Golf R rather than being another point of differentiation from the significantly more affordable GTI."

i like the look. no one buys the high spec golf's so they can be boy racers.....
well.. not many anyway.

[elisiX]

Making ACC standard on the R would be silly IMO.

While not everyone will mod their R, quite a few will and by changing your wheels and suspension, you render the system useless.

Much rather a lower entry point than a standard 'feature' which may not be relevant.

[prise]

The explanation for the power reduction is rubbish IMO - it probably is more driven by market differentiation with the S3. Given the factory ECU measures air temperature, coolant temperature and will have inbuilt models for estimating the temperature of critical componenets like the cat, I don't see why any derating required for compoenent protection is not condition based as is the case for other vehicles.

Just a thought.

[Lima]

The explanation for the power reduction is rubbish IMO - it probably is more driven by market differentiation with the S3. Given the factory ECU measures air temperature, coolant temperature and will have inbuilt models for estimating the temperature of critical componenets like the cat, I don't see why any derating required for compoenent protection is not condition based as is the case for other vehicles.

Just a thought.

I agree, but the same theory also applies to the S3 which has also been detuned from its Euro spec of 195kW/350Nm to 188kW/330Nm.

Although some vagaries seem to exist as to the torque figure of newer S3s, with the possibility that the torque remains at 350Nm.