My thoughts after 3 days with the GTI

[trueman]

I dunno my neighbour just bought dark blue STI looks hot and so does the car!! And her mum bought a silver rs model. I guess are not everyones taste but not dog ugly. Then again I actually like the new outback styling

[Guy_H]

New RSC exhaust is awesome, been running around for a couple of weeks with mine. I'm pretty sure it is quieter than stock cruising between 90 & 120, but when you accelerate, its awesome.

If you are in Victoria, Volkspowers Demo MKVI has the RSC on it, experience it for yourself!

[Beaker]

This is an interesting thread. I've had performance cars all my life, currently a lighly warmed XR6 turbo and I'm a little concerned the GTI I have on order will feel a bit disapointing in the get up and go department (I know the quality of finish, build quality and comfort will all be streets ahead - and thats ultimately why I bought it).

I drove all the current crop of hot 4s before settling on the GTI and all, without exception felt significantly slower then the XRT (even the STi was a let down!) - I hope with an APR tune the Golfie can have a bit of fire put under its tail to compensate I have to say while I'm really looking forward to the refinement and handling of the GTI, I'm going to miss that sledghammer in the back you get when you drop the hammer in the current wheels.

[Corey_R]

New RSC exhaust is awesome, been running around for a couple of weeks with mine. I'm pretty sure it is quieter than stock cruising between 90 & 120, but when you accelerate, its awesome.

If you are in Victoria, Volkspowers Demo MKVI has the RSC on it, experience it for yourself!

That's great news. Does Derek have an RSC Exhaust on his GTI at European Autotech?

Also, how long before we see the details for a Golf R RSC exhaust!?

I have to say while I'm really looking forward to the refinement and handling of the GTI, I'm going to miss that sledghammer in the back you get when you drop the hammer in the current wheels.

I worry too, that with your comments, you will be disappointed. Not many people can separate 'refinement' with performance. Like, on Top Gear Australia when they reviewed the Audi RS6 Wagon vs the HSV R8 wagon. Despite Steve Pizzati being an advanced driving instructor, race driver and freelance motoring journalist, he swore that the HSV was much quicker, when it turned out the RS6 was in fact much quicker.
My Golf GTI with APR Stage II tune was seriously quick, but at the same time it was still refined and never had that 'kick in your back'. The Polo GTI I have now is less powerful and slower, but less refined, and it does have that 'kick in your back' - just because the power is nowhere near as linear, nor the suspension as refined, etc etc.

[Beaker]

I worry too, that with your comments, you will be disappointed. Not many people can separate 'refinement' with performance. Like, on Top Gear Australia when they reviewed the Audi RS6 Wagon vs the HSV R8 wagon. Despite Steve Pizzati being an advanced driving instructor, race driver and freelance motoring journalist, he swore that the HSV was much quicker, when it turned out the RS6 was in fact much quicker.
My Golf GTI with APR Stage II tune was seriously quick, but at the same time it was still refined and never had that 'kick in your back'. The Polo GTI I have now is less powerful and slower, but less refined, and it does have that 'kick in your back' - just because the power is nowhere near as linear, nor the suspension as refined, etc etc.

Maybe, but I've been competing in rally cars for close to 20 years so I do have a bit of an understanding of performance. Its on the highway when overtaking that you really notice if there is grunt there or not. I'm really not stressed if it does 0-100 in 6.9 seconds or 6.2 seconds, but when you consider when you just drop the boot in 5th to overtake the Falcon will do 80 - 120 in around 5 seconds the GTI takes over 9 there is a big difference anyway you cut it, having said that dropping back to 3rd drops that difference to a shade over a second which is pretty respectible for the GTI.

Time will tell - I'm sure there is plenty to be found if I get bored with it.

[Corey_R]

My GTI could do 80 to 160kph in 250metres (don't ask...). I never timed it, but asuming the average speed between those points is 120kph, that'd come out to 7.5 seconds. But that was starting in 3rd, and probably had a change into 4th (it's been too long).

[Beaker]

When I test drove all the competitors, the only one that 'felt' faster was the WRX (and possibly the 3 MPS). The Focus while faster on paper certainly felt slower. I'm not planning on racing it other then the odd 'khana and when you go for a squirt in the mountains its all about 'feel' anyway

[johng]

thanks Axis - had my car a fair while and only now discover service mode. I had thought it was a design flaw.

[Beaker]

I worry too, that with your comments, you will be disappointed.

The question was pretty conclusivley answered on the weekend. I was behind a GTI doing about 5km/h below the speedlimit (probably believed the speedo ), we arrived at an overtaking lane, so I pulled out to overtake, he didn't like that apparently and put his foot down (not going to go on about that sort of behaviour other then ), going by how it jumped it (or he) went back a couple of gears. Back to third in the Falcon and it wasn't even a contest, it just walked away from the GTI, fortunatly he realised it was pointless and gave up, before the speeds got silly.

APR is now a definate on my list of stuff to do.

[Zaul]

With all due respects Beaker, you can't really compare a v6 putting out 195kw and with 391Nm of torque with a 2lt, 4cyc (albeit with turbo and supercharged) that's got 155Kw and 280Nm.

[Sharkie]

APR GTI Golf will do 80-120km/h in about 3.4s in 3rd .... only Falcon that comes close is the 4.0Ts ... FPV F6 will do it in 2.7s ..... XR6T in 3.1s .... XR8 takes over 4s ....

Polo GTI with a chip only will do it in 3.5s ....

Once you go beyond Stg 1 in both the Golf & Polo it will crack 3s ..... makes even a F6 Falcon sweat .....

The big strenght of both the VW GTIs are in the overtaking stakes once chipped .... light weight, lots of torque and no traction issues once moving means its awesomely quick in the ingear runs .... I have many V8 scalps to show as proof ...

So chip the GTI and never (almost anyway) worry about not being able to overtake when you need to ....

[OilBurna]

don't take on a modified BF / FG very easy to get 400kw at the wheels even though they are heavy.

[JohnA]

its not all about straight line power peoples

[Corey_R]

With all due respects Beaker, you can't really compare a v6 putting out 195kw and with 391Nm of torque with a 2lt, 4cyc (albeit with turbo and supercharged) that's got 155Kw and 280Nm.

Why not? My Golf GTI had 205kw and 435NM, so was more powerful than those figures you quoted. On top of that, it weighed 500kg less than the average Falcon and Commodore!

[Beaker]

its not all about straight line power peoples

Never a truer phrase written, but as someone that does a heap of country road driving, being able to safely overtake is very important to me, and unfortunately you do get a whole heap of people who are somehow offended at being overtaken and speed up.


And yeah Sharkie its a slightly warmed over BF Turbo so BF F6 territory ~ 270KW


Coreying - 205KW in a Golf would be sweet! Maybe I'll have to look at the stage II stuff