Golf R -v- Golf GTI

[AdamD]

You should consider adding the Unibrace X and Under bracing to the car. I can't vouch for the x brace, but the underbrace alone did stiffen up my car quite a bit. I would imagine the xbrace would do more.

Fab_R has one on his R as well, and rates it. Damn they look good! The extra bracing would be great, but that look is a real bonus!

[adzy]

I checkout the quality of others over several dealerships, and the water marks/spotting was evident on all of them.

Serious! Damn thats pretty crap, my bro has a 182 and it has been great... most envolving drive to, heaps of fun.

[triode12]

Fab_R has one on his R as well, and rates it. Damn they look good! The extra bracing would be great, but that look is a real bonus!

They are indeed very well made and finished. The quality is first rate - they are worth the $$.
I didn't think that a MkVI owner would see much improvement with the Underbrace as I felt the MkVI to have greater lateral stiffness (when I tested them) over the MkV - which I thought was one of the improvements I could actually feel over the MkV. But I suppose I am wrong.

[AdamD]

I didn't think that a MkVI owner would see much improvement with the Underbrace as I felt the MkVI to have greater lateral stiffness (when I tested them) over the MkV - which I thought was one of the improvements I could actually feel over the MkV.

I don't have any issues day-to-day with the stiffness in the chassis, but of course there's no denying it's not race car solid. I do recall reading somewhere that VW had put some effort into increasing tortional rigidity in the platform for the MkVI refresh, but can't recall where I saw that, so it's just heresay.

[adzy]

Fab_R has one on his R as well, and rates it. Damn they look good! The extra bracing would be great, but that look is a real bonus!

Jesus! That should do the job alright

[triode12]

Jesus! That should do the job alright

Get both.

UNIbrace.com

However, the XB needs to have two holes drilled into the chassis - just behind the rear seats.
While the UB uses existing bolts and holes.

[adzy]

Get both.

UNIbrace.com

However, the XB needs to have two holes drilled into the chassis - just behind the rear seats.
While the UB uses existing bolts and holes.

Just by looking at the design it seems as though the underbody would suffice as the flex I notice most seems to be more central than rear of the car, better wait for my other packages to arrive first

[adzy]

....... more so loss of luggage space when seats are down though.

[WhiteJames]

Which has a stiffer chassis? Golf GTI or Golf R? Both the same imo. Golf R has a shallower boot, that may have some bearing on torsional rigidity. Ray's MKV R32 and my old MKV GTI, both with H&R sway bars f & r, exhibited the flex in the rear to about the same degree. Likely to be the same case with the Mark 6 GTI and R. Apparently the floor-plan on the Mark 6 has been strengthened, which includes rear end collision impact stiffness, so I'm told. The Mark 6 Golf GTI has a larger rear sway bar (24mm) over the MKV Golf GTI (22mm), which should in practice cause more noise when on a lateral slope. In addition to being a hatchback with some loss of rigidity over a sedan version with a boot there is nothing to compartmentalise the noises in the boot of a hatchback as in the case of the sedan. Interesting to see how much stiffer & wider the Mark 7 Golf/Audi A3 will be. The plastics in the Mark 6 make more noise than the plastics in the MKV imo.
Cheers
WJ

[Corey_R]

Get both.

UNIbrace.com

However, the XB needs to have two holes drilled into the chassis - just behind the rear seats.
While the UB uses existing bolts and holes.

Fab_R has the UNIbrace UB on his car...

[roy]

R if no budget limit

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

[adzy]

R if no budget limit

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

For sure. Once you go even Stage 1 and are going at it on a track or motorkhana with a GTI you then notice how much time you lose by spining the front inside tyre. You dont so much notice on the street but once the tyres get warm and gooey and you are driving at 10/10ths you then wish you had the AWD, for the stopwatch however not so much for driver envolvement.
Just depends on each individuals wants and needs and also the intended use of the car. I would seriously consider going the GTI and then slowly spending the extra coin on some tastefull mods which would scare the odd R... something about the MKVI GTI looks as well that just grab me, especially in CW and the extra envolvement the car requires due to no AWD

[REXman]

I would seriously consider going the GTI and then slowly spending the extra coin on some tastefull mods which would scare the odd R... something about the MKVI GTI looks as well that just grab me, especially in CW and the extra envolvement the car requires due to no AWD

I agree sort of. I prefer my R for sure, But one thing I loved about the GTI is the 2 little red stripes on the front which look great and finish of the front end. And also I like the fact that I could get wheel spin in the GTI. On the test drives I went on (heaps) the GTI was mad fun to just quickly drop the gears (DSG) round a corner and just watch it hook up and slide almost like a RWD. They are great cars to drive thats for sure..

And the quick zippy windy up was kind cool for below 60km/h stuff that you cant get in an R which is heavier and has too much grip.

[adzy]

Agree with all that but yeah, as if u would regret buying the R at the end of the day. I will decide on the day I upgrade probably Lol

Those red stripes are awesome, contrast so well with some of the paint colors. The R would have been so much better looking with blue callipers IMO and a slight amount of blue in the background of the R on the badging.... just to break up the blandness.

[SilvrFoxX]

I had a look at an R, blue with DSG, cloth and 18" standard wheels it think. Drive away for $61k. Sixty-one large!!! As McEnroe would say, "You are not serious!!!!".

Unless it also had ACC, Satnav and MDI it is still 5- 6k overpriced