Mk7 Golf GTI Discussion Thread

[gjuu]

VWA should bring in manual 3dr with PP or at least a LSD option.

Plus ability to turn off esp completely.

Then i am sure a lot of purists will buy it.

It is called an RS265

[AdamD]

Agree that there are obviously updates - in this case to show incremental gains to justify upgrades/advancements but when the basic architecture of the engine is the same, driveability cannot be that different as I discovered.

Torque's gone up from 280Nm to 350Nm with a fundamentally similar engine and a (presumably) equal amount of tuning headroom. That's 25% extra driveability right there in my book. To be fair I've not driven the Mk7 GTI yet, but the figures (especially when coupled with journo reports) speak volumes. You have an APR Stage 1, so you know how dramatically a simple software tune can impact on your car's performance and driveability characteristics with absolutely no mechanical changes.

I'm not really sure how much of a change in driveability you're expecting? The Mk6 was already one of the very best packages available in this regard - at any price.

(Of course the car still follows a formula that VW have been applying for years to great effect - so you wouldn't expect the car to feel dramatically different from any one iteration to the next - or even between multiple generations really.)

[Finance_Analyst]

Torque's gone up from 280Nm to 350Nm with a fundamentally similar engine and a (presumably) equal amount of tuning headroom. That's 25% extra driveability right there in my book. To be fair I've not driven the Mk7 GTI yet, but the figures (especially when coupled with journo reports) speak volumes. You have an APR Stage 1, so you know how dramatically a simple software tune can impact on your car's performance and driveability characteristics with absolutely no mechanical changes.

I'm not really sure how much of a change in driveability you're expecting? The Mk6 was already one of the very best packages available in this regard - at any price.

(Of course the car still follows a formula that VW have been applying for years to great effect - so you wouldn't expect the car to feel dramatically different from any one iteration to the next - or even between multiple generations really.)

Yeah I suppose my point was that based on what I observed I would not be making an upgrade based on how similar it was. Of course if this was my first GTI then the mk7 is awesome. Bring on the mk8 I say!

[AdamD]

Yeah I suppose my point was that based on what I observed I would not be making an upgrade based on how similar it was. Of course if this was my first GTI then the mk7 is awesome. Bring on the mk8 I say!

Yeah, agree. VW will likely capture many of the exact same buyers to whom the Mk6 GTI appealed, along with those Mk6 owners who are happy with the way their car drives but choose to trade up every few years.

I'd definitely want more of a change as well, if I'm going to be able to justify shelling out so much cash again. So I'm considering an R, S3, A45 AMG, or possibly even an M135i or 328i.

[Mountainman]

Then i am sure a lot of purists will buy it.

And what's a purist??

[Mountainman]

Everyone I've talked to who's lived with the electric parking brake for a few weeks now reckon they prefer it.

+1 to that. I never touch it. It comes on and releases automatically and holds tighter than any traditional handbrake ever did. It's one less thing to think about, doesn't waste room in the console area and is just so much more efficient. Why would anyone ever want to go back to the old way? Live with one for awhile and you'll all be converted.

[MIRSAD]

And what's a purist??

........

[pologti18t]

If I were VGA, I'd let people choose less profitable or undesirable combinations under the guise of "special orders".

VAG ditched the HIDs (standard elsewhere in the world) and all people here whinged about was that the red style line was now missing - gotta love "purists"

[DoggieHowser]

VAG ditched the HIDs (standard elsewhere in the world) and all people here whinged about was that the red style line was now missing - gotta love "purists"

You must have selective memory. Most people wanted the HID. In fact losing the red stripe trim was a check on the pro side for not having HID.

[spikeyboy22]

Had a call today from a Melbourne dealer today saying corp discount was 2000 on a dsg gti

[Arnold]

A motoring purist, if there exists such a thing for practical purposes, would drive a car constructed in the way of the cars running around Mt Panorama at the weekend. Everything else is somewhere else on the spectrum of practicality and purism. An enthusiast buys a 911 Carrera, a purist buys a GT2, and so on.

We're all enthusiasts to varying extents. Most people here love driving and the extent of that devotion determines the extent to which they will sacrifice driving comfort and practicality in pursuit of pure automotive performance and handling.

The Golf is an excellent compromise for enthusiasts as it offers 80% or 90% of what the enthusiast demands with 90% practicality, whereas an 86 / BRZ offers 90% purism with only 50% practicality (depending on one's needs).

With 350Nm of torque from a new low of 1500 (I think), that's 87.5% of the torque of an M3 or 135i, the new GTI gets great marks from enthusiasts while offering considerable cost and functional benefits (ie practicality) for bean counters and those with families.

A pretty hard package to beat although, I am obliged to say, overpriced to buggery.

[andrew7]

Had a call today from a Melbourne dealer today saying corp discount was 2000 on a dsg gti

Was closer to $4k think I'll be waiting for the WRX (cvt) or moving up a class to the S3

[Tobes_WIR35]

I see a lot of RenaultSports and a fair few Focus RS's around, and back in the 90's Integra Type R's were considered a proper enthusiasts car. The original Mk1 GTI is probably the definition of a "purist" car. There's no reason why a modern Golf GTI couldn't be as well.

[raygti]

wasnt the handbrake a "mechanical" way of stopping the car or considered an emergency brake? seems like the switch is gimmicky, and that any moving part that is used will wear quicker. its just a fact of life. no matter how good the materials are, it will need to be maintained or replaced.

[spellbound]

What's the story with the elec hand brake when the battery fails .