GTI Edition 40 / Clubsport Thread

[Bassik]

Someone's eager haha, counting sleeps?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Brian]

Any pics or initial thoughts Brian?

Well, you asked for it
Well peoples, after 2 days and 280 kms of driving my new Golf GTI 40Yrs, I'm ready to share my first impressions.
As my annual performance review used to say: EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS!!
To those trying to decide between one of these and an “R”, unless you want to spend all your time doing ¼ mile drags, then save your money and get one of these.
My kms covered a bit of everything, including a mountain loop at the back of the Sunny Coast north of Brissie which I often use to try vehicles on.
In the traffic and on the freeway, comfort mode selected was a relaxing drive. One complaint is with the DSG on take off still has that hesitation which I detested in my MkVI Golf 118TSI 7speed DSG. I thought VW would have improved this by now, but no. For quick take offs, select manual or sport mode. Another thing, the P Zero tyres are NOISY, but levels of grip are tenacious on the twisty bits. I would prefer the Bridgestone RE050s I had on the RS (Megane) for all round comfort AND grip.
Straight line acceleration feels around the 6 sec mark but lacks the raw kick in the back which the Renault used to produce from a manual gearbox. Noticeably lacking is the massive torque steer from the Renault, with this car having the least TS of any high powered FWD I have driven. A very, very nice feeling/surprise! This car is just as fast but in a more refined manner. There was even some exhaust pops on gear changes going up as well as down gears. Understandably I treated the car with caution till I get a lot more ks on it, but suffice to say, it ticks all the boxes for performance, and I haven’t tried the extra power unleashed yet!
Handling is precise and smooth. In sports mode the ACC (adaptive chassis control) and the XDL (extended differential lock) do a great job. Line up the corner, shoot for the apex and power on gets you pulled through the corner with precise positioning and neutral stance. I would rate it as good as the RS on the twisty bits, which I thought I would never concede, as the RS held the “King of the Ring” for FWD cars for almost 5 years without the aid of electronic wizardry, just all mechanical LSD which is brilliant. Now I’m not sorry its gone, this Golf is fantastic.
Performance and handling both exceeding my (very high) expectations. Compared to the GTI PP I drove before I ordered this, I CAN feel the extra punch from the extra HP and the handling seemed better controlled. However I did not get to try the PP on my mountain loop, so could be an invalid perception there.
As previously discovered here, list of deletions on this model:
Ambient lighting, only foot-well and lower door leds on this. (and the roof of course)
No voice control for the infotainment system! How backwards is this! Sales tells me no Golf gets this in Australia? Any one else know this.
Navigation system is not up to the level I expect from 2016 systems. Whilst it gets the job done, it lacks features I've been used to for years.
Front parking sensors – miss them already
No GTI tartan seat cloth – hooray! The seats look and feel great, maybe not as hugging as the Recaros but way more comfortable and way adequate for normal lateral forces.
Front fog lights – doesn’t worry me as I don’t see much fog here. The DRLs are great for their intended purpose.
Things I do like:
Alcantara trim on seats, steering wheel (feels great to drive with), door inserts above the arm rest.
Adaptive Cruise Control is sensational! Even puts on the brakes when some muppet cuts in on you.
Blind spot monitor is great on the free way, works on both sides so the suicide bikers coming through on the left may get to live a little longer
The red stitching on the seat belts LOL. Classy but not ostentatious like the all bright red belts in the RS Megane.
I haven’t mastered the steering wheel controls nor the infotainment system yet so will not air my grievances till I have more time with them.
Thats about it for my thoughts for now, will add as things occur to me.
In conclusion, anyone having doubts about this car being worth the money, DON'T!
Worth every bit.
My opinions are just that, and are based on my last 7 years of driving.
2009-2012 Mk VI Golf 118TSI “Twincharger” with Stage 1 mods
2013-2016 Renault Megane RS RB8 special. Bought after dismissing the “R” as not as much a drivers car and “Head Turning” ability. The RS is by far a better handling car than the R, even with its AWD.
Now – GTI 40Years – looking good so far
On order – New Ford Focus RS – AWD 250kW – remains to be seen if it lives up to the hype.

[Bassik]

Well, you asked for it
Well peoples, after 2 days and 280 kms of driving my new Golf GTI 40Yrs, I'm ready to share my first impressions.
As my annual performance review used to say: EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS!!
To those trying to decide between one of these and an “R”, unless you want to spend all your time doing ¼ mile drags, then save your money and get one of these.
My kms covered a bit of everything, including a mountain loop at the back of the Sunny Coast north of Brissie which I often use to try vehicles on.
In the traffic and on the freeway, comfort mode selected was a relaxing drive. One complaint is with the DSG on take off still has that hesitation which I detested in my MkVI Golf 118TSI 7speed DSG. I thought VW would have improved this by now, but no. For quick take offs, select manual or sport mode. Another thing, the P Zero tyres are NOISY, but levels of grip are tenacious on the twisty bits. I would prefer the Bridgestone RE050s I had on the RS (Megane) for all round comfort AND grip.
Straight line acceleration feels around the 6 sec mark but lacks the raw kick in the back which the Renault used to produce from a manual gearbox. Noticeably lacking is the massive torque steer from the Renault, with this car having the least TS of any high powered FWD I have driven. A very, very nice feeling/surprise! This car is just as fast but in a more refined manner. There was even some exhaust pops on gear changes going up as well as down gears. Understandably I treated the car with caution till I get a lot more ks on it, but suffice to say, it ticks all the boxes for performance, and I haven’t tried the extra power unleashed yet!
Handling is precise and smooth. In sports mode the ACC (adaptive chassis control) and the XDL (extended differential lock) do a great job. Line up the corner, shoot for the apex and power on gets you pulled through the corner with precise positioning and neutral stance. I would rate it as good as the RS on the twisty bits, which I thought I would never concede, as the RS held the “King of the Ring” for FWD cars for almost 5 years without the aid of electronic wizardry, just all mechanical LSD which is brilliant. Now I’m not sorry its gone, this Golf is fantastic.
Performance and handling both exceeding my (very high) expectations. Compared to the GTI PP I drove before I ordered this, I CAN feel the extra punch from the extra HP and the handling seemed better controlled. However I did not get to try the PP on my mountain loop, so could be an invalid perception there.
As previously discovered here, list of deletions on this model:
Ambient lighting, only foot-well and lower door leds on this. (and the roof of course)
No voice control for the infotainment system! How backwards is this! Sales tells me no Golf gets this in Australia? Any one else know this.
Navigation system is not up to the level I expect from 2016 systems. Whilst it gets the job done, it lacks features I've been used to for years.
Front parking sensors – miss them already
No GTI tartan seat cloth – hooray! The seats look and feel great, maybe not as hugging as the Recaros but way more comfortable and way adequate for normal lateral forces.
Front fog lights – doesn’t worry me as I don’t see much fog here. The DRLs are great for their intended purpose.
Things I do like:
Alcantara trim on seats, steering wheel (feels great to drive with), door inserts above the arm rest.
Adaptive Cruise Control is sensational! Even puts on the brakes when some muppet cuts in on you.
Blind spot monitor is great on the free way, works on both sides so the suicide bikers coming through on the left may get to live a little longer
The red stitching on the seat belts LOL. Classy but not ostentatious like the all bright red belts in the RS Megane.
I haven’t mastered the steering wheel controls nor the infotainment system yet so will not air my grievances till I have more time with them.
Thats about it for my thoughts for now, will add as things occur to me.
In conclusion, anyone having doubts about this car being worth the money, DON'T!
Worth every bit.
My opinions are just that, and are based on my last 7 years of driving.
2009-2012 Mk VI Golf 118TSI “Twincharger” with Stage 1 mods
2013-2016 Renault Megane RS RB8 special. Bought after dismissing the “R” as not as much a drivers car and “Head Turning” ability. The RS is by far a better handling car than the R, even with its AWD.
Now – GTI 40Years – looking good so far
On order – New Ford Focus RS – AWD 250kW – remains to be seen if it lives up to the hype.

Great write up mate, awesome news, glad you enjoyed it. You make it a hard decision from that. I wish you were in Sydney, I'd pay to ask for a test drive... lol What do you mean by "and lower door leds on this", I didn't see that on the version I saw. Also don't all new MK7 golfs not have front fogs anymore?

Any pics/vids worth posting up?

[WhiteJames]

Not sure about that GTI ED40 -v- Golf R video? This one is more factual with times and all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hxNcvhvL5o

Oh Yeah ... the Golf R will be much easier to sell than any GTI. From experience, Golf R's sell quickly. GTI tend to linger for a while due to having so many of the them available for sale. Good point in the previous Golf ED40 reivew: there's a reason why the Skoda RS230 LSD and Focus RS have 8 month waiting lists.

Personally: If I had to chose again looking at a car with Manual Trans, I'd be taking a good look at the Skoda RS230 LSD. More room, quieter cabin in sedan, better price. Resale on Skoda may be worse than a GTI, which is worse than a Golf R.

WJ

[ringo]

Not sure about that GTI ED40 -v- Golf R video? This one is more factual with times and all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hxNcvhvL5o

Oh Yeah ... the Golf R will be much easier to sell than any GTI. From experience, Golf R's sell quickly. GTI tend to linger for a while due to having so many of the them available for sale. Good point in the previous Golf ED40 reivew: there's a reason why the Skoda RS230 LSD and Focus RS have 8 month waiting lists.

Personally: If I had to chose again looking at a car with Manual Trans, I'd be taking a good look at the Skoda RS230 LSD. More room, quieter cabin in sedan, better price. Resale on Skoda may be worse than a GTI, which is worse than a Golf R.

WJ

I am taking that particular Autoexpress video with... a lot of salt. Especially when they are being so cheeky as to not mention that Clubsport was tested on standard Bridgestones (one of the worst tyres out there for a FWD) and the Type-R on SportContact 6. If you do a track test, pick a car with the extra Michelin Sport Cups on, I am not talking upgrade privately, this is a list option.

Even on their review there seems to be an underlying dislike and as if they were trying to come up with excuses to bash the car. Complaints that were not mentioned anywhere else, either by car mags or private testers. "Ride too harsh that sends a crash in the cabin???". Makes you wonder whether their car had strut pucks still on. So much they cared in evaluating the car properly they didn't even get basic figures right (380mm discs???)

EVO on the other hand seemed to rate it very highly and as a much more enjoyable ride than an R;

Top Gear say it's one of the best cars they drove this year: Review: the VW Golf GTI Clubsport Edition 40 | Top Gear

And in terms of facts and times:

Here's a Japanese test against the Type-R (repeat: Japanese), that throws a standard Clubsport again the CTR, Clubsport being on standard tyres seeing as Brescias are on, instead of Pretorias. Type-R gets the SportContact 6 UHP tyre with which it broke the Nurburgring record a year ago, yet on a longer track than the Autoexpress one, the CS with lesser tyres is only a second shy of the Civic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCoGYl_wxME&list=PL1gJICZyZQfx86rXvBOBCsZUJMOArU8tY&index=13

And then here is another track test from Autobild, against Cupra, Type-R and 308 GTI, but this time with the Clubsport on Pretorias+ Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, rather interesting:

[ringo]

Well, you asked for it
Well peoples, after 2 days and 280 kms of driving my new Golf GTI 40Yrs, I'm ready to share my first impressions.
As my annual performance review used to say: EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS!!
To those trying to decide between one of these and an “R”, unless you want to spend all your time doing ¼ mile drags, then save your money and get one of these.
My kms covered a bit of everything, including a mountain loop at the back of the Sunny Coast north of Brissie which I often use to try vehicles on.
In the traffic and on the freeway, comfort mode selected was a relaxing drive. One complaint is with the DSG on take off still has that hesitation which I detested in my MkVI Golf 118TSI 7speed DSG. I thought VW would have improved this by now, but no. For quick take offs, select manual or sport mode. Another thing, the P Zero tyres are NOISY, but levels of grip are tenacious on the twisty bits. I would prefer the Bridgestone RE050s I had on the RS (Megane) for all round comfort AND grip.
Straight line acceleration feels around the 6 sec mark but lacks the raw kick in the back which the Renault used to produce from a manual gearbox. Noticeably lacking is the massive torque steer from the Renault, with this car having the least TS of any high powered FWD I have driven. A very, very nice feeling/surprise! This car is just as fast but in a more refined manner. There was even some exhaust pops on gear changes going up as well as down gears. Understandably I treated the car with caution till I get a lot more ks on it, but suffice to say, it ticks all the boxes for performance, and I haven’t tried the extra power unleashed yet!
Handling is precise and smooth. In sports mode the ACC (adaptive chassis control) and the XDL (extended differential lock) do a great job. Line up the corner, shoot for the apex and power on gets you pulled through the corner with precise positioning and neutral stance. I would rate it as good as the RS on the twisty bits, which I thought I would never concede, as the RS held the “King of the Ring” for FWD cars for almost 5 years without the aid of electronic wizardry, just all mechanical LSD which is brilliant. Now I’m not sorry its gone, this Golf is fantastic.
Performance and handling both exceeding my (very high) expectations. Compared to the GTI PP I drove before I ordered this, I CAN feel the extra punch from the extra HP and the handling seemed better controlled. However I did not get to try the PP on my mountain loop, so could be an invalid perception there.
As previously discovered here, list of deletions on this model:
Ambient lighting, only foot-well and lower door leds on this. (and the roof of course)
No voice control for the infotainment system! How backwards is this! Sales tells me no Golf gets this in Australia? Any one else know this.
Navigation system is not up to the level I expect from 2016 systems. Whilst it gets the job done, it lacks features I've been used to for years.
Front parking sensors – miss them already
No GTI tartan seat cloth – hooray! The seats look and feel great, maybe not as hugging as the Recaros but way more comfortable and way adequate for normal lateral forces.
Front fog lights – doesn’t worry me as I don’t see much fog here. The DRLs are great for their intended purpose.
Things I do like:
Alcantara trim on seats, steering wheel (feels great to drive with), door inserts above the arm rest.
Adaptive Cruise Control is sensational! Even puts on the brakes when some muppet cuts in on you.
Blind spot monitor is great on the free way, works on both sides so the suicide bikers coming through on the left may get to live a little longer
The red stitching on the seat belts LOL. Classy but not ostentatious like the all bright red belts in the RS Megane.
I haven’t mastered the steering wheel controls nor the infotainment system yet so will not air my grievances till I have more time with them.
Thats about it for my thoughts for now, will add as things occur to me.
In conclusion, anyone having doubts about this car being worth the money, DON'T!
Worth every bit.
My opinions are just that, and are based on my last 7 years of driving.
2009-2012 Mk VI Golf 118TSI “Twincharger” with Stage 1 mods
2013-2016 Renault Megane RS RB8 special. Bought after dismissing the “R” as not as much a drivers car and “Head Turning” ability. The RS is by far a better handling car than the R, even with its AWD.
Now – GTI 40Years – looking good so far
On order – New Ford Focus RS – AWD 250kW – remains to be seen if it lives up to the hype.

Great read. I always feel good when private drivers echo journalists in their own reviews. It really seems the Clubsport is as much of a driver's car one could possibly expect to be allowed to roll out from Wolfsubrg while still retaining full practicality and everyday driveability, a clear choice for anyone prioritizing driving involvement. It is amazing how the hardcore FWD MQB variants like the Clubsport and the Cupra are performing so well in the handling and getting the most out of the power around corners department, you wouldn't imagine such a step up by past FWD standards. It was as you describe for me when I test-drove the very similar Cupra. You couldn't say where understeer had gone and on a series of consecutive bends the control and precision was so high that a lot of more powerful cars wouldn't be able to see which way the Cupra/Clubsport went. Torque steer? What's that?

One word though is that tyres do make a world of difference in these cars. I understand from your post that the Pirellis do a good job at least, a much better one than dreadful Potenzas. I'm in Europe so we are lucky to get super light Belvedere wheels (7.6kg) as standard but wrapped in poor Bridgestones. The plan is to change them with MPSS or MPS4 in the first month!

Very nice overall and you just made me more eager to get mine, just as I had managed to forget it for a while (sigh)

[MIRSAD]

few photos

[Bassik]

Quick to paint those rims hey?

[ringo]

few photos

Oh why'd you have to post pictures??

Carbon steel metallic looks so good, tones down the bumper plastics contrast from a distance, yet so beautiful from close enough.

Quick to paint those rims hey?

I don't blame him, these wheels as standard need replacing or at least painting as he smartly did.

[MIRSAD]

Quick to paint those rims hey?

Not so ... 48 hours after

[ringo]

few photos

Ok sorry I'm spamming now, but I re-quote these two pics in particular as from a second look, I feel that the choice of a dark color (CSG or Black) aids in the (black only) rear wing integrating so much smoother into the rest of the car as opposed to the white which stressed it maybe too much for some.

[MIRSAD]

Ok sorry I'm spamming now, but I re-quote these two pics in particular as from a second look, I feel that the choice of a dark color (CSG or Black) aids in the (black only) rear wing integrating so much smoother into the rest of the car as opposed to the white which stressed it maybe too much for some.

It should not be ... It is like any 40 years old on viagra ... rear wing is erected, exhaust pipes are bigger - maybe does not look nice but it feels good

[shortshifter]

few photos

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24149[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24150[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24151[/ATTACH]

Amazing. Looks mean

[shortshifter]

Just starting to see a few pop up for sale online. $54,674 drive away with delivery Km is the cheapest going around. Tough decision between this and and R.

Volkswagen Golf GTI 40 Years for Sale | Rare Car Sales | Rare and Unique Cars For Sale

[andrew7]

^ So MIRSAD, spill the beans on the rims, did you wrap them (if not painted)? They look much better IMO.