It is good. If I had come from the Civic it probably would be good. But from the G, it feels slow, soggy and inert. Would have been nice if VW put the 3.6 VR6 in. Can't do these damn 2.0Ts, haven't driven one I like yet.

 

Two nice things about the turbo:

It is far cheaper and easier to tune to make ridiculously fast- see APR - Enhancing the Driving Experience It actually has exactly the same torque as the 3.6 and can get over 400 ft/lbs. with just a tune and a downpipe.

It is lighter than the V6 so the handling is better.

However, it will never sound as cool as the V6- see the 2nd gen. R32- probably one of the best sounding V6's ever made and yet it only comes with an A/T transmission. Why VW, why???

 

And APR is now throwing down an optional, transferable warranty.

APR Plus - Tuning for your VW/Audi with a Limited Powertrain Warranty

Bummer that the R pretty much requires a clutch upgrade with just about any tune, even a piggyback.

Edit: Future, not sure your budget, but this is Stage 2 DSG

https://www.vwsouthcharlotte.com/inv...vf7au2hw160825

VWVortex.com - Insane Test Drive

I should take a loooooong lunch next week and go check it out

 

That's cool that they give you a warranty if you want, but it looks like it is just for the base tunes.

Why would the Golf R need a new clutch? I know apr offers shift map updates for a lot of the DSG transmissions, but they do not even have a clutch upgrade listed for the Golf R.

 

Well, considering you basically void the VW warranty with a reflash, it adds a little peace of mind, but yeah, Stage 1 and a few bolt ons.

APR Plus now includes support for our entire lineup of APR Stage 1 compatible engine hardware, such as intakes, intercoolers, catback exhaust systems and more. We’ve also included support for our APR Plus transmission software, and hardware, and even include support for driveline components, such as brakes, wheels, suspension and more.


I believe the R uses the same clutch as the GTI. Any tune adds too much torque and results in clutch slip. If you browse VWVorgex and GolfMK7 the consensus is you'll need to upgrade the clutch with a tune.

Regardless, I'd likely be happy with stock power levels as I'd imagine it's about par with the G, but the extended warranty is a nice option for people who want a little more than stock.

 

I think you are right about the clutch being shared between the Golf R and GTI. I remember hearing that somewhere a while ago. Sucks for drag racing the Golf R, but probably not that big a deal anywhere else.

 

Yeah, but how many MT cars can absorb that kind of power increase and not need a upgraded clutch?

While I'm not really researching DSG cars, I think at some point they require upgrades.

I'd think the DSG with it's faster shifting and launch control would be better for drag racing.

 

DSG would definitely be better for drag racing with launch control once you upgrade the shift maps.

Maybe the Golf R 6spd. is handicapped if it starts out with the same clutch as a GTI. The grip of the AWD would not help that clutch either so I can see where that could be an issue with launching. VW is not know for high performance vehicles anyway so I would not be surprised if they had other issues handling that much power. Just look at how they got chintzy with sliding caliper brakes. Who knows what else they skipped out on in the drive line.

However, for a guy like me who daily drives and tracks his car- launching is of very little importance. I kept a stock clutch in my tuned Evo, STI, M3, 370Z and G37 and had no clutch issues with a few of these with bigger power increases than what is available in the Golf R. I even tracked my WRX hard for about 6 years on the stock clutch and transmission that everyone said was made of glass, with no issues. So the other part is where you drive it and how you drive it.

Hopefully, that makes more sense about what I was trying to say earlier.

 

Agreed, I do dislike the calipers, although just about every review has praised the brakes, so maybe VW nailed the pad materials

It's bad enough in a Golf, but it was a travesty that BMW used sliding calipers on the M3 up until the now current generation.

 

I thought that was really strange too. Especially when the 1 series cars had nice big fixed caliper brakes when they came out and the M3 did not.

 

Maybe the old Lexus ISF with 8 cylinders (Always had a thing for it lol)

 

Those can be fun, and probably not terribly expensive by now

 

More power would not fix the GTI's problems for me. Truthfully all I want is something reliable with 4 seats, smallish size (smaller than the G) and a decent engine and chassis. One idea that just popped in my head is the BRZ... with 200WHP it has the same power/weight as a stock G37, and the chassis is godly. Back seats would have to be reserved solely for my kids once they hit forward facing age but I can live with that. If the boss allows, maybe an N/A Carrera....

 

I'm not following you on this, Future.

You said:

Then said:

What don't you like, aside from slow, soggy and inert, which would seemingly be helped by more power?



BRZ:2800 pounds, 205 HP = 13.65 pounds per hp
G37: 3800 pounds, 330 HP = 11.55 pounds per hp

G37 is significantly faster in a straight line than a BRZ.

BRZ is 205BHP, not WHP, unless there is some new turbo version. Admittedly, I don't follow the BRZ and it's Toyota twin as there is no way I could realistically fit 2 forward facing car seats in it, so maybe there is some new STI version I'm not seeing. Car pool at Elementary school would be a nightmare

 

Im in the same boat. Always wanted a G since I was a baby, now finally got one, got totalled within 10 days, but the options out there where so meh I decided to just keep and rebuild. I think after I graduate, I'll get whatever is the latest incarnation of the Mustang. Germans are meh, other Japanese alternatives are meh, Q50 & Q60 are boats and have lower performance than their American counterparts. So logically, the stang is the next choice.