Golf R Observations and Questions

[weewilly]

Correct... perfect example of why the RVC is a perfect additional reference.

dude, you gotta b on VW's books, there is no other explanation.

[Corey_R]

weewilly, do you have x-ray vision?

Like seriously, I personally do not understand where you are coming from.
It doesn't matter HOW big or small a car is. Humans cannot see through metal - full stop.

As I've said before, this is why every study has shown the benefit of RVC's. When you look out the back of a Golf, you have large C Pillars, you have a high window line, and you've also got 2 rather large headrests plus the centre headrests. Unless you are superman, the RVC has a benefit to everyone.

It's got nothing to do with whether you can park or not. You claiming that there is no benefit is just plain silly...

[AdamD]

dude, you gotta b on VW's books, there is no other explanation.

You can add just about everyone else who has an RVC to that list! It'd be the first option I'd pony up for if I was ordering again.

[shakespeare]

I found the reversing camera too distracting therefore I didn't option it! I do like the LH mirror dipping when you select reverse though and the beeping sensors are enough to warn if you're going to hit something, however a word of warning I almost touched a high curb with the exhaust tip recently, and the beeps didn't alert me to this something to watch for! Also from a safety point of view, I have children and pets and I always check that they are safely away from the car before reversing, which sometimes is a better measure than relying on the camera, I also take the reverse out/in of driveways carparks etc cautiously as you never know what will jump out!

Dave, we could have a truck style reversing beep, or maybe a recording being played "Warning, warning red hot exhaust tips approaching, move now or be branded!"

Correct... perfect example of why the RVC is a perfect additional reference.

You can add just about everyone else who has an RVC to that list! It'd be the first option I'd pony up for if I was ordering again.

Requoting my own post, but I'd probably option it next time too, just went out to Belmont Forum to get lunch and reverse parked into a bay with more high curbs, stopped with about 15mm between exhaust tip and curb! Maybe a retro fit at some point!

[Corey_R]

Requoting my own post, but I'd probably option it next time too, just went out to Belmont Forum to get lunch and reverse parked into a bay with more high curbs, stopped with about 15mm between exhaust tip and curb! Maybe a retro fit at some point!

Eeek!

Yeah - the car spot at work I've been parking in for 10 years has a concrete column about 20cm in from the "left side wall" and about 15cm IN FRONT of the "concrete wheel stop", lol. But worse still, the concrete wheel stop is so tall that the Golf R's exhausts don't clear it. Thus, the RVC comes in very handy for me as I can confidently park within a few cm's of that concrete column and wheel stop daily.

Prior to the RVC, I could always avoid the column using the left mirror (though the RVC makes it easier to due the "parking guide lines"), and I could only "guestimate" how far I was from the wheel stop using my spacial skills.

[weewilly]

Eeek!

Yeah - the car spot at work I've been parking in for 10 years has a concrete column about 20cm in from the "left side wall" and about 15cm IN FRONT of the "concrete wheel stop", lol. But worse still, the concrete wheel stop is so tall that the Golf R's exhausts don't clear it. Thus, the RVC comes in very handy for me as I can confidently park within a few cm's of that concrete column and wheel stop daily.

Prior to the RVC, I could always avoid the column using the left mirror (though the RVC makes it easier to due the "parking guide lines"), and I could only "guestimate" how far I was from the wheel stop using my spacial skills.

OK OK! enough already, if the truth be known, the R I demo'd had a camera and i thought at the time how great it would be to include in my option list. happy now... I made a mistake, so freakin shoot me. 'walks off kickin' the loose dirt, hands in pockets...'

[mhelin]

Hi,
newbie to this site just read all the posts over the last week lots of information
As for the RVC it is great i have a golf V GTI without it and a TSI 118 with it and every time i hop in GTI i wish it had the camera very worthwhile extra.
I also have been down the upgrade path in the past with a Skyline GTR and recommend intercooler and dump pipe as people have said in the posts it is not about the top end KW. You should concentrate on the Torque Curve.
The APR website says the dumppipe brings the peak boost 800rpm earlier so for everyone complaining the dump pipe with stage II tune is a must, even is top KW was the same. Luckily you get an extra 12kw on top
From my previous car i know i dont want to take it to far this far as it is an endless spiral and you end up with a car that is not as enjoyable to drive in you daily work commute. I ended up with twin plate clutch etc... as i would just chew through brass button clutches very quickly.
Twin plate clutch fine and well but if you like trying to select a song looking at your phone and then notice the light is green you would like stall it 80% of the time.
It took like your full concentration to take of smoothly like a normal car. If you concentration is of a little it would be jumpy or stall.
There for i have decided to maybe go for stage II tune with the intercooler and dum pipe. Leave the rest stock to look original.
As for the wheels i am ordering the 19" wheels to get the black cluster but i will be buying after market forged wheels and downgrading to 18".
I went through all this with the GTR and 17" has the best ride. Even the track cars in japan would handle better and faster around the track with 17" over 18" and cars over 550 got slower as well as they have to much lag.
The only need for the 19's are for visual looks or to fit bigger breaks.
Going for a set of forged wheels can save you 4.5kg per wheel.
Reducing unsprung weight is very beneficial and they say that every 1kg saved of rotational weight is like saving 4kg of the car. That means 18kg x 4kg = 72kg
This is very noticable in the handling and the acceleration seems quicker as well.

Michael

[Ideo]

I'm too tight to pay for an RVC. That's my excuse anyway.

[dave_r]

dude, you gotta b on VW's books, there is no other explanation.

Haha i love a good **** stir.

Long wait time...check
R is better than GTI but not a frog...check
Crap turning circle...check
RVC is for blind freddy...check

So whats the next topic?

[REXman]

I just thought ild give my opinion on this as i have also done a stage 2+ on my R. My R is manual though.
I’ve done the APR dump, (same setup as Corey_R) HPFP and carbonio intake, no front mount intercooler... yet!

From stage 1 to stage 2+ i wouldn’t say the difference is night and day, far from it actually. Stock to stage 1 is a significant jump in power and feel of the car. Stage 1 to stage 2+ isn’t about power but more about feel of the car which has been mentioned many times before. The car is a bit more responsive lower in the rev range. The power comes on a bit earlier which makes the car rev smoother when booting it from the standstill or if you have it in too low of a gear. It almost makes the car feel slower as the car slightly loses the kick from the turbo as now the power comes on sooner and smoother. This probably isn’t as noticeable in the DSG when compared to the manual. But in saying that i don’t have a FMIC, so maybe there might be still some improvements to be had.

With the manual R's they don’t have the constant 'DSG burble' sound between gear changes or that violent braaap sound that you now get with the dump. With the dump pipe i occasionally get that violent braaap sound which I can sometimes pull from 2nd to 3rd gear.. Extremely loud and it always turns heads. Not sure if this is a good head turner or a bad one, but it definitely turns heads!
And like Corey_R said, when you put your foot down the car has a loud deepish growl, and letting off the gas makes the exhaust start crackling and popping, which i like. What i don’t really like is how the exhaust flaps operate. Would have been nice if you could change when the flaps open as i find that on 1st and 2nd gear they open up a bit too early so it sounds like your stomping on the gas when you’re not, but then in 3rd gear you could have your foot planted at 3K to 4K and the car sounds almost like stock. Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m pretty sure the exhaust flaps open at a set rpm per gear and has nothing to do with throttle position which would have been so much better.

With the sound of the exhaust I’m going to have to disagree slightly with Corey_R as the sound of the exhaust sounds a little like it has a hole in it or like there is a lot of air flowing through it. It’s hard to explain. (This is during idle and on normal driving not under WOT) It’s a different story though when you stomp on it but I’m not 100% sure if i like the sound though. I’ve been driving with the windows open and radio off for a week now listening but I’m still not sure. But it has got me listening to my car … a lot, so I guess it can’t be that bad! haha

Induction sound with the carbonio intake i found to be more of what you can hear from stock, but just louder. No fluttering sounds or anything like you get with a POD filter. Again i don’t have a FMIC which might make a bit of a difference with the sound. I know it made a huge difference on my last car.

Don’t get me wrong, I like loud and fast cars. I previously owned a 200sx which sounded like a truck. But for the people who think that the R is too loud from the factory and are looking at a stage 2+ then you should seriously consider listening to an R with the work done first. It will either put a smile on your face or make you cringe!
Also if you’re looking for more seat of your pants power from stage 1 then you will be disappointed as it’s not about overall power gain. Again I haven’t got a FMIC but I know this won’t make that much of a difference.

So the question is would i do the dump and pump again? Short answer is yes as I knew what I was buying and what to expect even though i forgot to look into the sound of the exhaust which wouldn’t have made a difference with me either way. The only downside for me is that the stock R does have a nice deep growl sound, now my R doesn’t, but that’s just my opinion.

I’ll just like to mention that the Stage 2+ work was done by Derek at European Autotech. I Went well out of my way to get Derek to do the work as I’ve had some ‘issues’ with my previous mechanics and I’m now glad that I did. Anything major like a FMIC or stage 3 perhaps, the car will be going straight back to Derek.

Nice write up. And it's honest whilst sounding very accurate.

At the end of the day, regardless of what different tuners want to make out of marketing names such as STG 1, STG 2, STG 2+ etc..

The car simply has got an exhaust, air filter and a tune running a bit more boost. You don't even change the turbo let alone engine internals.

Definitely going to feel friskier.. But it's not the full engine rebuild some people are dreaming it is.

But I can say I'm definitely going to get a TBE and a tune for sure! Maybe a CAI when I'm feeling so as well.