Golf R Observations and Questions

[SilvrFoxX]

You both have modified exhausts I presume?


My manager's brother just ordered a Golf R and now has a 12-month wait to look forward to. I don't know how you guys do it

Nope, mine is stock as a rock.. but if you accelerate sharply the exhaust is dramatic.

Yes, I waited 9 months for my baby, the first 4-5 were OK the rest blows chunks cause you can do nothing about it. The hardest bit is thinking about throwing in the towel and buying something else, but it wont be the same. The R although a Golf has something about it which makes it worth it in the end.

[Corey_R]

Not sure if this is an observation, however the parking sensors have me a tad baffled, do they turn on and off by themselves.. I know I turn them off when I am in my garage as they drive me nuts and I know where the touch points are.. but not sure when they activate

They activate as soon as you put the car into reverse.
Otherwise, if you need to use them to drive forward into a spot, you have to press the button to activate them manually.

They will turn off automatically after you drive over 15km/h (or some set speed, can't specifically remember if it's 15 or 25 etc).

You both have modified exhausts I presume?

I have a DP, but the cat-back is stock. I'm sure SilvrFoxX is still stock though. It's only half sound though. The other half is how porky the R is but how fast it can start moving... makes the concrete floor of the multi-deck car parks "bounce" quite a lot. (disturbingly noticeable if you're standing or sitting outside of the car as someone else drives it by).

My manager's brother just ordered a Golf R and now has a 12-month wait to look forward to. I don't know how you guys do it

Yeah, six months was hard enough. 12 months... damn. But so far I don't know anyone who has actually waited that long... most of the guys I recall being told that, it has come in 8 to 9 months.

You quickly forget about the wait once you have them though

[Ryan_R]

I would've thought that by the time he gets it we'll be hearing a little bit more about the Mk7.


Nice to know the R has good get up and go, I thought it might have a bit of turbo lag (I guess that's a lot less noticeable in the lower gears though).

[SilvrFoxX]

My R has just ticked over 6000 kays and the car is just so much smoother, the gearbox and engine. It is much easier to drive in traffic and you can now feather the turbo in and out much easier.

I figure it will continue to morph over the next 10,000 kays, post the 1st service i will decide if it needs a tune..

[DDTW]

i will decide if it needs a tune..

Yes you do =) Every R needs a tune and catback. It's how the R should've been from the factory.

[weewilly]

why wait SFX? Vader had its first service last week, told them I had the flash done, no worries...

[SilvrFoxX]

why wait SFX? Vader had its first service last week, told them I had the flash done, no worries...

Because I think the engine needs to be run in to appreciate what the factory has developed.. I believe after the first service the car comes back different again.. why rob it of its true potential as the engineers designed it

[MkVIGTI]

Sorry this isn't specifically related to the R, but you guys may have experienced this also. I find that when I go over some speed humps, I can hear some suspension squeak from the front in my GTI. Any of you guys noticed this?

[Corey_R]

Because I think the engine needs to be run in to appreciate what the factory has developed.. I believe after the first service the car comes back different again.. why rob it of its true potential as the engineers designed it

The engine will be run in, with or without tune. Likewise, any improvement you get after dumping the initial oil etc from the first service, will benefit the car, with or without tune. So I don't view it as robbing it of it's "true potential as the engineers designed it". In fact, I view it exactly the opposite - not having the tune is robbing it of its true potential....
My biggest regret about getting the tune on my K03 VW's was waiting so long... lol. Whilst the R's flash isn't as drastic difference to stock, due to the K04 characteristics, we've still had people make that same comment. But hey, we could argue that point to the cows come home. So I won't say anymore, other than, I hope you don't have the same regret!

Sorry this isn't specifically related to the R, but you guys may have experienced this also. I find that when I go over some speed humps, I can hear some suspension squeak from the front in my GTI. Any of you guys noticed this?

A few people get that, it's usually some front end componentry needing a regrease or something... get your dealer to look at it.

[SilvrFoxX]

The engine will be run in, with or without tune. Likewise, any improvement you get after dumping the initial oil etc from the first service, will benefit the car, with or without tune. So I don't view it as robbing it of it's "true potential as the engineers designed it". In fact, I view it exactly the opposite - not having the tune is robbing it of its true potential....
My biggest regret about getting the tune on my K03 VW's was waiting so long... lol. Whilst the R's flash isn't as drastic difference to stock, due to the K04 characteristics, we've still had people make that same comment. But hey, we could argue that point to the cows come home. So I won't say anymore, other than, I hope you don't have the same regret!

I don't see it as an argument but a comfort level, VW have flagged Australia as a hot destination and detuned it for longevity of the components. There is headroom in the performance no doubt and the tune exploits that but at what cost. I note on hot days the car is very doughy indeed so placing an additional burden on the engine has to be causing higher levels of wear and tear.

The R has enormous power for my level of driving skill so the question is what is an individual looking for in modifications. Like most I was looking for a more linear delivery and lower down acceleration, by all accounts the tune makes a contribution but doesnt address it.

So I will enjoy the experience of letting the engine run in at its own pace and then after that see if I still have a need