Golf R -v- Golf GTI

[brad]

Here's a quote from two GTI owners:
"What's the point of tuning my GTI when I don't even have enough traction on dry roads in stock form?"

Enough said lol.

WOW! serendipity. Must be twins if they said the same thing.

All these folk that can't get the power down (not just GTIs - many reasonably powerful cars), is it that they drive around in 1st gear all the time or do they have no fine motor skills in their right foot & treat the accelerator pedal as an on/off switch?

[Maverick]

WOW! serendipity. Must be twins if they said the same thing.

All these folk that can't get the power down (not just GTIs - many reasonably powerful cars), is it that they drive around in 1st gear all the time or do they have no fine motor skills in their right foot & treat the accelerator pedal as an on/off switch?

They've 'upgraded' to the R because the GTI can't handle their awesome driving skills and now they tell everyone how the R is so much better!

[shakespeare]

Full stage 2 plus decent tyres and some suspension work; and traction is barely an issue. Only an issue when it comes to 60' times, for everything esle that amount of power doesn't overwhelme the chassis much at all.

That makes a lot of sense to me

You just have to modify your driving style between a high powered FWD and an AWD, particularly in the wet or on gravel. For me I prefer the AWD, but FWD is still fun

[Corey_R]

Lol yeah... I mean, the R vs GTI - when both upgraded, have very little in it. Around Eastern Creek last year during the MOTOR Hot Tuner Challenge in the torrential rain the Golf R did a 1:59.0, beating EVERYTHING. $120k WRX STI's and Lancer Evo X's, $200k+ Porsches and Lamborghinis.... but then so did the GTI with it's 2:00.7 - only 1.7 seconds slower than the Golf R, and several seconds quicker than any "full time" AWD STI or Evo (or any other car for that matter).

So that's on a track so wet you could go swimming...

In the dry you could only imagine that the time difference between the GTI and R would be even smaller... perhaps the GTI would even beat the R due to it's lower weight and less drive train losses...

So what about straight line speed?
Well, in 0 to 100 the R will always win. But on the 1/4 mile, well, thus far Sammy with his K04 GTI is showing up all of our "Stage 2+ R's".... and Sammy's in a manual vs the R's with DSGs (at least from who has posted times thus far)


So yeah - I echo the comments of Maverick and brad in that if people are whinging about not being able to put down power in the GTI, that it's more a case of lack of talent from the driver, than lack of potential in the car

[DoggieHowser]

The Mk V GTI is a remarkably great handling car and I expect if the XDS differential on the MkVI works like it's supposed to, it should extend the limits of the already impressive car. I doubt most of us will see the limits even if we are exuberant, on public roads.

But on the limits like on a track day, a good 4WD implementation should give the R that much more. Forget about mods and chip ups, just comparing stock with stock.

For what it's worth, I think the R is a real bargain. For 10 grand more, you get upgraded front calipers, bixenons, parking sensors, LED rear tail lights all as standard. You could easily spend much more trying to get those aftermarket on the GTI.

[dave_r]

<snip the facts>

Said it before and I'll say it again, GTI doesn't come in RB. The end.

That and a GTI isn't as cool to do LC's in the pouring rain. $10k worth right there!

[DoggieHowser]

Lol yeah... I mean, the R vs GTI - when both upgraded, have very little in it. Around Eastern Creek last year during the MOTOR Hot Tuner Challenge in the torrential rain the Golf R did a 1:59.0, beating EVERYTHING. $120k WRX STI's and Lancer Evo X's, $200k+ Porsches and Lamborghinis.... but then so did the GTI with it's 2:00.7 - only 1.7 seconds slower than the Golf R, and several seconds quicker than any "full time" AWD STI or Evo (or any other car for that matter).

I'm not sure that's enough information for a meaningful comparison. Most tuned STIs and Evos I know run on semi slicks which are notoriously bad tyres for the wet. Even the stock A046 tyres on my old Evo 8 MR was barely usable in the wet, much less my A048s

If the GTIs/Rs were on original PS2/CSC2, they'd have the edge in grip for wet conditions.

[Corey_R]

Both the Golf R and GTI were on semi-slicks too... Hankook Venti TD04's or something like that (sorry if the name/spelling of the tyres is wrong).

Said it before and I'll say it again, GTI doesn't come in RB. The end.

That and a GTI isn't as cool to do LC's in the pouring rain. $10k worth right there!

Lol... yeah dave_r, I must admit, the large majority of the reason I went for the R over the GTI was simply because of Rising Blue

[DoggieHowser]

Can't say I am familiar with the track but at the Sepang track in Malaysia (where the F1 races are held), the Evos and STIs have no problems outrunning GTIs, especially in the high speed chicanes (turns 5/6 and 12/13), where the GTIs usually ran out of grip or on the front/back straights (where the GTIs ran out of grunt).

But it's been a while since I went to the track in my Evo and there weren't any Rs then either.

[DoggieHowser]

Lol... yeah dave_r, I must admit, the large majority of the reason I went for the R over the GTI was simply because of Rising Blue

Hehe, I think I might be able to sell the R to the wife on that basis alone once she gets used to the 77TSI Shark Blue.