Golf 40th vs Golf R

[ringo]

From the looks of that video there ain't much in it . The clubsport was never going to get past the R though.

Overtaking on track is not your typical public road overtaking. All cars try to hold the quickest line and you can easily be behind a slower car for quite a few laps. Let alone that this was a Jalopnik journalist following a VW instructor so probably not as skilled nor experienced with the track. Even so, we only get to see one lap, and if you check how the cars started and where they ended up being at the end of the first lap you can see the Clubsport is doing a faster lap and approaching:




When I drive on track and begin to see the gap to the car in front closing like that, I know it will soon be time to make my move. Probably a couple more laps on this track.

The guy in the Clubsport was using a lot more kerb to stay with the R.

Yes, and this happens for a reason: The Clubsport being lighter and more agile is able to use the entire width of the road available to it and follow the quick, "racing" line more easily than the R which, precisely for the opposite reason, chooses a less extreme approach overall in order not to upset the dynamics by very steep direction changes. If it tried to take exactly the same line as the Clubsport it would end up being much slower because of the slower turning and increased weight transfer. This smoother approach is probably faster for the R, than trying to stick with the absolute racing line. The R is driven by a VW instructor that knows where its weaknesses lie and drives it accordingly.

It is already proven that a Cupra drives around a track faster than a R in many occasions, and recently there was also the first official Clubsport test by Autobild (including Type-R, Cupra, 308 GTI) showing it being 2 seconds faster than an R on a 1:40" lap, there is nothing new to that. You got a lighter, more focused and lsd-equipped car against a heavier, Haldex AWD (no lsd, no central open diff between fronts and rears) one, it is obvious which is going to be faster around corners given similar horsepower. The point of my post was to show exactly what you can and can't do with each car the OP is contemplating.

The R definitely has its virtues, and as the OP said there's more than driving performance and excitement. Looks, bang for buck etc. My latest posts were entirely focused on the involvement and performance factor, however these may not be of interest to some as much as for example all-surface traction, and the ability to put 100% of the power down at all times.

[Bassik]

Overtaking on track is not your typical public road overtaking. All cars try to hold the quickest line and you can easily be behind a slower car for quite a few laps. Let alone that this was a Jalopnik journalist following a VW instructor so probably not as skilled nor experienced with the track. Even so, we only get to see one lap, and if you check how the cars started and where they ended up being at the end of the first lap you can see the Clubsport is doing a faster lap and approaching:

When I drive on track and begin to see the gap to the car in front closing like that, I know it will soon be time to make my move. Probably a couple more laps on this track.

Yes, and this happens for a reason: The Clubsport being lighter and more agile is able to use the entire width of the road available to it and follow the quick, "racing" line more easily than the R which, precisely for the opposite reason, chooses a less extreme approach overall in order not to upset the dynamics by very steep direction changes. If it tried to take exactly the same line as the Clubsport it would end up being much slower because of the slower turning and increased weight transfer. This smoother approach is probably faster for the R, than trying to stick with the absolute racing line. The R is driven by a VW instructor that knows where its weaknesses lie and drives it accordingly.

It is already proven that a Cupra drives around a track faster than a R in many occasions, and recently there was also the first official Clubsport test by Autobild (including Type-R, Cupra, 308 GTI) showing it being 2 seconds faster than an R on a 1:40" lap, there is nothing new to that. You got a lighter, more focused and lsd-equipped car against a heavier, Haldex AWD (no lsd, no central open diff between fronts and rears) one, it is obvious which is going to be faster around corners given similar horsepower. The point of my post was to show exactly what you can and can't do with each car the OP is contemplating.

The R definitely has its virtues, and as the OP said there's more than driving performance and excitement. Looks, bang for buck etc. My latest posts were entirely focused on the involvement and performance factor, however these may not be of interest to some as much as for example all-surface traction, and the ability to put 100% of the power down at all times.

This is all granted and I totally understand the point you were trying to make you're right. Neck and neck these two cars are come down to the driver. You could have easily have switch the two and the tables would have been reversed. I think someone has already mentioned it here that both are a great car, it all depends how you want to drive it. For me I have only driven one so I can't judge, however the all-round, bang for buck and looks for me appears to be the R.

[Primordial]

I feel like this is relevant

Here's an in-car of my car on track recently... The first 2-3 mins is warming up.

[Bassik]

Nice, Were you using paddles at all?

[Primordial]

Nice, Were you using paddles at all?

Yeah the whole time! You cant tell from the vid, but the paddles extend right down behind the wheel - I'm grabbing the 'middle' of the paddle, rather than the top part that you can see. The DSG "S" mode is actually useless on a track (in my opinion), manual all the way!

[Bassik]

Yeah ok thought so. Couldn't tell hey lol. I was like nah he has to be


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[SevenR]

R looks to have the legs on that gti on ringo's video - it didnt look to convincing to me for the gti.
maybe on a tighter track the gti would be quicker but meh its good we all dont like the exact same thing.

[ringo]

R looks to have the legs on that gti on ringo's video - it didnt look to convincing to me for the gti.
maybe on a tighter track the gti would be quicker but meh its good we all dont like the exact same thing.

I admit the R must be a great car, to the point that its owners have a... special perception of time and space when an R is involved
Did you check the screenshot at the end of the first lap compared to the beginning of it? The Clubsport is at the same place in both frames, where is the R? Right answer gets 5 points!

Sorry it's a light-hearted post but I can't imagine it being more obvious to the point we'd have to disagree on what we see.

[SevenR]

no I didnt check the screen shots - I only look at what happens during each 'take'/scene.

[Bassik]

I wouldn't go by that video at all. Should wait for an official vs. One with at least two experienced drivers or one driving lapping both cara


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