Mk7 Golf GTI Discussion Thread

[Diesel_vert]

VWA should bring in manual 3dr with PP or at least a LSD option.

Plus ability to turn off esp completely.

It's a nice thought.

However, would a purist (as in, those yearning for the ultimate expression/experience of driving) really consider a Golf in the first place?

In any case, VW were never chasing that market anyway - you'll always find more sales to be had by enticing the average consumer (bigger market share) rather than driving purists. A prudent business decision if I ever saw one.

Given that past sales in Australia were heavily skewed towards five doors and a self-shifting gearbox, I'm not at all surprised VGA have packaged the new GTI in the manner that they have, and at the end of the day, I think they'll find all the consumers (as well as sales figures) they ever wanted.

[Tobes_WIR35]

How do you explain the explosion of 86 sales? I'd say that's as close to a purist car as you're likely to get these days (at least that a regular Joe can afford). The market is there, it may not be huge, but it's significant enough

[Finance_Analyst]

How do you explain the explosion of 86 sales? I'd say that's as close to a purist car as you're likely to get these days (at least that a regular Joe can afford). The market is there, it may not be huge, but it's significant enough

Probably because the 86 is a proper sports car with RWD while a 3dr golf well, looks like a pizza delivery car??

[Diesel_vert]

How do you explain the explosion of 86 sales? I'd say that's as close to a purist car as you're likely to get these days (at least that a regular Joe can afford). The market is there, it may not be huge, but it's significant enough

The type of configuration that purists would want (3-door, manual, minimum options/weight, no frippery, nothing that doesn't add performance) is pretty much undesirable to much of the typical Golf GTI consumer base - and given that it's a car aimed at such an audience, it appears that VGA thinks the purist market isn't really worth the energy to pursue - even if the business case stacks up (i.e. very slim profit margins or something).


If I were VGA, I'd let people choose less profitable or undesirable combinations under the guise of "special orders". This way, the dealer reduces the risk of ending up with automotive doorstops in their showrooms and retains the upper hand when negotiating the price, while the consumer is able to get precisely what they want and personalise their purchase to the nth degree. This way, it seems to me that you're able to cover all bases.

Unless of course, this "special order" regime costs way more to administer than to actually profit from (maybe it does, I don't know).

[GeckoZAO]

just had a look at the specs...
86 has 147kw power and 205nm torque, its known for its light weight, but only 8.2s 0-100km acceleration?...
comparing to 103kw golf @ 8.6s and 6.5s for 162kw GTI.
also, for all japanese cars, including lexus, infiniti and acura, their interiors are just so cheap...

[gjuu]

VWA should bring in manual 3dr with PP or at least a LSD option.

Plus ability to turn off esp completely.

Then i am sure a lot of purists will buy it.

It is called an RS265

[AdamD]

Agree that there are obviously updates - in this case to show incremental gains to justify upgrades/advancements but when the basic architecture of the engine is the same, driveability cannot be that different as I discovered.

Torque's gone up from 280Nm to 350Nm with a fundamentally similar engine and a (presumably) equal amount of tuning headroom. That's 25% extra driveability right there in my book. To be fair I've not driven the Mk7 GTI yet, but the figures (especially when coupled with journo reports) speak volumes. You have an APR Stage 1, so you know how dramatically a simple software tune can impact on your car's performance and driveability characteristics with absolutely no mechanical changes.

I'm not really sure how much of a change in driveability you're expecting? The Mk6 was already one of the very best packages available in this regard - at any price.

(Of course the car still follows a formula that VW have been applying for years to great effect - so you wouldn't expect the car to feel dramatically different from any one iteration to the next - or even between multiple generations really.)

[Finance_Analyst]

Torque's gone up from 280Nm to 350Nm with a fundamentally similar engine and a (presumably) equal amount of tuning headroom. That's 25% extra driveability right there in my book. To be fair I've not driven the Mk7 GTI yet, but the figures (especially when coupled with journo reports) speak volumes. You have an APR Stage 1, so you know how dramatically a simple software tune can impact on your car's performance and driveability characteristics with absolutely no mechanical changes.

I'm not really sure how much of a change in driveability you're expecting? The Mk6 was already one of the very best packages available in this regard - at any price.

(Of course the car still follows a formula that VW have been applying for years to great effect - so you wouldn't expect the car to feel dramatically different from any one iteration to the next - or even between multiple generations really.)

Yeah I suppose my point was that based on what I observed I would not be making an upgrade based on how similar it was. Of course if this was my first GTI then the mk7 is awesome. Bring on the mk8 I say!

[AdamD]

Yeah I suppose my point was that based on what I observed I would not be making an upgrade based on how similar it was. Of course if this was my first GTI then the mk7 is awesome. Bring on the mk8 I say!

Yeah, agree. VW will likely capture many of the exact same buyers to whom the Mk6 GTI appealed, along with those Mk6 owners who are happy with the way their car drives but choose to trade up every few years.

I'd definitely want more of a change as well, if I'm going to be able to justify shelling out so much cash again. So I'm considering an R, S3, A45 AMG, or possibly even an M135i or 328i.

[Mountainman]

Then i am sure a lot of purists will buy it.

And what's a purist??