@ gizzywizzy Thanks Amanda
@ Philip Thanks Philip, 99.999% of the population are oblivious to what a TCR is anyway!
@ hertsman I think just being around these forums counts as deliberation of sorts as they give an insight into whether a car is your sort of car far more than a test drive or two can provide over a greater period of time, added together with road tests and other research.
The TCR is a Clubsport turned up a notch and the mod cons added back in to the spec (front sensors, ambient lighting, winter pack etc) and is likely to be just as rare if not more so despite not having a numbered plaque.
Gone are the athletic and tall good looks of the Nürburgring aero kitted car on Pretorias, replaced by a more muscular and hunkered down Golf which lacks the pedigree but is different in enough ways to make it a very significant step (particularly and most noticeably going from manual to DSG).
Your own experiences along with others including Mr Chapple were all big influences.
If the 48v system was looking like a dead cert on the mk8 I might have forgiven it the questionable (being polite) Scirocco meets Eos meets ID3 meets melted plastic mould looks and held fire for a good while. As it was this car was 2/3rds the cost to jump to a similarly specced new one last time I priced it up in the summer (pre price rises) which were above what I could commit to with expensive grown up kids still bleeding me dry!
I totally get what you say about feeling liberated after getting rid of ‘collectibles’ hoarded away. Moving house just over five years ago after nearly 20 years in the same home meant 30 odd years of motoring mags were gotten shot of (they made great loft insulation mind you!) along with car bits dating back to my mk2 Golfs donated to local enthusiasts.
I wonder if your old MG’s are still alive? Be nice to think they are.
@ p3asa Thanks Stevie, really glad you still have your fleet! I can’t believe the R is nearly due its MOT, time flies! I hope you’re keeping well.
I remember well you saying how you were struggling adapting to DSG and it made a refreshing change from people just making the swap and declaring it was the best thing they ever did right afterwards. I just can’t fathom how people can just adapt instantaneously.
The place the DSG should excel - traffic - is where I find it at its worst. Slow witted pulling away but creeps too fast with zero throttle applied when easing along in semi stationary traffic or manoevering in tight car parks or reversing onto the garage. Horrid on roundabouts in Drive and engine braking lacking too.
But then on open country roads making fast smooth progress is lovely so suddenly the traffic crappiness is forgotten.
Best moment with it so far was creeping up to a red traffic light on the bypass, anticipating the change before the stop start kicked in and letting the gearbox do its thing, without my ham fisted manual gear changes hampering progress, pulling the car up to speed very smoothly.
@ BobbyT thank you!
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Other early days feelings about the car are that I’m warming to the AID more and more surprisingly. Aside from having an ugly FL base model car whizzing across my line of vision as I get out at the end of the journey (much prefer the pre facelift front ends aside from the GTI where it’s 50/50).
Not at all sold on DCC.
Comfort is quite nice but rolls too much, Normal is jigglier than even my Clubsport and Sport puts the gearbox in sport which is even more annoying than Normal.
The passive dampers on mk7’s were well matched to UK roads.
The engine is still a peach.
I love the drilled discs.
I’m warming to the rear diffuser but will never actually like it.
I really like the side skirts.
Fuel economy 10 - 15% worse than the ED40 despite taking it pretty easy. The gearbox again.