Great Autocar review of 7.5 GTI

[I wanted a GTi]

This could open up to a very good debate on the GTI if you didn't persist in presenting your opinions as facts and was rather less rude in the delivery of them. As such, I don't think I'm able to add anything else useful to this thread.

Watts, you're forgetting that some people are so far up their own arses to ever consider that they might come accros that way.

[scanesare]

Well I was rude (?) for re-quoting actual owners statements and widely known conclusions but fortunately there are other members here that keep the politeness levels high and stick to well-reasoned arguments, comedy gold.

[Splashalot]

Well I was rude (?) for re-quoting actual owners statements and widely known conclusions but fortunately there are other members here that keep the politeness levels high and stick to well-reasoned arguments, comedy gold.

It's because you come across as an 18y/o who thinks they're right and the rest of the World is wrong.  Maybe try acknowledging others' opinions and perspectives instead of arguing with them. 

In regards to actual "owners statements" and "widely known conclusions" - that is exactly what you are ignoring - lots of people here have bought GTIs (for many and varied reasons) and are perfectly happy with them.  Kind of makes me wonder why you bought one.  But I guess you're not an enthusiast.     (that's a joke, by the way)

Like I said, there are more performance oriented options for people who want that sort of thing.  Sounds like you would be much happier in one of those (hint).

[Splashalot]

Deleted duplicate post.

[scanesare]

It's because you come across as an 18y/o who thinks they're right and the rest of the World is wrong.  Maybe try acknowledging others' opinions and perspectives instead of arguing with them. 

In regards to actual "owners statements" and "widely known conclusions" - that is exactly what you are ignoring - lots of people here have bought GTIs (for many and varied reasons) and are perfectly happy with them.  Kind of makes me wonder why you bought one.  But I guess you're not an enthusiast.     (that's a joke, by the way)

Like I said, there are more performance oriented options for people who want that sort of thing.  Sounds like you would be much happier in one of those (hint).

Please. You still completely fail to understand the points and more importantly the intentions behind them and are merely proving some people are unable to discuss weak points about their cars as if they are losing on an investment or company shares they hold. Who is 18.yo. really? This has been from the beginning an effort to discuss improvements on an already great car that I like, I am not a Honda owner that registered here to bash the GTI, some people really need to get that through their heads.

Also, you might want to read back some pages and see how things evolved. I don't see how I disagreed with anyone on the fact the car is a great all-rounder and looks and feels (minus the driving) better than the competition    I also reckon many people find my points about improving of the dynamics valid and it should have led to a completely different discussion but the whole thing got derailed at the point where the average GTI driver was brought up and whether he's a true enthusiast or not. That was a side remark on a comment by another member (again, read back some pages, I never intended or cared to argue on who drives a GTI), but amazingly it got picked out and inexplicably became the main subject by some, dragging everyone into a stupid "who did you not call an enthusiast" debate. That's just anyone's opinion based on his experiences and it won't change but it also does not matter one bit to our subject. Similar to how some people (also ones that I know) think that a Golf is the most boring thing on wheels out there but of which I don't give a single f$ck, and why should I. Focusing back on the car and what we'd like to see from it or not and to what extent is all I'm interested but I'm probably hoping for too much here...

[fredgroves]

Ok, trying to drag this to a sensible discussion about the future:

I'd like to see it transition to a hybrid without losing ~270bhp and gaining massive weight, but I've got two hopes for that!

Its going to gain at least 100kg by adding 48v mild hybrid battery and systems, which isn't going to help handling at all... probably more like 250kg.

The deadlines are 2025 (Norway) but 2030 in Germany and France, 2040 in the UK, so I'd assume a Mk8 will need to be a hybrid.

And:

http://europe.autonews.com/article/20170923/ANE/170929892/vw-psa-volvo-others-adopt-48-volt-mild-hybrids-in-response-to-diesel

So VAG definitely going for it...

From that article:

In 2021, the key EU emissions goal drops to 95 grams of CO2 per km from its current 130 grams - a challenge exacerbated by the replacement of standard lab tests with on-the-road "real driving emissions" measurements.

So there is a double whammy that is coming with the new target and Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP)...

Euro VII is also just around the corner, which is interesting because the current obsession with NOx and particles is the polar engineering opposite to reducing CO2! 

I suggest getting your petrol fumes fix ASAP, because its rapidly going to be a thing of the past!

[scanesare]

We might be having future classics on our hands and not knowing it right? 

Honestly I can't find enough arguments to deny the MK8 will be a hybrid. Some of the answers on the handling could lie on how the current GTE drives, the only things I've read about it is via EVO's long-termer and it's not particularly exciting although I expect a hybrid GTI to be much more sharpened than that car. I wouldn't jump to conclusions saying it will be for the worse, after all we've seen some remarkable implementations of electric performance cars, the question is VW's approach to it.

At the same time I don't think 100% ICE cars will disappear just yet...

[fredgroves]

I think a lot of it will depend on trying to get the emissions down... that will mean strangled power output, exhaust filters etc as well as the hybrid crap.

(I use the term hybrid crap because I don't believe it to be the future, its a blind alley)

If you compare the Euro4 oil burners to the Euro6 ones, you can see how adding all of the fluffy kitten saving kit strangled the car... that's coming to petrol too.

[jjgreenwood]

I'm no expert but I understand mk8 will be hybrid, therefore heavier, therefore easier to put its power down, it'll have more power, certainly a great deal of get up and go from its electric motor - more than GTE. It's body will be lighter its drivechain will be lighter. It will be more expensive.

Beyond that I don't know much. I suspect it will follow new touareg in its tech so it will be very tesla like. VW will release the pure electric stuff at the same time but expect GTI and R to get a power bump and R to have some limitations on space just like now.

[fredgroves]

On the space thing, I'd expect the GTI to lose the lower boot level position as this is where the battery will go.

The R doesn't have room for it, its already got something in that hole!

The GTD? A Mk8 GTD? Looks doubtful.