April 1st Price Rise - it's no joke

[Guzzle]

I wouldn't be surprised either. Just disappointed 

It's another way of keeping costs down by simplifying production lines, while at the same time getting customers to pay more for their cars. I'm not a fan personally although inevitably there will come a time when the only choice will be to embrace it or look elsewhere 

[fredgroves]

Is there anything about the Mk7.5 GTI gearbox/clutch that's different to say a 1.5 TSI Golf?

I know the DSG box is different, but just wondering if the manual is different - ie higher strength?

Its only a matter of time before emission controls and driving automation mean manual is a thing of the past, whether that moment is upon us now, I don't know...

[Jim_mk7.5]

Another nail in the coffin for the manual box. I wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled it from the mk8

Agreed. I’d be surprised if there’s a manual Mk8 gti and that would be a real shame.

I'd think there will be a manual still. I read an article that said sales were about 50/50 for manual and DSG. So VW have to give the buyers what they want. Porsche are also sticking with manuals.

If you do a quick Autotrader search backs that up in more favour of the manual - Golf, GTI, Min Year 2013. Currently, for sale are 279 manual cars and 244 autos.

[Yusee]

Another nail in the coffin for the manual box. I wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled it from the mk8

Agreed. I’d be surprised if there’s a manual Mk8 gti and that would be a real shame.

I'd think there will be a manual still. I read an article that said sales were about 50/50 for manual and DSG. So VW have to give the buyers what they want. Porsche are also sticking with manuals.

If you do a quick Autotrader search backs that up in more favour of the manual - Golf, GTI, Min Year 2013. Currently, for sale are 279 manual cars and 244 autos.

I was also surprised to read this 50/50 split. I thought most cars were ordered DSG.
The question VW will ask is whether they will lose customers by not offering a manual- many will just accept that it's DSG if you want a golf gti. That's the way it is.
What has surprised me is how many DSG owners- on this forum- are so enthusiastic about DSG- "I ain't never going back to manual!" These are driving enthusiasts. If you can't convince them to buy manual you won't convince anyone else.
All performance variants now are DSG only- R, GTD, TCR and now Performance.
Manual is dead- my money is on mk8 being DSG only.
I'm very pleased I ordered mine when I did!

[fredgroves]

I think most people will have chosen manual, when given the option, simply because of the cost of adding DSG.

Plain and simple.

If you delete the option for manual.... you upsell more VW? Plus delete complications of logistics from your buy/build process.

[monkeyhanger]

Another nail in the coffin for the manual box. I wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled it from the mk8

Agreed. I’d be surprised if there’s a manual Mk8 gti and that would be a real shame.

I'd think there will be a manual still. I read an article that said sales were about 50/50 for manual and DSG. So VW have to give the buyers what they want. Porsche are also sticking with manuals.

If you do a quick Autotrader search backs that up in more favour of the manual - Golf, GTI, Min Year 2013. Currently, for sale are 279 manual cars and 244 autos.

Really not sure there'll be a manual if VW think they can get away with not supplying one and not losing custom. For the new Polo GTI, although it was introduced late, a manual box is available for it in other markets (including Germany/Czech republic), yet VW UK won't request it for the UK market.. Could be the same for MK8 Golf GTI and perhaps VW are testing the waters now by canning the manual box for run out MK7 GTIs and seeing how demand is affected by the lack of a manual option?

For the R, the selling point for DSG was the slightly increased 0-62 speed via launch control, no such difference for the HTI was there?

These emissions tests seem skewed to me - the manual variant of any VW I've had has always beaten the DSG variant in mpg when I've had either my dad's car or a courtesy car - yet simulated tests tell another story.

The clutches fitted to manual performance Golfs right now is also shocking, which helps people decide for themselves that they'd rather pay for DSG than a replacement clutch at 30k miles.

DSG only for MK8? Highly likely.

[fredgroves]

These emissions tests seem skewed to me - the manual variant of any VW I've had has always beaten the DSG variant in mpg when I've had either my dad's car or a courtesy car - yet simulated tests tell another story.

It is a bit weird I must say.

In the "olden days" only BMW used to tell you that automatics were better CO2 than manuals (probably buggery going on there) under the old EU test regime. Under WLTP, it seems all autos are better - but I remember something about the test regime that makes manual have some issues, because of human input rather than a machine in auto/dsg...

The clutches fitted to manual performance Golfs right now is also shocking, which helps people decide for themselves that they'd rather pay for DSG than a replacement clutch at 30k miles.

Hmmm my last GTD lasted until 65k on the OEM clutch.... no problems... and then it went back, so I don't know after that.

Remember that VW have already binned manual GTD's (as well as adding AdBlu)

[Watts]

I really enjoy driving my manual, having said that it doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy a DSG. But I would like to have the choice. That's assuming I'll be able to afford a new one with the rate the prices are going up

[monkeyhanger]

]

Hmmm my last GTD lasted until 65k on the OEM clutch.... no problems... and then it went back, so I don't know after that.

Remember that VW have already binned manual GTD's (as well as adding AdBlu)

The GTD is the exception to the rule - that clutch is hard as nails- so many people added a tuning box (myself included), and not a single forum reported slipping clutch on a manual GTD chipped or boxed that I'm aware of. Yet stock manual Rs aren't averse to clutch slip and it seems a certainty on modded manual  GTIs.

Some bean counter at VW cocked up by not giving us a cheaper clutch to save VW 50p per GTD.