Gti Reviews

[Wide]

Also interesting that he thinks the Mk8 Clubsport will be ‘better’ than the TCR. Potential to be the best gti ever. Bold claim.

I was surprised that the brakes weren’t the same as from the gti pp. They just look dreadful on those already dreadful alloys.

No my dealer say that it is the PP Brakes, just the GTI plate missing on the Clipers..

[AndyGTI]

It does seem telling that the Mk8 GTI key doesn’t have any special identifier and that the seatbelts don’t have red outer edging.

Seems to add the the previous long list of other Mk8 downgrades.

[king monkey]

Also interesting that he thinks the Mk8 Clubsport will be ‘better’ than the TCR. Potential to be the best gti ever. Bold claim.

I was surprised that the brakes weren’t the same as from the gti pp. They just look dreadful on those already dreadful alloys.

No my dealer say that it is the PP Brakes, just the GTI plate missing on the Clipers..

And the plot thickens! I wonder what the gti brochure actually says.

[Wide]

Also interesting that he thinks the Mk8 Clubsport will be ‘better’ than the TCR. Potential to be the best gti ever. Bold claim.

I was surprised that the brakes weren’t the same as from the gti pp. They just look dreadful on those already dreadful alloys.

No my dealer say that it is the PP Brakes, just the GTI plate missing on the Clipers..

And the plot thickens! I wonder what the gti brochure actually says.

Plot? . I hope i got i right, have confirm from German ...the brochure says nothing..

[Guzzle]

Hmm interesting. So two chassis modes even without DCC.    but even comfort mode is still firm.

Our forum member remarked on that on his test drive writeup on here, which i didn't understand how it could be possible. He had a non-DCC car but still said about modes.

Surely to do that needs a dynamic chasis control component somewhere... it must be the Vehicle Dynamics Manager, but what it acts on, I don't understand.

I did read that but it didn't occur to me at the time that they were referring to the dampers, just the driving modes. I've read mixed reviews on the set-up in the Polo, it's just switchable dampers they aren't 'adaptive' like they are with DCC. If it's the same set-up in the Mk8 that explains why Volkswizard left it in comfort.

https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/sport-select-suspension-and-driving-mode-selection-3948

Is that non dynamic dampers like on the mk6 then? They are adjustable but not clever adaptive?

I don't even think they're that sophisticated. Just 2 settings, no comfort mode so literally just 'on' or 'off'.

[king monkey]

Cynical me thinks that they made the ride firmer so you’d need DCC with the 19s. A bit like Audi do.

[Paul70]

There is definitely a change between comfort and sport but I’ve no clue the technical detail. I know it’s subjective but I found sport more compliant than comfort and I was not driving on perfect roads. Comfort did  not translate to what I was expecting but I only had an hour, there was no one there to explain the selection options on the touchscreen so perhaps there was some adjustability behind the initial comfort and sport options.

I’ve seen a few comments on the brakes, I am pretty sure they are de-badged PP brakes, they had a good feel and stopping power, I did not measure the rotors but they looked like 340 mm, they were definitely not 312mm from the non PP MK7.

[Paul70]

Just watched Volkswizard’s review and have to agree with his summary, especially the the car’s more neutral stance and it feeling more alive in the corners.

[fredgroves]

Interesting head to head in this week’s autocar, mk8 gti v focus st- by Andrew Frankel- who is a big hot hatch and Golf GTI fan. He’s picked the ST essentially because the golf seems to have moved away from what it does best. I think it probably just means ride is a bit too firm.

I've just read that review finally.

And yes, it does seem to be that the GTI has lost its effortless ability that makes it a warm hatch for normal people and become more pointy....

It remains to be seen by me personally whether I consider that an issue or not. It just depends on the degree to which they have gone and that is hard to determine from reading someone else's words.

Others here suggest its like a "TCR on 18's and no DCC" - I'm fairly sure that ultimately could lose VW some of the "I bought a GTI because its like a normal car but with a go faster badge" customers.

Obviously someone buying the Clubby won't be expecting anything less than a hard riding fast car, but the normal GTI isn't that beast, its the unicorn of reasonable performance while still being a normal family car.

I wonder, have VW decided that right now, the only market for a petrol performance car is in the hardcore end? That everyone looking for normal is wanting an EV?

Again, I would love to be privvy to VW HQ marketing meetings...

[AndyGTI]

Interesting head to head in this week’s autocar, mk8 gti v focus st- by Andrew Frankel- who is a big hot hatch and Golf GTI fan. He’s picked the ST essentially because the golf seems to have moved away from what it does best. I think it probably just means ride is a bit too firm.

I've just read that review finally.

And yes, it does seem to be that the GTI has lost its effortless ability that makes it a warm hatch for normal people and become more pointy....

It remains to be seen by me personally whether I consider that an issue or not. It just depends on the degree to which they have gone and that is hard to determine from reading someone else's words.

Others here suggest its like a "TCR on 18's and no DCC" - I'm fairly sure that ultimately could lose VW some of the "I bought a GTI because its like a normal car but with a go faster badge" customers.

Obviously someone buying the Clubby won't be expecting anything less than a hard riding fast car, but the normal GTI isn't that beast, its the unicorn of reasonable performance while still being a normal family car.

I wonder, have VW decided that right now, the only market for a petrol performance car is in the hardcore end? That everyone looking for normal is wanting an EV?

Again, I would love to be privvy to VW HQ marketing meetings...

I got Autocar last week as well and at the end of reading it, did feel a little confused. All through the Mk7 life, reviews would say...take the Golf GTI as the effortless, everyman, live with it every day performance car.

The Magazine/Website assessment was always "Golf GTI is good but not as sharp/lesser driver involvement/not as engaging as.....Focus ST/Megane RS/Civic Type R 

And plenty of people bought the Golf for that very reason. 

Now the reviewers (at least at Autocar) are saying "that's weird the Golf is sharper and more engaging but why have they(VW) done that. I like the Focus ST as we knew what you would get and all the previous STs have been the same.

It would have been good to be fly on the wall as the marketing department set up how to approach mk 8 GTI sales strategy. But Fred I think you have put your finger on it. In the current climate, I think they are aiming for the petrolhead market more and they are pushing the GTE especially say amongst all the company car buyers that are thinking twice whereas they might have gone straight to GTI previously.