Meet Daisy…

[TurboTrev]

Hi Trev, I’m at 1200 miles now and (touch wood) absolutely no issues so far. The car lives outside, it’s commuting early mornings on horrid wet rural roads with loads of standing water most days and other days it’s cold and good use is made of the ventilation pre-conditioning on the VW app to start the frost melt before I drag my backside out into the freezing pre-dawn morning air.

When the car was new it felt as if the engine, gearbox, drivetrain and rear diff were all working independently of one another but now it’s well settled down and works seamlessly together to the extent where I can’t tell the difference between it and the Clubsport most of the time, it’s that sharp. The VDM thingy obviously learns and works very well.

Thanks for the reply and that's good to hear.  New R20 now or wait for the 8.5, decisions!

[Exonian]

Didn’t you have an R20 and R on order already?

[TurboTrev]

Didn’t you have an R20 and R on order already?

Yes, cancelled the R20 last September, but took delivery of the R in October, kept it for a week in my garage without using it then sold it to a VW garage.  A fear of gremlinitus set in and while I could get my money back I did just that and just in time, 2 weeks later and I reckon I would have taken a big hit.  Now things have settled a bit, I'm just looking at my options again. 

Gremlins have a lot to answer for, I've bought most of my cars without so much as a test drive and haven't regretted any of them, bar the Scirocco.  It's just as I get older, the thought/reality of "loads" of faults is a PITA.  All my VWs (Beetles to all marks of Golfs etc) over the last 50 years have been essentially, 100% reliable and I'm getting too old for loads of hassle!

[Exonian]

I’m with you on the hassle front, you just don’t want it and indeed never expected it on pre-mk8 cars.

Whether to go R20 or 8.5R will be one of those dilemmas that’ll probably sway you in different directions on different days.
You like your special edition models and have a long history of them but is the R20 special enough to have the right sense of occasion? The only really unique bit is the carbon fibre inlays which could be specced as an option in some overseas markets recently for a regular R, so potentially these could be retrofitted to any Golf 8.
The engine uplift is intriguing but whether it’s noticeable in regular driving I have no idea, minimal at best is my guess.
The blue badges look great.

The 8.5 will likely come with at least the option of the 333PS output, plus they’ve already said it can be specced with carbon fibre inlays, though whether that’s market specific I really don’t know yet.
It’s whether the revised bumpers and any interior revisions appeal to you far more than the mk8.

The Edition 50 GTI in a couple years will be the one the keen eyes will be watching out for. So do you get an R20 now to sit on and wait for the Ed50, or do you order an 8.5R which might only be on the boat from Germany when the first sneak peaks of the 50th Anni GTI start peppering the internet? Who knows what sort of effort will go into that… or could it turn out the concept electric GTI ends up becoming the 50th year GTI?

[TurboTrev]

Exactly that Exonian.

[Hertsman]

I’m with you on the hassle front, you just don’t want it and indeed never expected it on pre-mk8 cars.

Whether to go R20 or 8.5R will be one of those dilemmas that’ll probably sway you in different directions on different days.
You like your special edition models and have a long history of them but is the R20 special enough to have the right sense of occasion? The only really unique bit is the carbon fibre inlays which could be specced as an option in some overseas markets recently for a regular R, so potentially these could be retrofitted to any Golf 8.
The engine uplift is intriguing but whether it’s noticeable in regular driving I have no idea, minimal at best is my guess.
The blue badges look great.

The 8.5 will likely come with at least the option of the 333PS output, plus they’ve already said it can be specced with carbon fibre inlays, though whether that’s market specific I really don’t know yet.
It’s whether the revised bumpers and any interior revisions appeal to you far more than the mk8.

The Edition 50 GTI in a couple years will be the one the keen eyes will be watching out for. So do you get an R20 now to sit on and wait for the Ed50, or do you order an 8.5R which might only be on the boat from Germany when the first sneak peaks of the 50th Anni GTI start peppering the internet? Who knows what sort of effort will go into that… or could it turn out the concept electric GTI ends up becoming the 50th year GTI?

Was thinking the same, will the ED50 be a triumphant run out of ICE before the EV, with even an additional track specific option for the big bang, or will it herald the transition to EV with the concept GTI becoming real as be perfect platform of 50 years to fanfare the future in on.

I would probably lean to the first option, but you can see both options,
 
I am actually in on an EV performance generation, if the infrastructure catches up, I get my genuine 300 miles range, and performance is what have now to access, and it looks close to that concept GTI and interior has some quality, then I am interested, but at a price! Will they be cheaper? Comparable? Is servicing less? Have the ID range proved reliable? Lot of questions to have answered, but seeing that GTI Concept has given me the first interest ever had in an EV

[p3asa]

Congratulations on the new R Andy. I'm late to the party as usual 

I look forward to your updates.

My 135 is 4 years old this year and the PCP will be due to end so I need to do something but really detest this stage approaching dealers etc.

[Exonian]

Hi Stevie, have you any idea what (and when) you’re going to replace the M135i with?
It’s much harder to find deals now compared to when you got yours.

[Hertsman]

Congratulations on the new R Andy. I'm late to the party as usual 

I look forward to your updates.

My 135 is 4 years old this year and the PCP will be due to end so I need to do something but really detest this stage approaching dealers etc.

The M135i is one of three cars have in mind for my next change which will be coming from a 128Ti

Have really enjoyed the 128Ti but it does have a couple of drive irritants.

The comfort setting can make the gear box lazy at times, times its perfectly seamless, then you randomly have a little hesitation, which has me keeping it in Sport most of the time. - Have you experienced that in the M135i or should I ask for that to be checked at next service.

Torque steer is real, and in front end just does not give you full confidence in the wet on B roads, so I am backing off way more than would like to, though in straight line and dry its a super quick and agile FWD hot hatch. - Really want to know if the AWD kills all these issues?

There is nothing else do not like about it, the cabin feels premium and the media and O/S is top notch, though i would definitely be seeking a Kardon Harmon specced car as sound is pretty average, and the only other thing would change is the drivers display map, its next to useless when compared to the inlayed map on the MK 7.5 Golfs for example.

Would probably find and pay the little extra for the performance pack and 19"

And to Andy question, what next if moving on from the M135i? My quandary is would like to have a MK 8 R or Clubsport but it would have to be a early to mid year one, and just cannot bring to risk myself issues, and the MK 8.5 which think like more and would hope would have the issues removed, is way beyond my budget, so that's really limited me to late MK 7.5 Golfs  or the M135i. As much as like and enjoying the 128Ti it just falls short overall, and if stayed FWD would be seeking out a GTI PP or TCR as the drive is just better.

[MaggotsRus]

Folks having looked at the cars at the moment I would be super cautious on what to buy. The VW stock locator has nearly 150 Golf R’s on their available some R20 and some standard R’s the prices are stock price high. I say that because the prices have clearly dropped like a stone over recent months. Some of the R20’s now have literally lost £10k over a few months and most of the R’s are dropping substantially as well. Motorfinity are offering brand new Golf R’s for £36k so that says there are massive drops going on and I’m sure with the higher PCP rates and second hand APR’s as well it could be a perfect storm of massive negative equity on any purchases. Perhaps the hot hatch is disappearing into oblivion. This has become an almost reverse on the higher prices not long ago. Just my concerns on what appears to be not good for us all enthusiasts.