2018 Golf TCR and dealer information ?

[AGB]

Did you see the volkswizard review on YouTube that put up earlier on millbrook test center, gives a nice feel to TCR on twisting roads

Yeah, started to watch it and gave up in boredom.

[AGB]

I've not had the TCR back yet from the detailer due to PPF complications so promised pictures of the CSS and TCR together will likely be at the end of this week. Although a Muntjac Deer decided to run into the side of the CSS and has damaged the front splitter and lower part of the front bumper. It ran into the car when I was parallel to it so the first I heard was the expensive sounding crunch. I stopped and got out to investigate and that's when I saw the culprit running into the undergrowth. Useless animals. Eat more venison.

Anyone looking at doing PPF on a TCR using Xpel will struggle with the side skirts and rear diffuser. They can be done as custom parts drawn from a template by your detailer but are not available as standard cutting templates. My detailer spoke to Xpel (who I have never found to be helpful) and they claim that the low production volume won't see a return on the development cost for them. The front splitter is a shared part with the R so a template doesn't have to be originated.

Decided not to bother with PPF, the rear diffuser is pretty intricate and labour in templating is likely to cost more than the materials and application. My detailer in fairness didn't quote me labour on doing the template but unless it has been 3D scanned, I don't think it'll be as good and no disrespect to him, he doesn't have the time or scanner to commit to doing the sort of job Xpel would if they saw a return. Besides which, I can buy a new part for not much more than the price of PPF.

In terms of treatment, I've cleaned, decontaminated and machine polished. The paint was in excellent condition and I wonder how much of that came down to the fact that I threatened the dealership with harm if they took a single seal off the car. There was a lot of transit contamination on the car and it had the texture of 240 grit sandpaper but 2 x snow foam, wash and clay bar took care of that. Pure Grey looks superb contrasted against the gloss black. Those glossy piano black trim pieces are going to require extra care not to scratch unless you're putting a ceramic coating on them.

On that subject, the detailer is applying Crystal Serum Ultra with EXOv4. I'm going to put C5 wheel armour on the wheels - inside, faces and then I'm going to put some ACF-50 on vulnerable areas under body. Gtechniq G1 is already applied to the glass as is Smart Fabric on the interior.

Will post some pictures on Friday when I have the car back.

[Jim_mk7.5]

Are you detailing it or is the detailer?! I’m confused!

[AGB]

Are you detailing it or is the detailer?! I’m confused!

I've done what I can, detailer doing what I can't. Crystal Serum Ultra is professional application only - training/certification required.

[AGB]

Got the car back from my detailer today and it looks superb. I've taken a few photographs on the iPhone but will take some proper photographs when I take the cars out on a longer drive. Someone messaged me for a photograph of the back seats hence the slightly random inclusion. 

The CSS has been in and out of London this week and with the good weather, the front end is splattered with 180 miles of suicidal insects and is rather dirty so it's not quite fair to photograph it next to the freshly detailed TCR so don't judge me for that!

Having driven the two cars back to back and on a 15 mile stretch of my own 'EVO triangle', I'm really pleased with handling and performance. It has a lot in common with the CSS and I drove it as I would the CSS. It's every bit as confidence inspiring. I didn't undertake a comparison with any amount of scientific endeavour, simply ran it in race mode with the DSG set to manual on a route I use as a benchmark. I figured that if I didn't get on with the most aggressive configuration, I would dial it back or make adjustments to individual settings. The route has a combination of fast, open sections, lots of technical corners, adverse camber, some hairpins, a switch back and some rough, pitted surfacing. It's an excellent test of a car's dynamics.

I was reminded of my complaint with (most) road cars equipped with paddles and that's the fact that they're not fixed to the steering column and on a couple of stretches where I know the exact gears I wanted, I found myself scrabbling around the wheel (exiting corners) for the shifter and the car was slightly unsettled as a result. It was actually easier to use the gearstick. Don't start me on +/- direction of shift! The DSG is much the same as on the 7.5PP/R and not having driven them recently, am going on memory. Perhaps there are nuances in the mapping which more seat time will reveal. The DSG box was keen to push me into a higher gear. In fairness, I was watching my revs given the car has done less than 30 miles but there were a couple of stretches where I drove 'normally'. I think I need to get used to driving a semi-automatic box again. It's not as good as Porsche's PDK-S where I actually trust the car to select the right gears.

I think the damping on the car is superb and I only ran in race mode which is intolerable in the CSS. I'm used to firm cars and I am probably not the last word in judging pliancy but there is a notable difference between the two cars. I leave the CSS in individual with everything set to race except the dampers which are on comfort and it's perfect. I think I'd probably spend more time changing modes in the TCR based on what I was doing than with the CSS. For fun, I suspect I'd be in Sport with no adjustments. I think the adjustability, particularly given my wife and I want entirely different things from the TCR make it a perfect shared car. I was expecting to need to swap the car to 18" wheels but I don't think it needs it. I've not tried comfort mode yet!

The car feels quick, much like the CSS, quicker than the 0-60 time on paper. The brakes are superb and similar to the CSS but they feel slightly over servoed - the pads are not bedded in and everything is new so it's probably too early to pass judgement. Braking has more linearity on the CSS I feel.

Anyway, better get on with the run in process! Those of you waiting for cars, you're not going to be disappointed.

[SRGTD]

@AGB; nice write up, and the car looks absolutely stunning. I really like the signature Pure Grey colour.

I not normally a fan of black wheels, but the combination of Pure Grey paint and black alloys looks spot on! 

[AGB]

@AGB; nice write up, and the car looks absolutely stunning. I really like the signature Pure Grey colour.

I not normally a fan of black wheels, but the combination of Pure Grey paint and black alloys looks spot on! 

Thanks! I know what you mean about black wheels, I feel the same. I think having a coloured brake caliper and open faced spokes means they don't look like 'black holes' under the arches.

[TurboTrev]

Great write up and the car looks stunning.   If I was to be picky, it's just a shame that VW did not use the CS back spoiler to balance out the large diffuser and I think the front bumper intakes and wheels should have been gloss black.  If it was mine, I'd certainly consider wrapping the front intakes if that is possible?  The pure grey is the only colour to get it in imho, great choice!

[king monkey]

I’d definitely wrap the front intakes too. It’d match the gloss black accents perfectly. From what I’ve seen there are only 2 colours which I think suit the TCR, which I’m putting down to the amount of black trim and the alloys: red and pure grey. Your car looks amazing and really looking forward to your thoughts as you get more familiar with the car.

[AGB]

Great write up and the car looks stunning.   If I was to be picky, it's just a shame that VW did not use the CS back spoiler to balance out the large diffuser and I think the front bumper intakes and wheels should have been gloss black.  If it was mine, I'd certainly consider wrapping the front intakes if that is possible?  The pure grey is the only colour to get it in imho, great choice!

Thanks! I know what you mean. It's a bit like the parts bin came up empty when they got to the roof.

I did look at wrapping the front intakes but it worked out as the same price as buying a replacement part and to do it properly, you're disassembling bumper sections and looking at EKTA, the front bumper has a lot more parts than I realised. 20 odd if I recall. The problem with the cars being limited edition/production, the return on producing good cutting patterns isn't there so manufacturers like XPEL don't produce them. Compromise was that all is ceramic coated though which helps with the worst of the insect life.