GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: James Junior on 28 June 2010, 22:25
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Bonjourno ladies and gents.
I have been running an Alfa GT JTD for the last year and have had some good fun with it, tweaking power and torque to around 210bhp / 330 lb ft respectively. I have now reached the ceiling of what I can do without spending big money on the car however and my budget for buying and running my next car has increased a bit. Been looking at all sorts of motors, but have become fixated on the Edition 30 Golf GTi.
I have already driven the Edition 30 some time ago and to be honest it didn't feel very exciting or even that quick. The turbo felt quite laggy and not particularly powerful, though in truth I didn't get a chance to properly stretch its legs. I ran a Golf a while back though and loved the quality (MK4 V5) and more recent research turned up some staggeringly enticing figures for remapped Edition 30s which has reignited my interest in a big way. 310bhp with a remap, 330bhp with a custom downpipe and exhaust?! Insanity....of the best kind! :evil:
I am seriously considering going down this route as it seems to offer a lot of 'go' for the money all wrapped up in a quality if rather bland package. As it happens, the bland part is even in my favour, as this will be a client facing car and my vocation prohibits anything too flashy. I can't see a Golf upsetting any sensibilities, plus I like the idea of running a Q car.
So, I wondered if I could tap into your knowledge as experienced GTi and Edition 30 drivers and ask you some questions:-
- Does the Blue fin (et al) circa 300bhp remap create a car that is essentially undrivable in many conditions due to having too much power through the front wheels?
- If so is it better to go for a more conservative map to balance power with drivability?
- Does torque steer make a mockery of the handling?
- Are people fitting an LSD as a matter of course with this remap? If so what is the diff of choice? The quaife? Any ideas of cost of part plus fitting?
- What MPG figures are people getting urban and motorway with standard Edition 30s? Does this alter when driving off boost post remap?
- If the all out remap for the edition 30 is a bit OTT in reality, is it maybe worth just buying a standard GTi and remapping that up to around the 260 bhp mark as the savings on buying the car would be significant?
- Do I read correctly that the Bluefin enables you to switch between stan dard and performance map at will?
Any feedback people could offer would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance, and I hope to be joining your fine community soon! :smiley:
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Just abit of feedback as I bought my edition 30 on friday.
I'd be wary of regret if you went for the normal Gti. I was looking at them for months and months and didnt even consider a 30, but when i saw a Ed.30 pop up out of the blue i had to pounce on it, and i must say it was the best decision i have made in a long time!
I think know that if I didn't go for the Ed.30 i would have regretted it big time. The ed.30's have sooooo much about them, you just have to see one parked next to a normal gti to realise.
Also. Did you test drive the manual or the DSG? I found the manual to be quite laggy and not as precise as the DSG model. ( probably due to my skills, but the DSG is in a class of its own, in my opinion of course)
:nerd:
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haha just realised i didnt answer any of your questions! :grin:
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Im sure you realise that on a golf forum you are going to get very biased views :grin:
The ed 30 for me is everything I want in a car and a perfect mix of power and practicality :wink:
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Hi buddy, congrats on your new motor, glad to hear you are enjoying it.
I drove the manual. Should I be considering the DSG? I am a purist at heart and have never liked autos, preferring the engagement of a manual box. Only flappy paddle car I have ever driven is the 400bhp Maser 3200 which was pretty fun, though it felt a but gimmicky to me. Plus the car felt like it was trying to kill me at any given moment but I don't think that was to do with the gearbox!
Happy to be told otherwise though. Maybe I should test drive a flappy paddle ED30...
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Hi buddy, congrats on your new motor, glad to hear you are enjoying it.
I drove the manual. Should I be considering the DSG? I am a purist at heart and have never liked autos, preferring the engagement of a manual box. Only flappy paddle car I have ever driven is the 400bhp Maser 3200 which was pretty fun, though it felt a but gimmicky to me. Plus the car felt like it was trying to kill me at any given moment but I don't think that was to do with the gearbox!
Happy to be told otherwise though. Maybe I should test drive a flappy paddle ED30...
You should give it a go if you arent sure what you want. Where abouts are you mate?
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Im sure you realise that on a golf forum you are going to get very biased views :grin:
The ed 30 for me is everything I want in a car and a perfect mix of power and practicality :wink:
Hence the specific GTi related questions, rather than telling you the other cars on my shortlist and asking, 'which would you suggest?' ha ha!
You can be as Golf-biased as you like - I love Golfs so you are preaching to the converted anyway. :wink:
Compared to my other two choices, the Golf is cheaper to buy and has the best tuning potential, whilst also probably being the most balanced ownership proposition in terms of performance and day to day usability, but it is also the most dull to look at and has the least 'wow' factor. Plus the interior looks and feels a bit wank IMO and seems to be a step back from the mk4. (braces for backlash from MK5 fanboys :laugh:)
An ED30 is still feeling very desirable right now though, so if I can get some feedback on my concerns/ queries it should enable me to seriously start shopping for one. :cool:
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Hi buddy, congrats on your new motor, glad to hear you are enjoying it.
I drove the manual. Should I be considering the DSG? I am a purist at heart and have never liked autos, preferring the engagement of a manual box. Only flappy paddle car I have ever driven is the 400bhp Maser 3200 which was pretty fun, though it felt a but gimmicky to me. Plus the car felt like it was trying to kill me at any given moment but I don't think that was to do with the gearbox!
Happy to be told otherwise though. Maybe I should test drive a flappy paddle ED30...
You should give it a go if you arent sure what you want. Where abouts are you mate?
I live in Manchester.
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How much time have you spent in an ed30? The best thing I did was test drove the GTi 1st then the ed30 immediately after, the difference is so noticable. The interior is a HUGE step up from the mk4 IMO. (I had a mk4 1.8T before my ed30).
If you were closer you could come have a proper look at one :smiley:
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How much time have you spent in an ed30? The best thing I did was test drove the GTi 1st then the ed30 immediately after, the difference is so noticable. The interior is a HUGE step up from the mk4 IMO. (I had a mk4 1.8T before my ed30).
If you were closer you could come have a proper look at one :smiley:
Been a driver and a passenger and thought whilst the interior is very solid, the plastics look cheap and a bit nasty in that grey colour. Plus those tartan seats whilst obviously a nod to the original, look pretty gash! Maybe a bit more time up close and personal would change my opinion.
Thanks for the kind offer anyway buddy. :smiley:
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No problem. My mate thought the same before I bought it, got a bit of stick about the interior fabrics especially but they all work together IMO. Have you considered the Pirelli if you dont like the check?
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No problem. My mate thought the same before I bought it, got a bit of stick about the interior fabrics especially but they all work together IMO. Have you considered the Pirelli if you dont like the check?
Is that another special edition? I've not heard of it before. Tell all!
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Just found a few on Autotrader. A bit rich for me unfortunately - I am on a £15k budget! Good pointer though.
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Its basically the same car as ed 30 but different trim. IMO its pretty garish, heres some more info
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/231750/vw_golf_gti_pirelli.html
Its got yellow trims rather than check, and a tyre print through the seats. The wheels are more like the current golf R ones. I dont like it but others do!
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You get half leather in the Ed.30 ;)
100000% need to try the dsg. I was certain it was the car i was after once the test drive was over.
Put the poor manual box to the back of your mind and have another pop.
Ask for an extended test drive too :nerd:
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Hi James,
Im a fellow manc on the lookout for an Edition 30 as well. Im currently own a MK4 V6 4Motion and was considering going the the MK5 R32. You honestly cant beat the gorgious sound of the V6 engine but on paper, the ED30 offers so much bang for your buck with considerable gains when it comes to tuning.
Im not sure to the answers to your questions as im sure some of the owners will be along to shortly to help you but from the research ive done, asthetics aside (the interior is marmite), the ED30 is defo a special car!
Ive been searching for 2 months for my ED30 but im holding out for one which tick all the boxes for me - i.e on spec and extras.
Good Luck James
Rich
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Thanks Rich, yeah I feel the same re the R32 vs ED30.
Nothing beats the sound and drivability of a nice big NA unit, but in the real world turbo chargers offer a better proposition via greater economy and tunability.
Let me know how you get on mate. What spec are you after? I would want heated seats and Xenons at least.
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Thanks Rich, yeah I feel the same re the R32 vs ED30.
Nothing beats the sound and drivability of a nice big NA unit, but in the real world turbo chargers offer a better proposition via greater economy and tunability.
Let me know how you get on mate. What spec are you after? I would want heated seats and Xenons at least.
I think heated seats are standard - im sure someone will clarify.
spec wise, im after:
5 Door, diamond black
DSG
Bi-xenons
MFSW
Full height computer
Tinted rear windows
Winter pack
fingers crossed one will pop up somewhere!!
rich
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Thanks Rich, yeah I feel the same re the R32 vs ED30.
Nothing beats the sound and drivability of a nice big NA unit, but in the real world turbo chargers offer a better proposition via greater economy and tunability.
Let me know how you get on mate. What spec are you after? I would want heated seats and Xenons at least.
I think heated seats are standard - im sure someone will clarify.
spec wise, im after:
5 Door, diamond black
DSG
Bi-xenons
MFSW
Full height computer
Tinted rear windows
Winter pack
fingers crossed one will pop up somewhere!!
rich
What is 'MFSW'? What else does the winter pack add other than heated seats presumably? Is the computer just a satnav system or does it do more?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Also come on you remappers - keen to hear about your experiences! :wink:
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Multi Function Steering Wheel :nerd:
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you will love the Ed30. as said try and veiw a few have a go in DSG's and manuals to make sure you make the right choice. Personally i was looking for an R32 nearly 2 years ago wanted manual too but completely changed when i fell for the DSG Ed30. :cool:
you dont really need to worry too much about LSD but its a nice thing to have but over a grand, concentrate on getting some decent tyres first. i had pirellis and thought it was fine but the difference michelin PS3's made was unbelievable.
Do a bit of research into the maps before choosing one because some rate superchips etc but then end up changing to Revo in the end. :evil:
the interior is lovely how dare you!! :grin:
what were the other 2 cars you were considering, so we can bash them down!! :tongue:
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Thanks Nick, that is useful to know about the rubber. Think I will report my other questions in the remap lounge and see what people can tell me.
Other contenders are:-
Alfa 159 2.4 JDM Ti
Remap to 260 bhp including DPF delete and EGR valve bypass. Ti kit adds 19" wheels, body kit, sports seats, chrome mirrors, brembo brakes and sports suspension.
+ Nice exhaust note, would sound lovely with proper exhaust system. Mega torque. Looks stunning. Lovely interior. Nice short throw box. Cheap to tax. I have a good relationship with the dealer so could get discount and cheap servicing.
- Why the hell is it soooo heavy? Front wheel drive. Bloody thirsty for a diesel. Camber causes Pirelli P1 Zeros on 19" wheels to wear very quickly on the inner edge and they are shockingly expensive to replace!
BMW Z4 Coupe 3.0 Si
+ 265 bhp out of the box. It looks amazing. Rare. The way it goes. Build quality. Proper low slung sports car. FR set up. Its a V6 petrol so a sports exhaust would make it sound pornographic.
- Test drove one and everyone on the road scowled at me as if to say 'f*cking yuppie BMW driver'. A bit thirsty for use as a company vehicle. A bit beyond what I wanted to spend on my next car. Suspension very hard.
Do your worst Golf fanboys! :angry: (I am pretty sold on the Golf idea anyway)
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I bought my Ed30 3 weeks ago. Sorry I've not done any mods on it at all and likely won't be in the near future.
Few things i would say about them though that i have noticed in the 3 weeks of driving.
1. I work for a huge UK organisation and have to uphold a certain image as you mentioned in your initial post. The Golf GTi ( any version) pulls this off without being too flash and without looking out of place in teh car park.
2. You still get many admiring glances as you drive along, again without it being overstated and flashy.
3. When you do get the chance to get out of the car park and off the motorway onto A-B roads it drives superbly
You've not driven a DSG yet and i would advise you do before you buy ! Here's a little taster what i watched before i went to demo one myself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRwfvnDt7BA
Personally i never ever ever thought i'd like the DSG as i considered there to be an art to good gearshifting and it offers more control. Whilst manual does offer a little more control it's hard to argue with the DSG from a performance point of view.
One word of warning when buying. Check things like tyre wear, road noise etc. I didn't and i'm now having to mess about to get it sorted :P
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to be fair james, your not making it as easy as i thought you would! :lipsrsealed:
the alfa sounds good that the kit comes with brembos and a sus set up. but you can easily put far better brakes than that on the GTI if you budget for it too. GTI comes with "sport suspension" too but id imagine as with both cars you will want to do a little something about that. im sure it has good torque but remember its a diesel! short shifting while hamming round corners/ lanes/ tracks you will get bored of id imagine. 19s do look good but as you say come at a price, ride quality will be reduced and you will be spending lots of wonga on tyres. residuals are a bit poo on the alfas, then theres the build quality! i think the GTI has far more to offer as a fun, lighter more comfortable place to be. and obviously the GTI or ED30 would be far faster and probably not far off on the economy too.
i havent driven either of theses cars but id imagine the Z4 a hoot if you like chopping hair and smoking menthols! Theres a guy S08 on the other forum who decided to trade in his ED30 for a Z4M and regretted it! the GTI or ED30 would obviously be the way forward. dont rule out the standard GTI as there are a couple of really fast ones about, i think bacillus who frequents here has a bit of a speed demon as the dynos have prooved and so does topcat from the results of his 0-60 and quater mile times.
if it was my 15k, i know what i would do get the best ED30 you can then start saving for mods. or you could pick up a very nice GTI and get all the mods done straight away. :smiley:
id imagine there will be some movement in the budget so put a bit spare to get yourself a map. as i said do your research, i did mine for months and met lots of people, went out in cars and spoke to tuners then went revo :cool:
stage 1 Revo on an Ed30 or GTI is a revelation. stage 2 was pretty good but then stage 2+ is blooming awesome!! :evil:
edit to add, i agree with what iwilkins has said, obviously! but it is an understated yet beautiful car.
bare inmind if you do want to modify that the standard clutches arent all that strong, so you would have to budget for an uprated clutch if you went for an ED30 with mods/ map. DSG has prooved to be very strong as Hurdy will verify when he gets back from holiday :smiley:
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theres a cheap ED30 with DSG here, if you can put up with red! the owner is a top bloke whom ive met and im suprised he is selling but he wants a diesel! :shocked:
he will be able to leave stage 1 on there for you too :smiley:
http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,16212.0.html
its relative high mileage but a good car with a stupidly low price :cool:
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theres a cheap ED30 with DSG here, if you can put up with red! the owner is a top bloke whom ive met and im suprised he is selling but he wants a diesel! :shocked:
he will be able to leave stage 1 on there for you too :smiley:
http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,16212.0.html
its relative high mileage but a good car with a stupidly low price :cool:
OI there's nothing wrong with Red :P, Top colour for any GTi !
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Thanks buddy, some interesting points, especially the DSG vid! I had always discounted semi autos as I thought they were less economical and slower, but evidently not. You have seriously changed my train of thought with that video. Will definitely drive a flappy paddle one now.
I bought my Ed30 3 weeks ago. Sorry I've not done any mods on it at all and likely won't be in the near future.
Few things i would say about them though that i have noticed in the 3 weeks of driving.
1. I work for a huge UK organisation and have to uphold a certain image as you mentioned in your initial post. The Golf GTi ( any version) pulls this off without being too flash and without looking out of place in teh car park.
2. You still get many admiring glances as you drive along, again without it being overstated and flashy.
3. When you do get the chance to get out of the car park and off the motorway onto A-B roads it drives superbly
You've not driven a DSG yet and i would advise you do before you buy ! Here's a little taster what i watched before i went to demo one myself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRwfvnDt7BA
Personally i never ever ever thought i'd like the DSG as i considered there to be an art to good gearshifting and it offers more control. Whilst manual does offer a little more control it's hard to argue with the DSG from a performance point of view.
One word of warning when buying. Check things like tyre wear, road noise etc. I didn't and i'm now having to mess about to get it sorted :P
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theres a cheap ED30 with DSG here, if you can put up with red! the owner is a top bloke whom ive met and im suprised he is selling but he wants a diesel! :shocked:
he will be able to leave stage 1 on there for you too :smiley:
http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,16212.0.html
its relative high mileage but a good car with a stupidly low price :cool:
OI there's nothing wrong with Red :P, Top colour for any GTi !
x2, was the shinest car on mk5gti's stand this weekend. not bad for red :smug:
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Yeah I agree with many of your points re the 159 - its weight is inhibitive to the fun factor, 19" wheels are great until you have to change the tyres plus torque is great but there is no substitue for a nice high revving petrol.
But then DISASTER: Nick did you just try to dismiss a 265 bhp proper wheel drive sports car that you haven't driven as a hairdressers car? :huh: Mate, and to think I respected you... :embarassed: :cry: :wink: Yeah I hear the Z4M is a bit too uncompromising, but the standard Z4 coupe is a work of art man, both the aesthetics and the driving experience. 0-60 in 5.7 and a 14 second quarter mile straight out of the box. Now if I had said Citreon Pluriel...
I think the standard Golf GTi is out - too boring and ten a penny. I am always attracted to things that are a bit leftfield so I quite like the rarity of the ED30 and think the extra lip spoiler and bigger multispokes do a good job of toughening it up. :evil:
to be fair james, your not making it as easy as i thought you would! :lipsrsealed:
the alfa sounds good that the kit comes with brembos and a sus set up. but you can easily put far better brakes than that on the GTI if you budget for it too. GTI comes with "sport suspension" too but id imagine as with both cars you will want to do a little something about that. im sure it has good torque but remember its a diesel! short shifting while hamming round corners/ lanes/ tracks you will get bored of id imagine. 19s do look good but as you say come at a price, ride quality will be reduced and you will be spending lots of wonga on tyres. residuals are a bit poo on the alfas, then theres the build quality! i think the GTI has far more to offer as a fun, lighter more comfortable place to be. and obviously the GTI or ED30 would be far faster and probably not far off on the economy too.
i havent driven either of theses cars but id imagine the Z4 a hoot if you like chopping hair and smoking menthols! Theres a guy S08 on the other forum who decided to trade in his ED30 for a Z4M and regretted it! the GTI or ED30 would obviously be the way forward. dont rule out the standard GTI as there are a couple of really fast ones about, i think bacillus who frequents here has a bit of a speed demon as the dynos have prooved and so does topcat from the results of his 0-60 and quater mile times.
if it was my 15k, i know what i would do get the best ED30 you can then start saving for mods. or you could pick up a very nice GTI and get all the mods done straight away. :smiley:
id imagine there will be some movement in the budget so put a bit spare to get yourself a map. as i said do your research, i did mine for months and met lots of people, went out in cars and spoke to tuners then went revo :cool:
stage 1 Revo on an Ed30 or GTI is a revelation. stage 2 was pretty good but then stage 2+ is blooming awesome!! :evil:
edit to add, i agree with what iwilkins has said, obviously! but it is an understated yet beautiful car.
bare inmind if you do want to modify that the standard clutches arent all that strong, so you would have to budget for an uprated clutch if you went for an ED30 with mods/ map. DSG has prooved to be very strong as Hurdy will verify when he gets back from holiday :smiley:
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P.S Thanks for the pointer re the red DSG, but I am looking for a car with no more than 30k on the clock... Looks a nice one though.
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Thanks Rich, yeah I feel the same re the R32 vs ED30.
Nothing beats the sound and drivability of a nice big NA unit, but in the real world turbo chargers offer a better proposition via greater economy and tunability.
Let me know how you get on mate. What spec are you after? I would want heated seats and Xenons at least.
I think heated seats are standard - im sure someone will clarify.
spec wise, im after:
5 Door, diamond black
DSG
Bi-xenons
MFSW
Full height computer
Tinted rear windows
Winter pack
fingers crossed one will pop up somewhere!!
rich
What is 'MFSW'? What else does the winter pack add other than heated seats presumably? Is the computer just a satnav system or does it do more?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Also come on you remappers - keen to hear about your experiences! :wink:
You need to drive a manual and a DSG car. You will either like it or not. I love it :afro:
Not a great fan of the Pirelli GTI's seats myself. Nice looking car but - Yellow stitching????
http://m.blog.hu/au/autofilia/image/lowtyo/080705/golf-gti-pirelli_interior.jpg
Heated seats are standard.
Winter pack on the above spec would just add heated washer jets. On a Bi-Xenon equipped car you get headlamp washers anyway. On a car with halogen headlights the washers would be part of the winter pack.
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The right one will pop up :wink:
I found mine at my local dealers while ordering a part for the mk4 :grin: :grin:
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Gentlemen,
Its an omen! I picked up a copy of Evo last night and low and behold, that issue had a buyers guide to the MK5 Golf GTi.
Clearly it is meant to be.
Off to see R-Tech early doors on Saturday to take a test drive in their 280bhp demo car and talk to them about tuning options in more detail.
Even the missus is rather excited. She loved blatting around in my old MK4 V5 so seems to be quite keen for me to buy another Golf........just so long as I then buy her that MX5 she has been hankering for...
I'll let you know how I get on, thanks again for your feedback and input so far. :smiley:
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Gentlemen,
Its an omen! I picked up a copy of Evo last night and low and behold, that issue had a buyers guide to the MK5 Golf GTi.
Clearly it is meant to be.
I'll let you know how I get on, thanks again for your feedback and input so far. :smiley:
Hi James,
Anything specific to the ED30 in the guide or just for the GTI in general? I think i'll get a copy after work. Good find :smiley:
rich
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Pretty sure that it just covers the GTI and not the Edition 30.
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I couldnt find many ed30 specific guides when I was looking either :angry:
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Hey Rich,
Pretty lightweight really buddy - only a couple of pages and it was only with regard to the standard MK5 GTi, but then Evo is always a good read anyway so always a worthy purchase.
I am sure there are better guides on this forum.
Had another sign this morning - pulled into the car park by work and a girl was sat their in a bright red ED30 so I pulled up next to her. Got out and tentatively enquired about her car and turned out she was a proper petrol head so ended up chatting with her about the car (which she loved) for 20 mins. Up close the interior was actually far nicer than I remembered and than it looks on pictures. Looking forward to a test dirve in a 280bhp ED30 with R-Tech on Saturday now.
Gentlemen,
Its an omen! I picked up a copy of Evo last night and low and behold, that issue had a buyers guide to the MK5 Golf GTi.
Clearly it is meant to be.
I'll let you know how I get on, thanks again for your feedback and input so far. :smiley:
Hi James,
Anything specific to the ED30 in the guide or just for the GTI in general? I think i'll get a copy after work. Good find :smiley:
rich