GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: jrc193 on 14 July 2013, 13:56
-
Clarkson in Drive section of Sunday Times writes about GTI and concludes" this car is perfect"
-
Anyone got scans/pics of the article as subscribers only online :angry:
-
Need to go and buy this paper lol
-
Sorry I can't oblige as I have no idea how to do that.I've tried email without success
-
Sorry I can't oblige as I have no idea how to do that.I've tried email without success
Photograph the newspaper article as best you can (using smart phone or digital camera)
Upload to Photobucket (need an account)
Post it on here (cut and paste the link from Photobucket)
Simples
If you can be arsed
:wink:
-
Also just read this, not always a fan of his reviews but this time I think he sums up perfectly why I have ordered one, it fast, frugal, well built, drives well and doesn't shout look at me I am a boy racer..
-
First Paragraph (online)...
There are many wonderful cars on the market right now: the Ferrari 458 Italia, the McLaren 12C Spider, the Bentley Continental GT V8, the Mercedes SLS AMG, the Lexus LFA, the Aston Martin Vanquish and the BMW M6 Gran Coupé. All are fast, stylish and characterful and I’d happily own any one of them. But I can’t, because driving around in a flash car is like driving around naked. You tend to get noticed. Which is not something I find very enjoyable.
-
Gonna have to tilt your head! :laugh:
(http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx265/blaarp1/image_zpsda15a700.jpg)
-
Thanks Jimble!
-
Excellent :cool: marmite clarkson tells the truth unlike other wind changing opinion journalists.
-
Top post, nice reading that.
-
Gonna have to tilt your head! :laugh:
Tilted head or not.... Thx Jimble :smiley:
Good review (even with the annoying Clarkson nuances) although mine won't be coming with ACC, which everybody seems to rate highly. I just can't amend my order again... can I :undecided:
-
Download the image then use a photo viewer to rotate the image.
-
Gonna have to tilt your head! :laugh:
Or just tilt and zoom on my tablet! ;)
Nice review, and pretty much every reason why I ordered one in the first place.
-
Nice review and thanks very much for taking a picture of it so we can all have a read! Much appreciated.
-
Interesting track times, for comparison http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps)
-
Your welcome, glad to be of service! ;)
-
Interesting track times, for comparison http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps)
You can say that again, faster than:
SL55 AMG, Golf R32, Focus RS, Audi TT V6, BMW M3, Honda NSX Type R, Subaru Impreza STI, to name but a few :shocked:
I'm assuming some of those times will have been wet laps.
-
Interesting track times, for comparison http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps)
You can say that again, faster than:
SL55 AMG, Golf R32, Focus RS, Audi TT V6, BMW M3, Honda NSX Type R, Subaru Impreza STI, to name but a few :shocked:
I'm assuming some of those times will have been wet laps.
Looks like not as there seems to be a w for the wet laps. Amazing lap time, even beats the Golf W12 if you use the 1.29.5 time!
-
Sorry I can't oblige as I have no idea how to do that.I've tried email without success
Photograph the newspaper article as best you can (using smart phone or digital camera)
Upload to Photobucket (need an account)
Post it on here (cut and paste the link from Photobucket)
Simples
If you can be arsed
:wink:
Use imgur. No account needed, very fast and simple.
-
Very impressive lap time - p!sses on the Focus ST for eg.
Just shows the PP really is a no brainer! :laugh: :lipsrsealed:
On a serious note though there's some awesome cars on that list that it beats.
-
Very impressive lap time - p!sses on the Focus ST for eg.
Just shows the PP really is a no brainer! :laugh: :lipsrsealed:
On a serious note though there's some awesome cars on that list that it beats.
I don't see a single car above it that you'd be miffed was faster... Plenty below that might be miffed the GTI beats them though! Lol
-
Very impressive lap time - p!sses on the Focus ST for eg.
Just shows the PP really is a no brainer! :laugh: :lipsrsealed:
On a serious note though there's some awesome cars on that list that it beats.
I don't see a single car above it that you'd be miffed was faster... Plenty below that might be miffed the GTI beats them though! Lol
Totally agree! Was v surprised by the Focus RS and the BME M3 :shocked:
-
Totally agree! Was v surprised by the Focus RS and the BME M3 :shocked:
There's a BMW M3 at 1:26.5, marked as moist. So, what is the BMW M3 there that's slower at 1:31.8? Surely even an older BMW M3 would at least match the GTI...dunno.
-
So the M3 gains you 3 seconds... But retails at, what, £50k before options? 2x the cost.
Nice car though... but value for money? :undecided:
-
Not saying which is better value (the GTI is hardly a bargain itself) just pointing out that there are two identically labelled M3s on there, only one of which I believe the time of.
-
Interesting track times, for comparison http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps)
Am I completely blind... I can't see the Mk 7 GTI on that list???
-
Interesting track times, for comparison http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps)
Am I completely blind... I can't see the Mk 7 GTI on that list???
I had the same issue :grin: then I realised its not on the list but he says the time in the article!
-
Interesting track times, for comparison http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/powerlaps)
Am I completely blind... I can't see the Mk 7 GTI on that list???
I had the same issue :grin: then I realised its not on the list but he says the time in the article!
Phew! Thought I was going mad. Must have read the list 4 or 5 times. Cheers bud :smiley:
-
Here's the text from today's Sunday Times..
Ha! they’ll never catch me now I’m the invisible man
Jeremy Clarkson Published: 14 July
There are many wonderful cars on the market right now: the Ferrari 458 Italia, the McLaren 12C Spider, the Bentley Continental GT V8, the Mercedes SLS AMG, the Lexus LFA, the Aston Martin Vanquish and the BMW M6 Gran Coupé. All are fast, stylish and characterful and I’d happily own any one of them. But I can’t, because driving around in a flash car is like driving around naked. You tend to get noticed. Which is not something I find very enjoyable.
When I’m out and about I’m asked constantly to pose for a photograph. “It’s for my sister who’s going on a hockey tour,” they always say while rummaging around for their cameraphone. Several minutes later, after I’ve heard all about the hockey tour and how her boyfriend has a BMW M3, she has found the camera on her phone and is asking passers-by to take a shot. But they don’t know which button to press so they end up taking a picture of their own nose. Or turning it off. And by the time they’ve had a lesson, someone else has arrived. “Oh, my son would never forgive me if I didn’t get a picture.”
Resisting the temptation to say, “Well, don’t tell him you saw me then,” I agree to a snap, only to discover he’s a bit of a David Bailey and wants me to move into the shade because the shot’s a bit too backlit. And soon my two-minute trip to the shop for a pint of milk has turned into a two-hour photoshoot.
This, of course, is a time-consuming by-product of appearing on the television. But when it happens on the road, it’s actually pretty dangerous. People brake and swerve and cut across three lanes of traffic to get a shot of me. Once, a chap in a Mini was so busy videoing me he crashed into the car in front. A car that was being driven, amusingly, by a gorilla of a man.
One of these days someone is going to be killed and that’s why I want my next car to be inconspicuous. And that’s a problem because every single car that offers the speed and excitement I crave comes with “Look at me” styling. Except one: the Volkswagen Golf GTI.
So, I’m sorry. Every week I come here and review a car for your benefit but this morning I’m reviewing a car for mine. Because the new GTI might just be the answer to all my prayers.
When Volkswagen first created the fast Golf 37 years ago, it was truly classless. I knew housewives who scrimped and saved to buy one. And I knew someone who part-exchanged his Gordon-Keeble. It was also a car that was all things to all men. It could carry five people. It had a boot with rear seats that folded down. It had body panels that cost no more to repair than those on the normal Golf but, thanks to its 108bhp engine, it was faster and more exciting than any of the sports cars that were kicking around at the time.
The Mk 2 GTI was pretty good as well, but since then the mojo has been slipping away. You had the impression that VW was making a GTI because it felt it had to, not because it was something that excited it in any way. But for the Mk 7 the company brought in the man who did the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. And from what I’ve been hearing, the original magic is back.
The engine is a 2-litre turbo that produces 217bhp. But for an extra £980 you can have the performance pack, which takes the output up to 227bhp. I tried that version and after a short time knew that in the real world this car could keep up with just about anything.
Quietly. There’s no fuss with this GTI. No drama. No rorty exhaust noises. You see a gap. You put your foot down. The overtaking manoeuvre is completed. You reach a bend. The electronic front diff makes sure there’s no understeer and no unseemly tugging at the steering wheel either. You come out on the other side. It is a machine built to make speedy progress. It is German.
There’s more too. It costs just £195 more than the previous model and, thanks to a camera-based emergency braking system, it has fallen five insurance groups. And for a 150mph-plus car it is also extremely economical.
What we have here then is a bundle of pure, undiluted common sense. Except for two things. First, you can’t buy it with optional 19in wheels in combination with a sunroof — no idea why. And second, you can choose between Comfort, Normal and Sport settings for the front differential, the suspension, the gearbox and the steering, so I did a test. I took the car to Top Gear’s test track, put it in Normal and asked the Stig to do a lap. He did it in 1 minute 29.6 seconds. I then put it in Sport. This time he did a lap in 1 minute 29.6 seconds. So then I put it in Comfort, which softens everything up. He did it in 1 minute 29.5 seconds.
Adjustable suspension and gearboxes are fitted to many cars these days and I’ve long harboured a suspicion they make no difference to how fast a car goes. And here’s proof. Sport makes the ride uncomfortable but provides no benefit at all. In its Normal setting the GTI is tremendous. The sportiness is still there — the times prove that — but Comfort mode is sublime. It’s phenomenal and brilliant.
Inside, it’s as logical and as sensible as a German’s knicker drawer and you have the impression that everything will still be working perfectly in 10 years’ time. Except for the radio, which broke after two days. And a bit of trim round the rear window, which fell off. But to be fair, I was testing a pre-production model. And the man responsible for these mistakes will have been shot by the time the lines start to roll for real.
Best of all, though, nobody took my picture as I drove along. I had a car that can rip holes in the physics books, that can scream to 62mph in just over six seconds, that slices through the bends like a well-drilled monoskier and that is as comfortable as having a nice lie down. But nobody looked at it twice.
The only thing that annoyed me was the double-clutch flappy-paddle gearbox. It was impossible to set off from the lights smoothly and by the fourth day I was being driven mad. By the seventh I was so angry my nose was beginning to itch. And then I discovered the “auto hold” button.
Fitted to stop the car rolling backwards when you are doing a hill start — you can’t ride the clutch with a flappy-paddle box and there’s none of the in-built “creep” you get from a traditional automatic — it applies the brake whenever you stop. And then, when you put your foot on the throttle, it takes the brake off again. But not fast enough. Hence the jerk.
I turned it off and all was well. Very well. For me this car is perfect. And if you’re honest, it’s perfect for you to.
-
Thanks Dave!
Btw, for those not watching Top Gear, Clarkson has just mentioned the new GTI and said its absolutely brilliant, with Hammond whole heatedly agreeing! Give me my car now, this wait is doing my head in! :laugh:
-
i let out a little cheer when he said that and the wife gave me a little saddo glance, oh well, i too cant wait to get mine
-
Great news!! Still respect JC's views and I have to say all of the reviews to date have been really really positive. Can't wait till the new car arrives :smiley: :smiley:
-
i let out a little cheer when he said that and the wife gave me a little saddo glance, oh well, i too cant wait to get mine
I actually clapped. Yes, I'm that sad and that excited about getting mine :grin:
-
Thanks Dave!
Btw, for those not watching Top Gear, Clarkson has just mentioned the new GTI and said its absolutely brilliant, with Hammond whole heatedly agreeing! Give me my car now, this wait is doing my head in! :laugh:
Just been watching it - the R8's dials were a bit archaic next to the Ferrari and McClaren, must be where they spent the other £70k for those 2. :grin: At Least GTI and GTD can say they have the same dials and steering wheel as the R8 (save for the badge substitution on the steering wheel).
-
Top gear tonight:
Stig in Mk7 GTI . Circuit times with ACC in Sport, Normal and Comfort modes: 1m 29.6s, 1m 29.6s and 1m 29.5s respectively. Their words: 'Sport mode is the 'slow' mode' and very uncomfortable.
I suppose there is much to be said for a properly calibrated passive set-up.
For me, 'comfort' mode will always be my preferred choice on our poxy tarmac.
-
Funny how Clarkson cant get the auto brake working. I don't recall any delays when I was on the test drive... :undecided:
-
Guess I will never know for sure but if his comments about the ACC are right then I am glad I didn't bother with it, keen to know if the std setup is more close to sport or comfort though !
-
Guess I will never know for sure but if his comments about the ACC are right then I am glad I didn't bother with it, keen to know if the std setup is more close to sport or comfort though !
I didn't exactly follow his logic. He says it makes no difference to lap times but how much difference should it make? Isn't the point more about the feel of the car? He goes on to say comfort mode feels great, so then does he like DCC or not? :undecided:
-
Hmm good point. I think my issue would be I would not be sure when to press sport, and when to press comfort ?! How do you decide..
British roads change so much prob better to not give me the choice :smiley:
-
Funny how Clarkson cant get the auto brake working. I don't recall any delays when I was on the test drive... :undecided:
I do it caused me to stall the manual.
-
I didn't exactly follow his logic. He says it makes no difference to lap times but how much difference should it make? Isn't the point more about the feel of the car? He goes on to say comfort mode feels great, so then does he like DCC or not? :undecided:
DCC is all about the firmness of the ride. I think they expect "Sport" to mean more power when it means a firmer ride, heavier steering and better throttle resonse but no more output (just less throttle pressing to get the same effect). They're all getting a bit old now, with dodgy spines, so "comfort" is what they'll prefer - for me on my Scirocco "Comfort" is something to activate in pothole season to lessen the blow if you hit one.
I suppose on a really sh!tty road, Comfort might actually provide a negligible amount of extra grip between the tyres and the road in much the same way as a slightly deflated tyre provides more grip on a snowy/icy road. If the wheel isn't bouncing all over the place because it's heavily dampened in comfort mode then it should be in a better content for longer. When it takes 0.1s off a laptime it's not exactly critical.
If he prefers comfort then i'd say he's a fan of DCC as standard set-up is more representative of DCC setting "Sport".
-
Funny how Clarkson cant get the auto brake working. I don't recall any delays when I was on the test drive... :undecided:
I do it caused me to stall the manual.
When hill-hold came in for my 2nd Scirocco, I did stall it a few times - you definitely need more initial throttle to get the hill hold/auto handbrake to disengage and move off. Much harder to do a smooth set-off on a crawl in near-static traffic now.
-
Clarkson et al also raved about the Fiesta ST last week, I wonder which he'd choose. Probably the GTI for the DD, and the ST for the track.
If the next R is significantly better than the new GTI it should be amazing (and maybe finally worth what they charge for it).
-
The good thing about the chassis control is being able to select sport for everything except the suspension and save this as your preference. That way you get the extra responsive throttle with the ride quality we unfortunately need in this country. Great party trick compared to the competition.
-
Clarkson et al also raved about the Fiesta ST last week, I wonder which he'd choose. Probably the GTI for the DD, and the ST for the track.
If the next R is significantly better than the new GTI it should be amazing (and maybe finally worth what they charge for it).
Honestly, the Fiesta ST probably does a LOT of what the GTI does for vastly less money.
The GTI gives you more room, and its a more expensive interior. But driving wise the Fiesta is almost as fast and I suspect would actually be a bit more fun on twisty roads. Its also a little easier around town regarding parking. If anything the Fiesta is too good, seems to diminish the argument for a Focus ST...
Don't get me wrong, the GTI is better in (almost) every way, but you pay +50% for it.
-
Clarkson said more or less exactly the same about the mk5 and mk6 but he never sold his amg mercs to buy one and I would be suprised if he did for the mk7 either but I wait and see.
-
Clarkson said more or less exactly the same about the mk5 and mk6 but he never sold his amg mercs to buy one and I would be suprised if he did for the mk7 either but I wait and see.
Clarkson would never buy a car that one does not notice.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
-
Clarkson said more or less exactly the same about the mk5 and mk6 but he never sold his amg mercs to buy one and I would be suprised if he did for the mk7 either but I wait and see.
Clarkson would never buy a car that one does not notice.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Well that rules him out buying a bmw 330D then, so that's a good thing.
-
Clarkson said more or less exactly the same about the mk5 and mk6 but he never sold his amg mercs to buy one and I would be suprised if he did for the mk7 either but I wait and see.
Clarkson would never buy a car that one does not notice.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Well that rules him out buying a bmw 330D then, so that's a good thing.
And the GTI. So that's a good thing too. :laugh:
-
Clarkson said more or less exactly the same about the mk5 and mk6 but he never sold his amg mercs to buy one and I would be suprised if he did for the mk7 either but I wait and see.
Clarkson would never buy a car that one does not notice.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Well that rules him out buying a bmw 330D then, so that's a good thing.
And the GTI. So that's a good thing too. :laugh:
GTI Pure White, 3 or 5 door, sunroof or no sunroof...........BIG notice and admiration everyday is a given :cool:
buy a Golf GTI again, mk 5, 6 or 7 will do :wink: