RIP R32

[FamilyDub]

I also couldn't get my head around the power. It's a 3.2 litre V6 but only produced 247bhp standard. What I found frustrating was that tuning it was expensive and didn't yield the sorts of gains you would get from remapping a GTI.

And that is the fundamental problem of the 'VR' engine design.

They are difficult to cool efficiently - especially when pushing up power outputs.  And they also suffer from a fundamental design 'flaw' - in that the inlet ports and exhaust ports cross along side each other.  This is similar to a 'pre-crossflow' cylinder head design, whereby both inlet and exhaust ports are on the same side of the head.  On the VR design (and pre-crossflow), this causes unresolveable issues regarding the hot exhaust gasses heating up the inlet gasses - and vice versa.  Hotter inlet air temps reduce the volumetric effieciency, and therefore the combustion efficiency.  And the 'cooled' exhaust gasses reduce the effectiveness of the catalytic converter.  This is why VR engines not only produce less power than a conventional 'wide angle' vee engine, but also suffer with worse emissions too. 

F00k me, that's some in depth knowledge 

Interesting 

[No Golf Clubs at all]

If youre leasing...be careful remapping...... 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I also couldn't get my head around the power. It's a 3.2 litre V6 but only produced 247bhp standard. What I found frustrating was that tuning it was expensive and didn't yield the sorts of gains you would get from remapping a GTI.

And that is the fundamental problem of the 'VR' engine design.

They are difficult to cool efficiently - especially when pushing up power outputs.  And they also suffer from a fundamental design 'flaw' - in that the inlet ports and exhaust ports cross along side each other.  This is similar to a 'pre-crossflow' cylinder head design, whereby both inlet and exhaust ports are on the same side of the head.  On the VR design (and pre-crossflow), this causes unresolveable issues regarding the hot exhaust gasses heating up the inlet gasses - and vice versa.  Hotter inlet air temps reduce the volumetric effieciency, and therefore the combustion efficiency.  And the 'cooled' exhaust gasses reduce the effectiveness of the catalytic converter.  This is why VR engines not only produce less power than a conventional 'wide angle' vee engine, but also suffer with worse emissions too. 

F00k me, that's some in depth knowledge 

Interesting 

That is what I am basically about - years and years of professional studying! 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

If youre leasing...be careful remapping...... 

Yup! 

[FamilyDub]

I also couldn't get my head around the power. It's a 3.2 litre V6 but only produced 247bhp standard. What I found frustrating was that tuning it was expensive and didn't yield the sorts of gains you would get from remapping a GTI.

And that is the fundamental problem of the 'VR' engine design.

They are difficult to cool efficiently - especially when pushing up power outputs.  And they also suffer from a fundamental design 'flaw' - in that the inlet ports and exhaust ports cross along side each other.  This is similar to a 'pre-crossflow' cylinder head design, whereby both inlet and exhaust ports are on the same side of the head.  On the VR design (and pre-crossflow), this causes unresolveable issues regarding the hot exhaust gasses heating up the inlet gasses - and vice versa.  Hotter inlet air temps reduce the volumetric effieciency, and therefore the combustion efficiency.  And the 'cooled' exhaust gasses reduce the effectiveness of the catalytic converter.  This is why VR engines not only produce less power than a conventional 'wide angle' vee engine, but also suffer with worse emissions too. 

F00k me, that's some in depth knowledge 

Interesting 

That is what I am basically about - years and years of professional studying! 

It's amazing.

I have used and abused threads when talking to my local VW stealer about issues with the car.

Nice one 

[Jkctr]

Hope the GTI lives up to the R32 mate!

Have to say i was driving back in the torrential rain on weds night and couldnt understand why anyone would get a GTI over an R32 if they had the choice! Passed a few GTI's, astra vxr's, mini cooper s's and all of them had to drive slowly because of fwd. I just hammered on home with the fast lane all to my self and no power restrictions and the amazing noise behind me! Was a similar story in the dry before the rain hit as well. Followed a VXR on the way down in the dry (nothing in it) then it rained, out of no where...very hard! He had to move over as he lost all his power being unable to use it. I carried on as normal 
Im doing everything i can to not have to sell it at the moment, im not sure anything under £30k new can match it as an all round car!
Look forward to hearing some long term reviews on the GTI mate, im sure it will be superb as its a brilliant car; not sure it will ever fill the void the 32 is going to leave, irrelevant of the few quid a week you save on fuel 

[R32UK]

Well strangely enough... no one turned up to collect the .:R

So now I have both parked outside work and get to chose which one I take home!!

[Jkctr]

Take the GTI so you can hear the 32 from outside! 

[R32UK]

Take the GTI so you can hear the 32 from outside! 

Done that already! opened drivers door, slid my ass in, started her up and then slammed her to 6k revs oooh the popping n rumbling

Gti sounds alot better than I found the mk5.. but lets face it, its a tad diesel like on startup and anything less than full chat!

[RedRobin]

....

Reading this has made me think that it's a bit like that perfect foreign girlfriend who eventually had to leave to go back home overseas - You will always have very fond memories - Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

You've driven a R32 for over 30k miles and loved doing so - No-one can take that away from you.

1,000 miles into your new Mk6 GTI you'll find new things to love.

As the song by Stephen Stills says: "Love the one you're with" - Showing my age going back to the hippie days of Woodstock.

Have Fun but Safe Journeys,

Robin