GTD Performance Pack

[Hawaii-Five-O]

I think they should have offered the Performance Pack on the GTD, but i knew they wouldn't. They don't want to hurt GTI sales or its persona too much. Especially a dirty old diesel

The thing is there are more powerful stock diesels out there. For example the 125d pushes out 450 Nm 332 lb-ft or torque and 214 bhp. That's gotta be close to the stock GTI. I'm sure VW could have pushed the new GTD close to the 125d if they'd wanted to. Mind you they would have needed to throw on an extra turbo to get there

TBH I'd have been happier to get a more powerful GTD on launch with a slight reduction in mpg.

I tell you this much, I wouldn't be happy if VW brought out a Golf R TDI in the future. Would de-value our (currently top spec) GTD no end.

[p3asa]

But the economy would drop down to the GTI level probably...

They are 2 different products really.  Maxing out the GTD so it is similar to the GTI defeats the point of the GTD.  unless you can do this and still have the economy... But yo can't usually have your cake and eat it, or so I'm told.

But that is the whole point. Those that remapped their MK6 GTD's were still getting the economy (some were even getting better economy) and had the power of the GTI.
Where is The Doc when you need him 

But why would VW do that from the factory as it would be suicide?

Granted the power delivery would be different and some people would just prefer petrol over diesel so the GTI wouldn't die but you might find more and more going to the GTD. 

Personally I just love the torque from a diesel.

[mcmaddy]

One of the quickest cars I've had was the mk2 Leon fr diesel. didn't realise it had been re mapped until after I'd bought it from seat but it went like stink and regularly got mid fifty mpg's. Better than any petrol car I'd had and haven't bought petrol since.

[ROO1]

But that would give you performance with economy. 

If they could tune the GTD to what the GTI performs at just now (which I'm sure they could), then would there be a need for the GTI?
Folk would just be buying for the GTI emblem especially those not looking at remapping their GTI.
Not that there is anything wrong with that 

As nice to drive as fast diesels are, I have yet to drive one that feels like a fast petrol car. I'm not saying either one is better than the other, just different, and personally I prefer petrol in a performance car. In saying that I fully understand why some people prefer the oil burner.

My old 330d remapped drove like a fast petrol

[ROO1]

One of the quickest cars I've had was the mk2 Leon fr diesel. didn't realise it had been re mapped until after I'd bought it from seat but it went like stink and regularly got mid fifty mpg's. Better than any petrol car I'd had and haven't bought petrol since.

I agree. My brother has an 11 plate and its mosterously quick. Must be remapped I keep saying.

[monkeyhanger]

I don't think VW would go down the remapping route for making a higher output 2.0TDI engine, they would almost certainly go bi-turbo, but how much would that cost and what would the effect on economy/CO2 be? If they could keep it above 60mpg and below 120g CO2/km for the manual versions and still chuck out 215-225PS I think they'd have a lot of buyers if it didn't add more than a grand onto GTDs list price. How much would that trample on GTIs sales? Quite a bit I would imagine, only the ardent diesel hater wouldn't consider it over a GTI still at 220PS.
There are a few tricks that VW could have used to make the GTI even more frugal such as cylinder deactivation tech seen on the 140TSI engine - probably would've added an easy 5mpg onto the fuel economy (but at what retail cost?). In the end they've placed them just far enough apart to minimalise cannibalisation of each others sales.
Being cautious, VW would probably reinforce a few bits of the engine like hardened pistons (that they used to do for R and Cupra 2.0TSI over the standard 200/210PS version - do they still do that?), so not all of the money is going on an extra turbo. Bigger brakes might also be something they add in, and then you might be talking another £1200 over the GTDs list price, would the extra sales be worth the effort or would 95% of the GTDers out there be happy with the standard model?

The 125d is a bit of an anomalie, is anyone else offering bi-turbo in this car size segment? I suppose it's a lot easier to justify the resultant list price on a BMW, even if it is a 1 series.

If VW upped the tech stakes for the GTD and GTI as my suggestions above, you'd be talking a 220PS GTI with 53-55mpg vs a GTD-R with 220PS and 60mpg. With 5mpg in it between them would many buy a GTD over a GTI?

[AAddict]

I don't think VW would go down the remapping route for making a higher output 2.0TDI engine, they would almost certainly go bi-turbo, but how much would that cost and what would the effect on economy/CO2 be? If they could keep it above 60mpg and below 120g CO2/km for the manual versions and still chuck out 215-225PS I think they'd have a lot of buyers if it didn't add more than a grand onto GTDs list price. How much would that trample on GTIs sales? Quite a bit I would imagine, only the ardent diesel hater wouldn't consider it over a GTI still at 220PS.
There are a few tricks that VW could have used to make the GTI even more frugal such as cylinder deactivation tech seen on the 140TSI engine - probably would've added an easy 5mpg onto the fuel economy (but at what retail cost?). In the end they've placed them just far enough apart to minimalise cannibalisation of each others sales.
Being cautious, VW would probably reinforce a few bits of the engine like hardened pistons (that they used to do for R and Cupra 2.0TSI over the standard 200/210PS version - do they still do that?), so not all of the money is going on an extra turbo. Bigger brakes might also be something they add in, and then you might be talking another £1200 over the GTDs list price, would the extra sales be worth the effort or would 95% of the GTDers out there be happy with the standard model?

The 125d is a bit of an anomalie, is anyone else offering bi-turbo in this car size segment? I suppose it's a lot easier to justify the resultant list price on a BMW, even if it is a 1 series.

If VW upped the tech stakes for the GTD and GTI as my suggestions above, you'd be talking a 220PS GTI with 53-55mpg vs a GTD-R with 220PS and 60mpg. With 5mpg in it between them would many buy a GTD over a GTI?

As you say bi-turbo would up the GTD's performance, but for the same money VW could use two or one bigger turbo on the GTI. If you're gonna give one more, surely the other deserves it to.

[Hawaii-Five-O]

The 125d is a bit of an anomalie, is anyone else offering bi-turbo in this car size segment?

Yep there is one you've missed - Vauxhall GTC Coupe CDTi Bi-Turbo 

[monkeyhanger]

Hawaii-Five-O: That model won't stepping on the toes of the performance petrol in the range VXR/260PS. They don't have a mid-high petrol engine that is comparable with the Diesel bi-turbo. I suppose that if there was no "R" model in the offing and the GTI had "R" outtput then we'd be more likely to get a bi-turbo GTD. That said though, the Astra only has 10PS more than the GTD for it's extra turbo.

[Jules Winfield]

The 125d is a bit of an anomalie, is anyone else offering bi-turbo in this car size segment?

Yep there is one you've missed - Vauxhall GTC Coupe CDTi Bi-Turbo 

That car needs more letters and words in its name.  There's not nearly enough.