Mk 8 Golf

[Exonian]

I was looking forward to a hybrid GTI/R   

[monkeyhanger]

New article by evo on the GTI:

https://www.evo.co.uk/volkswagen/golf-gti/22866/new-2020-mk8-volkswagen-golf-gti-spied-for-the-first-time

Interesting, they say Volkswagen is also expected to keep hold of the six-speed manual transmission, although the dual-clutch automatic is expected to make up a majority of sales - good news for the manual lovers 

I can't see VW retaining the 6 speed manual box, they've been doing all they can lately yo push everyone towards DSG. It must be a whole lot easier to achieve a CO2 target on a WLTP test cycle with a 7 speed DSG than a 6 speed manual - and that's what matters to VW. Getting you to pay an extra £1500 for an auto box you didn't really want adds to VWs coffers too.

If VW do put a manual out there, let's hope they do it right. The box on my 2015 R was sh!te gravelly throw and infrequently refused to go 6th to 3rd or 2nd to 1st or neutral to 1st), and it came with a chocolate clutch that slipped a few times in the winter.

I have DSG on my Polo GTI now, through lack of choice for a manual box, and it's ok, but I miss a manual box that's performing as I'd expect.

[Exonian]

The manual gearbox on my 2015 R was really good. Much better than the slightly obstinate one in my 2013 GTI PP. I never suffered clutch slip in mine either despite running a JB1 for a while.
First gear in the R was far too low and 6th to 3rd could upset the synchro a bit but that was more likely my crap coordination between left hand and clutch foot.
Damn I miss that car.

Still a CS40 is no hardship...


The mk8 GTI does look ok in proportions in those pics. 19” wheels will be a must by the looks of it.
The side skirts of the current TCR look like they might be a nod to the mk8 skirts, both being more prominent, or it might be my dodgy eyesight and phone screen.

Be interesting to see what power increases there are along with prices.
Having run a few quotes between an R and an A35 AMG for a colleague lately the two are very similar in overall ownership costs. The AMG having higher APR but higher GFV keeping the two very close on cost, performance and spec (give or take).
If the next gen Golf is to be higher priced it needs to be higher powered than the immediate rivals.
Mind you, the new Focus ST is £32k so Golf GTI pricing is only going to go one way...

[Watts]

If VW do put a manual out there, let's hope they do it right. The box on my 2015 R was sh!te gravelly throw and infrequently refused to go 6th to 3rd or 2nd to 1st or neutral to 1st), and it came with a chocolate clutch that slipped a few times in the winter.

Obviously a bit late now but perhaps the cables needed adjustment? The shift on mine is great even with the mods I've done.

[Splashalot]

If VW do put a manual out there, let's hope they do it right. The box on my 2015 R was sh!te gravelly throw and infrequently refused to go 6th to 3rd or 2nd to 1st or neutral to 1st), and it came with a chocolate clutch that slipped a few times in the winter.

Obviously a bit late now but perhaps the cables needed adjustment? The shift on mine is great even with the mods I've done.

Same here.  Shift quality on my manual 7.5 GTI is great.  Reckon Monkeyhanger's needed adjustment.  Just remembered I did test drive an earlier mk7 GTI with a crap, crunchy 'box - turned out it needed cables adjusting.  So they're not all perfect from the factory.

[monkeyhanger]

If VW do put a manual out there, let's hope they do it right. The box on my 2015 R was sh!te gravelly throw and infrequently refused to go 6th to 3rd or 2nd to 1st or neutral to 1st), and it came with a chocolate clutch that slipped a few times in the winter.

Obviously a bit late now but perhaps the cables needed adjustment? The shift on mine is great even with the mods I've done.

It had occurred to be that the cables needed doing, the local dealership groups kept fobbing me off.

When it was new, "give it time to settle down" was Pulman's response. 5 months later Pulman and Lookers both claimed it was normal for an R, and with manual R's being so rare, they never had an example to test drive for comparison purposes.

Every time it went in for service or warranty I'd ask them to look at it again. I was once told "the R box is a bit agricultural, to handle all the power, the bigger output Touaregs have the same box".

It all seemed BS, but 3 different dealerships were saying the same thing. At 2.5 years old, a colleague bought a late 2014 model second hand and I had a go in that - it's gearbox was as rough as mine.

All that is pretty indicative of how crap local dealerships are in the North East, or that VW perhaps wouldn't sanction paying for the work. VW UK customer service is absolutely piss poor (as I've found lately with refusal for work on my Polo's poorly adjusted tailgate).

None of that excuses the chocolate clutch on my unmodified R.

[Jim_mk7.5]

If VW do put a manual out there, let's hope they do it right. The box on my 2015 R was sh!te gravelly throw and infrequently refused to go 6th to 3rd or 2nd to 1st or neutral to 1st), and it came with a chocolate clutch that slipped a few times in the winter.

Obviously a bit late now but perhaps the cables needed adjustment? The shift on mine is great even with the mods I've done.

It had occurred to be that the cables needed doing, the local dealership groups kept fobbing me off.

When it was new, "give it time to settle down" was Pulman's response. 5 months later Pulman and Lookers both claimed it was normal for an R, and with manual R's being so rare, they never had an example to test drive for comparison purposes.

Every time it went in for service or warranty I'd ask them to look at it again. I was once told "the R box is a bit agricultural, to handle all the power, the bigger output Touaregs have the same box".

It all seemed BS, but 3 different dealerships were saying the same thing. At 2.5 years old, a colleague bought a late 2014 model second hand and I had a go in that - it's gearbox was as rough as mine.

All that is pretty indicative of how crap local dealerships are in the North East, or that VW perhaps wouldn't sanction paying for the work. VW UK customer service is absolutely piss poor (as I've found lately with refusal for work on my Polo's poorly adjusted tailgate).

None of that excuses the chocolate clutch on my unmodified R.

Think the general opinion is that the nature of R suits DSG much better than the manual.

New article by evo on the GTI:

https://www.evo.co.uk/volkswagen/golf-gti/22866/new-2020-mk8-volkswagen-golf-gti-spied-for-the-first-time

Interesting, they say Volkswagen is also expected to keep hold of the six-speed manual transmission, although the dual-clutch automatic is expected to make up a majority of sales - good news for the manual lovers 

I can't see VW retaining the 6 speed manual box, they've been doing all they can lately yo push everyone towards DSG. It must be a whole lot easier to achieve a CO2 target on a WLTP test cycle with a 7 speed DSG than a 6 speed manual - and that's what matters to VW. Getting you to pay an extra £1500 for an auto box you didn't really want adds to VWs coffers too.

If VW do put a manual out there, let's hope they do it right. The box on my 2015 R was sh!te gravelly throw and infrequently refused to go 6th to 3rd or 2nd to 1st or neutral to 1st), and it came with a chocolate clutch that slipped a few times in the winter.

I have DSG on my Polo GTI now, through lack of choice for a manual box, and it's ok, but I miss a manual box that's performing as I'd expect.

All the talk has been of ditching the manual, and obviously the 7.5 performance models only DSG now but wouldn't have thought they would allude to keeping the manual without some information on this. Not many manuals as a % of total sales for GTI's and Rs though.

[monkeyhanger]

Not sure if DSG suits R better - a manual box working as it should would've made me a bit happier with the car. DSG seemed to be a lot more popular with the R due to the headline 0-62 time being 0.2s quicker on the DSG (only while looking a tit while using launch control).

Post facelift, inclusion of the 7 speed DSG makes it a significantly more economical proposition at motorway speeds. I've seen the motorway advantage of tall gearing with my Polo GTI+.

My old Golf R used to average 32mpg around the doors and 35mpg on a long motorway journey, maintaining 80mph.

The Polo is averaging 34mpg around the doors, but a whopping 45mpg on the motorway doing 80 (53mpg doing 70). The R at 80 in 6th was doing 3100rpm, the Polo is doing 2400rpm - barely more than my old GTD.

[SRGTD]

Undisguised front and back end pictures and a picture of the dash of the Mk8 Golf.

‘Stepped’ rear lights and fake twin exhausts at the rear, and swept back headlamps and slim upper grille at the front - these styling cues could be seen under the camouflage in many of the earlier spy shots. Extra inner creases in the bonnet running from the windscreen to the grille too. Door mirrors mounted lower down on the doors - like the current Seat Leon.

Complete absence of switches and knobs on the actual centre part of the dash / infotainment unit. The image on the infotainment screen looks sharp though, and the higher up position is better IMO than the screen position in the mk7.5 Golf.

https://www.car.blog.br/2019/08/novo-volkswagen-golf-mk8-2020-fotos-sem.html?m=1

[Exonian]

Undisguised front and back end pictures and a picture of the dash of the Mk8 Golf.

‘Stepped’ rear lights and fake twin exhausts at the rear, and swept back headlamps and slim upper grille at the front - these styling cues could be seen under the camouflage in many of the earlier spy shots. Extra inner creases in the bonnet running from the windscreen to the grille too. Door mirrors mounted lower down on the doors - like the current Seat Leon.

Complete absence of switches and knobs on the actual centre part of the dash / infotainment unit. The image on the infotainment screen looks sharp though, and the higher up position is better IMO than the screen position in the mk7.5 Golf.

https://www.car.blog.br/2019/08/novo-volkswagen-golf-mk8-2020-fotos-sem.html?m=1

If ever there was a good advert for buying a mk7(.5)...

It looks ok actually.
Like a mk7 with an Eos front end conversion!

The dash sure isn't an A-Class beater. Oh dear.

The big reveal must be close if they’re leaking undisguised photos.