Have you ordered an 8.5 ?

[AbsoluteAnorak]

I just put an order in for mine. This is my first VW, as I've had Fords (and a Jaguar in between) for ages. My current Focus is awful compared to previous ones, hence the switch. Apparently the 265 is a perfect time to jump in, so I'm ridiculously excited.

Technically this one will never be mine though, as it's a lease. But mine to drive for the next two years at least. If it goes well (no reason to think it won't), this will be my transition from a repeated Ford buyer to a repeated VW buyer.

I ordered from an existing factory order, so no options, but a decent price. Taking delivery in October 

[seanaodh]

Thanks for this. I have had a few emails and it got built 1st week of July and on the 6th to say it was all clear to leave the factory. Had another email today to say:-

Just a quick update to let you know that your new Golf GTI has now left our factory and is on its way to the UK.

So hoping that means it’s on a ship not just at the dock

If you want to get really into it, you can start looking for car ferries leaving Emden to wherever VW usually brings boats into.
Then email your dealer to ask if it's made a ship. They have very granular levels of status so can tell if it's departed the port. To Ireland there's usually only one or two a week, so you can tell pretty easily when it might get a chance to leave.




The screenshot is from a table that my sales person copied and pasted into an email, so they should have that kind of detail.

[Gunnsie]

Hello everyone, first post here.

Well, back in 2021 I had a MK8 GTI on order. Quite a standard order, standard white paint and DCC and the reversing camera (it was an option back then!)

Cue the Ukraine war and container shortages, microchip shortages, I waited nigh-on 2 years and still no car. So I cancelled my order and bought a 330e xDrive Touring. Fantastic car.. but...

Fast forward to 2025, and I'm PX-ing my 330e for a 8.5 GTI factory order.

Kings red metallic
19" Queenstowns
HUD
Full airbags
HK sound system
DCC

The 330e has been a fantastic cruiser but I'm missing something on the daily drives - too many B roads around here that just aren't suited to it.

Expected delivery of the GTI late November / December - can't bloody wait. In theory I've waited 4 years !

[Exonian]

The updated styling of the 8.5 GTI will make it worth the 4 year wait on its own, the mk8 was never a pretty car. All the other little bits are the icing on the cake.

Oh, and welcome Gunnsie