07 Spec GTI vs 08 Spec GTI

[rajSantiago]

Hi guys,

 just to confuse you all further i've read in other forums that VW might be upping the base GTI to 230HP in the 08 spec. There is no official word from VW on this matter and hence i cant be 100% sure. I guess to avoid any disappointment, im just going to wait and order the 08 spec end of june....

[SteveS]

well i have the e30 on order so its not gonna be great is one of the major points of it is the extra power and the standard gti gets it

[Hurdy]

It could be a possibility as you only have to look back at the MKIV anniversary and the fact it had 180bhp whilst the standard made do with 150bhp and then the following spec came out for the following year make and lo and behold 180bhp became standard output on the normal GTI. So 5 years ago it happened with a 30bhp difference, what would be the difference now?
I can't say it wouldn't p!ss me off, because it would , but then again it should p!ss off standard GTI owners as well, especially if they have just taken delivery of the 200bhp model. Also, if you look back to the MKIV, the 150bhp models became less desirable than the 180bhp models and as a result the values of the 150bhp models fell drastically and again this could happen with the MKV especially when there is at least another year of the current MKV for VW to sell plenty of 230bhp versions.

Lets just hope that if there is a 230bhp upgrade for the standard model it is simply a remap and that they don't give it the full revised mechanicals that the ED30 has. In this respect it would keep a halo effect which would still distinguish the standard model from the ED30 even with the same power.

[TagnuT]

Agree with you there Hurdy. Mind you they are still using the 200hp engine in the Leon FR and the Octavoia RS. So looking at economies of scale is it worth changing. The only other cars that share the ED30 engine are the S3 and the Leon Cupra...............
Let me just say that I hope that they don't do it. 

[Stiggy]

Lets just hope that if there is a 230bhp upgrade for the standard model it is simply a remap and that they don't give it the full revised mechanicals that the ED30 has. In this respect it would keep a halo effect which would still distinguish the standard model from the ED30 even with the same power.

Agreed there.  Can't see them putting the same engine in the standard gti, as is in the ed30, surely?  If they did, wouldn't they have to up the price?  If so, they'd have to revise the prices across the whole range, even if it was just a remap.  Having said that, if they did i wouldn't have any regrets with the ed30 !!!

[Phil mcavity]

they will phase out the 200 bhp version, as they have done to all previous aniversary editions. I'd put money on this , the only thing different nxt year will the Edition 30 red stitching and badges to seperate the 2 Gti's apart. Just you wait and see.  History books wont change just cus we are at Mk 5 stage. they have done it to mk 2, mk 3,mk 4, and will repeat again on mk 5 soon. It costs more if they have to purchase different parts from different suppliers. It will make the current gti less desirable on resales just like all previous mk'd golfs, and will affect Edition 30's apon release of Mk 6 next year. I wouldnt be supprised that they colour code the golfs aswell

[wantmygti]

I'm not so sure. Of I'm right, I think the Mk4 R32 came out right at the end of the Mk4 Golfs life??

With the Mk5 the R32 has been around for a while and hence VW need to protect the differential between the 2.

If all GTi's take 230bhp, I could see the need to make the R32's a bit more powerful also. In the past this hasn't really been an issue.

[Phil mcavity]

Correct wantmygti, hense the soon coming of the R36. and as we know Cost cutting seems to VW at the moment, and streamlining the range makes financial sense.

[wantmygti]

Maybe Phil - does that mean the R32 is soon to be obsolete??

It also strikes me that Gti's in the past (mk 4 and prob 3) have always missed the mark, the mark 5 has had brilliant reviews. Maybe VW will decide not to tweak that base Gti further as there is no need - it still seems to be selling well??

Time will tell i suppose.

[Phil mcavity]

yes i still think that 200hp for the Gti is spot on for all round performance(awaiting critisism) then adding more horsepower as it prooves with the ed 30's poorer showing round a track. I do like the external changes to the car, those pescaras on wellsys GTi do look good. Im worried about all these cost cutting tricks VW are up to of late are gonna put the next generation golf down and possible ruin a repaired review that the Mk5 has re-gained.
I think the 3.2 litre is an old girl now and will be phased out with the R36, and the standard Mk 6 will be the same lump in the edition 30 for the nxt gen GTi.