Stig's Lap Times in the VW Golf

[telboy]

Telboy, simple point I was making is that the standard setup of the GTI gives far too much body roll and too much understeer, agree that the general setup is OK for everyday driving, but as soon as you push on, then the above issues come into play, followed by average brakes, the brake issue is easy to overcome with some decent pads and little money, but curing the other 2 is expensive, and this is not about track driving, its general setup, and it dont matter if you have 200 or 300hp, its always there.

Still stick with my point and I have seen good drivers do things with the gti I never thought possible, when you chat with them they'll always say that it's knowing how to use the car that gives you the best advantage overall!!! Why would the gti win so many hot hatch awards??? Appreciate your comments to a point, however the gti is still one of the best balanced hot hatches around. I find the general setup spot on and I munch a fair few miles on and off the Mway, any hardeder and I couldn't have the car, I will agree that my next mod is going to be some decent pads though :embarassed:

[Phil mcavity]

Just watch tiff neddell put a GTi round the track, especially when he puts the red ed30 round against the Focus ST.
Thats a front wheel drive car that is one of THE best front wheel drive cars. You Cannot compare anything thats 4 wheel drive to it.(unless it a scooby wrx which is alot slower!  .Your agument about the GTi being a poor track car doesnt have much substance imo

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kKxCT1UK_sE

[R32UK]

shame the R32 isnt the fastest production golf   

But yet still manages to be the fastest around the TG track by a good too seconds

[telboy]

shame the R32 isnt the fastest production golf   

But yet still manages to be the fastest around the TG track by a good too seconds

:grin:That's mainly down to the fact that he can't drive the golf gti for some reason I have seen many test drivers wack the gti around the track just as fast as the r32, will let you have the tg trophy for now, on the real road though you'd be hard pushed to pull away and add 2 seconds between yourself and an ed30 especially when it's got a £450 bluefin remap, I think you'd need an extra 110 bhp extra to get the same power to weight wouldn't you

I'll be honest R32, I think your car is the nuts, really do like the R32, however doing 30k miles a year and needing something a tad more economical and just as agile in the real world, I have to go with the ed30,....

Bottom line is they're both blo*dy good cars and in their own rights are at the top of their respective trees!

[orca]

Morego do a product called the Power grip suspension kit which claims to "totally transform the Mk 5 GTI's handling in tight corners".  Link below.

Their answer to the understeer problem is to increase the amount of negative camber in the static position to improve the tyre contact when cornering hard.  This is achieved by modifying the wishbones (they cut the ends off and then weld extension pieces on).  It produces about 1.75 degrees of negative camber.  There was an article about it in the July 2007 copy of VW Driver magazine.

http://www.morego.co.uk/product_details.php?id=3356&make=37&model=323

[182_blue]

shame the R32 isnt the fastest production golf   

But yet still manages to be the fastest around the TG track by a good too seconds

the R32 would have been even quicker where it not for the fact they had to stop off to refuel 

[182_blue]

Morego do a product called the Power grip suspension kit which claims to "totally transform the Mk 5 GTI's handling in tight corners".  Link below.

Their answer to the understeer problem is to increase the amount of negative camber in the static position to improve the tyre contact when cornering hard.  This is achieved by modifying the wishbones (they cut the ends off and then weld extension pieces on).  It produces about 1.75 degrees of negative camber.  There was an article about it in the July 2007 copy of VW Driver magazine.

http://www.morego.co.uk/product_details.php?id=3356&make=37&model=323

did they rate it ?, as they do one for my old car and that got bad write ups

[R32UK]

shame the R32 isnt the fastest production golf   

But yet still manages to be the fastest around the TG track by a good too seconds

:grin:That's mainly down to the fact that he can't drive the golf gti for some reason I have seen many test drivers wack the gti around the track just as fast as the r32, will let you have the tg trophy for now, on the real road though you'd be hard pushed to pull away and add 2 seconds between yourself and an ed30 especially when it's got a £450 bluefin remap, I think you'd need an extra 110 bhp extra to get the same power to weight wouldn't you

I'll be honest R32, I think your car is the nuts, really do like the R32, however doing 30k miles a year and needing something a tad more economical and just as agile in the real world, I have to go with the ed30,....

Bottom line is they're both blo*dy good cars and in their own rights are at the top of their respective trees!

I will agree with that. If I were doing 30k a year then I too would be driving a ED30. Cant really add much to that as you have probably hit the nail on the head. When we start to talk about remapping then the Ed30 wins hands down.. simply because it cheap as chips to do. Although a supercharged R32 is a force to be reckoned with also... and I might just be back to show the Ed30's how its really done

[182_blue]

shame the R32 isnt the fastest production golf   

But yet still manages to be the fastest around the TG track by a good too seconds

:grin:That's mainly down to the fact that he can't drive the golf gti for some reason I have seen many test drivers wack the gti around the track just as fast as the r32, will let you have the tg trophy for now, on the real road though you'd be hard pushed to pull away and add 2 seconds between yourself and an ed30 especially when it's got a £450 bluefin remap, I think you'd need an extra 110 bhp extra to get the same power to weight wouldn't you

I'll be honest R32, I think your car is the nuts, really do like the R32, however doing 30k miles a year and needing something a tad more economical and just as agile in the real world, I have to go with the ed30,....

Bottom line is they're both blo*dy good cars and in their own rights are at the top of their respective trees!

I will agree with that. If I were doing 30k a year then I too would be driving a ED30. Cant really add much to that as you have probably hit the nail on the head. When we start to talk about remapping then the Ed30 wins hands down.. simply because it cheap as chips to do. Although a supercharged R32 is a force to be reckoned with also... and I might just be back to show the Ed30's how its really done

how much would fitting and setting up a supercharger cost you though ?

[KentBladeboy]

Orca, interesting article, always an increase in neg camber will reduce understeer, so its in the right direction to cure the problem, claims of more balanced tyre wear are interesting as I would expect to see an increase in inner tread wear with -1.75deg. There is no doubt the VW designers have to err on the side of caution and safety for most drivers and conditions, but I believe they have been too conservative.
Sure top line jockeys like Tiff can get the thing sideways around a track, and if we could all drive like that then I doubt we'd be banging keys on forums like this.
Could be a cheap way to improve the setup, though bunging £500, might as well add another 700 and fit a set of KW's. Then you get the best of both worlds for track and road.
Might also stop the rubber marking you get around the rim edges of the Monzas under hard cornering!!