Track daying in the damp, Mk3 16v or VR6?

[Tim in Holland]

Going to buy a mk3 golf as a tow car for my bike when taking it to the Nurburgring & a wet/damp weather track car for when it's a bit hairy to be out on the bike.

So what should I go for track day frequenters? (Sorry for those who have seen my similar thread in the Mk3 section)

Note: I'll be upgrading the pads and possibly discs, with a possible spring/damper firming up and and ARBs in the future, but that will be the limit (for now) in the way of track day mods (apart from decent tyres of course).

[VeeDubGTI16v]

i would have said the 16v because you save a bit of weight over the front of the car, but dont know the real world difference 

the vr6 would be handy when towing though

[Diamond Hell]

Duh - if it's to make the most of moist, cold cruddy weather then go ifnd yourself a G3 Syncro - 4WD = faithful handling...... shame they were only available with either TDi or VR6 - surely how hard can it be to fit an ABF, eh?!

*cough* not that hard *cough*

[Tim in Holland]

There are no GTi/VR6 Syncros on the dutch autotrader, although there's a Mk2 G60 syncro for 12.5k euros 

Valver sounds best for in the damp I think, and should be adequate for towing a light bike...

[Mook]

Going to buy a mk3 golf as a tow car for my bike when taking it to the Nurburgring & a wet/damp weather track car for when it's a bit hairy to be out on the bike.

Similar to a guy I saw there in July - he had an M5 tow car for his Ariel Atom.  Well kind of the same

If you want a quick car round the Ring, seriously consider a Mk2 GTI - 8V or 16V, or even one with a 20V turbo conversion.  Any one of them will tow a bike without any problems, and, in stock form they handle waaaay better than the stock Mk3, which, IMO, handles round a track with all the finesse of a tub of Flora.

Yes, you could spend a mint on mods on either car, but you'd be doing that anyway.

Mods you need to consider straightaway are brakes (disks and pads), plus anti-roll bars.  Both relatively inexpensive upgrades which will change your enjoyment of any track.  Brake fade on the Ring is horrible!

[Tim in Holland]

Just thinking, would the more constant power delivery of a VR6 be better in the damp than a revvy 16V?

[Mook]

In the damp, because of the extra torque, you'd need better throttle control with the VR6.

The VR6 is a much heavier car and understeers more than a 16V because of the additional weight of the engine. I've driven both cars in standard form on track and I would say the 16V is more fun.

[VeeDubGTI16v]

the most important thing in the rain is to be light, so buy the lightest car that will still tow your bike ok

[Ivor Mk4 Turbo]

the most important thing in the rain is to be light, so buy the lightest car that will still tow your bike ok

At the front, yes, but a bit of weight in the middle/back can help in the rain, IMO.

Out of the 2, I would go 16v myself.

[VeeDubGTI16v]

yeah, but i was hinting at choosing a different lighter car than a mk3, you can choose where you want the weight later.

sandbags in the boot?