... We have a lovely 5dr blue 6000 miler 04 plate just come in. Took it out after it was serviced and was disappointed with the performance to say the least. I loved the chunky 'feeling', but the handling was fairly disappointing, I thought the 4wd would have meant a LOT less understeer. Oh, and then the performance. I wasnt expecting anything close to my mk2 20vt, but I was expecting a lot more. It felt very underpowered, and just didnt have any urgency going through the gears at all. Was very smooth, but absolutely no punch to it at all. Initial torque is fairly impressive but after that i was almost rocking in my seat to urge it to go faster. Dont know how AMD'd or REVO'd ones do with 30bhp more, but this thing felt like it needed at least 70bhp more to actually DO something. The acceleration felt just as fast as a completely stock mk2 valver. Does anyone else feel like I felt after driving one?
Aye ... but the R32 is aimed at a different market to people like you who put a 20vT in an old Mk2. With the exception of enthusiasts working their way `up` the VW range, it will never get driven anywhere near as hard as you drive yours. Brand, status, refined ride, a bit more power on tap. Thats its main purpose. Also, you seem to have entered into it with too many expectations. The first time I drive a Cosworth many years ago I had the exact same feeling.
as for understeer, you were probably driving it wrong I thought my rallye was pants until i realized i was doing everything wrong, now i can drive it, it's awesome
I even mean compared to a mk5 gti, there was hardly any difference IMO. I'd have expected the r32 to have more poke and all round performance. I'm not comparing it to my car at all, I'm comparing it to the hundreds of 'stock' cars I drive everyday at work. TBH I'd rather have a TDI 140bhp, similar performance and 40mpg around town rather than the 11.4 mpg we got going around north london...
The only one i've ever been near is driven by a woman who replaced an elise with it. Needless to say she now has another elise
I think the r32, due to its limited production run is aimed at people who are car enthusiasts more than the person after brand image IMO. Maybe car enthusiasts who want something special but noty outrageous.....a post modding phase People who are after Brand image would go for an e46 bmw or a porsche boxster. The r32 is driven by more enthusiasts than you would think...... Edited by: Rahul
You say that, but the (admittedly relatively limited number of) people I`ve met driving an R32 certainly werent enthusiasts. In fact they would have been more at home in a Boxster or a BMW. It may be that I simply havent met as many as you, thats quite possible. But the fact is, an R32 is not aimed people like `us` ... if it was, it missed the mark. Admittedly the R32 will catch some VW enthusiasts, like any `performance` VW will. And an R32 is pretty rapid ... but its not a screamer. Thats not what its about. Exclusivity, comfort and power sell well in the brand conscious market. The R32 is more `grown up` and as such it falls into the same category (although not perhaps price bracket) as a BMW etc. Plus BMW is losing its brand image. In fact its positively trying to, thats the reason for making the 1 series. Other brands are filling that niche now, and the R32 fits in snugly. Edited by: superden
thing is it will feel slower because of the increased refinement, noise supression etc. for example take the windscreen out of your car, feels fast doesn't it... but obviously it will be a fair bit slower than a 300bhpmk2 however you think about it Edited by: prof
totally agree. 4wd helps loads with understeer, but you have to learn to drive it differently - where you have to back off in a fwd car to avoid understeer, you dont in a 4wd. it wont turn in any more than a fwd if you just back off like a fwd car. and yeah its bound to feel slow after your mk2!
I was putting my foot down round corners, feathering the throttle, ESP on, ESP off. Still wasnt great. Too much weight I guess, I'm gonna have to strip the f**ker out tomorrow, and put it on sale as the CSL model
Most people don't 'get' the 4motion setup. Its very different compared to syncro and proper quattro 4wd. You need to do a couple of things to appreciate the haldex 4wd - 1. Always switch off the ESP. Turn in a touch sharper than you think you should, drive through the beginnings of understeer and keep your foot planted. Just after the point where you would normally back off it'll tighten its line and you can wind the lock off as you accelerate through the corner. 2. Drive it in the rain. Especially if you adapt your technique as above you'll find you can choose whether to have sideways fun or simply obliterate fwd/rwd people off the line and round the twisty stuff.
Even with the ESP on you need to not lift or feather the throttle what so ever in an R32. You need to be quite smooth with them, and not try to throw them into a corner, they don't do chuckability. Sport Auto lapped the 'ring in an R32 in 8:37 ( full flying lap ) For comparison it was just 2 secs slower than their test of an E46 M3 and faster than a Honda NSX. http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/9223/sportautoinfo3xl.jpg They generally use the same driver Horst von Sauma (sp) who holds the production car record in a Carrera GT. (7:32) Ahh, you say it had done 6000 miles, I know Claire's car goes better the more miles it does, it has AmD stage 2 though.. Edited by: GVK
When I first got my S4 I was sorely disapointed with the performance. It didn't feel any faster than my mates mk4 golf 4-motion... Had a little race and the S4 was miles ahead! Turns out it was only running 250 bhp at the time. The needle is going to move round slower on 170 mph clocks than 120 mph clocks
