American Volkswagen R enthusiasts Eugene Lee was given a MKVI Golf R to drive around early from VWoA (Volkswagen of America) - The Golf R will be released to the U.S. Eugene is a MKIV R32 original owner with an HPA Motorsports (HGP) Turbo Kit and he has also owns the MKV R32. He has been a big influence in the Golf R movement in the U.S. Golf R are below. I know that even some of the guys from VWoA didn't get a chance behind the wheel so I kept my track time to a minimum. The Golf R is noticeably lighter and more nimble/agile out on the track. In stock form, the car immediately feels much more balanced and sorted. 200lbs is substantial, the Golf R feels as if it's perhaps 300-400 pounds lighter than the MKV. I'm guessing this is due to the better weight balance thanks to the 2.0T vs the VR6. DSG software upgrade, it really did make me a better driver on the track. I do better driving a DSG. The Golf R is super easy to drive and I won't mind one bit having the Golf R as my daily driver.
The clutch is super soft/smooth and easy to operate. The shifter is not notchy at all and changing gears happens without much thought. DSG was on the track and it's "daily driving" where the DSG drove me nuts. I prefer the manual for freeway driving. By the way, the MFD has a "shift indicator" that tells you when to shift for maximum fuel economy and it seems that the programming for this came straight off the DSG. It may be the most efficient way to drive the Golf R, but it's just not natural. I was driving very economically. MPG should be easily doable, maybe even 23 or so. The best I can compare it to would be my HPA FT-360 kit from my Golf IV R32. I absolutely loved that kit's linear power delivery and smoothness, often describing it as OEMish in how great it was. It's not quite the power of the FT-360 but it feels like a FT-300.
It really is a lot of fun to drive, especially with zero torque-steer. I gotta imagine that the Golf R will absolutely walk a stock R32. A lot of it may be the "seat of our pants" feel you get from a turbo though. I have zero regrets on VW's decision to replace it with this tuned 2.0T motor. 2 seconds as you release the brake so that the car doesn't roll back as you begin to accelerate up the hill. It also seems to be "intelligent" in that it doesn't engage when you're on a very slight incline. I love them. I think it's a perfect balance between a true sport seat and a comfortable "everyday" seat. The side bolsters are aggressive, yet not intrusive. I gotta admit that they're just not that comfortable to me anymore. I think they're the same and sometimes I think they're different. I'm very happy to report that the MFD displays Oil Temperature on the MFD!
I had to add the Kufatec mod to my RNS-510 in the Golf V R32 to get this feature and I hope that it isn't something that gets eliminated as the car makes its way to America. Other features are all pretty standard, with the other 'new to me' screen being the one that shows your Bluetooth connected phone and it's battery life and signal strength. This Euro Spec Golf R has a RNS-315 installed and I believe that is the model the US spec cars will get, if you get the package that includes Navigation. I'm a huge fan of the more expensive RNS-510 and will be upgrading to that system, but for those who aren't that picky are in for quite a surprise because this unit is very nice for the price. 1200 cheaper than the RNS-510 and has all the features, just a smaller screen and no hard drive for storing music. RNS-315 is pretty darn small. VWs that easily gets a 9 or 9.5 score.
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