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View Full Version : Golf R v Scirocco R v Polo GTI



Lima
11-06-2010, 10:05 AM
Wasn't really sure where to post this one, but below is a link from Motor Trend in the US with a review of three pretty tasty Volkswagens...

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/hatchbacks/1006_volkswagen_golf_r_scirocco_r_polo_gti_first_d rive/index.html

The quotes below aim to give a teaser, while not giving too much away.

On the Golf R:

There's not a lot wrong with the character of the new engine. The torque curve is steeper, so you need to be more attentive with the gears, but use the torque well and you've got a huge well of easy corner-exit thrust. And as fours go, it makes a charismatic noise when you wind it out toward redline, while remaining civilized enough for long-distance cruising.

On the Scirocco R:

Volkswagen dialed into the Scirocco R chassis an unusually tail-happy attitude. Turn in to an off-camber corner with a flick of the wheel and the car rotates so sharply there's time to wheel on a dose of corrective lock before the ESP kicks in. The electronic simulated LSD (VW calls it XDS) is effective at canceling understeer on the way out of bends, too.

On the Polo GTI:

But whereas that VR6 was a 2.8-liter, the Polo GTI has just half those cubes, deriving its poke from VW's unique twincharger concept. This means a supercharger provides the urgency at low revs, and is declutched at higher rpms once the turbocharger has spooled up. Yes, two types of forced induction in one engine.

There's never a hole in the power delivery, or anything that would feel strange to a driver who hadn't been told such a relay-race of technologies was going on.

S&H
11-06-2010, 11:37 AM
Interesting...this is the 2nd review one that says the new Polo GTI isn't fun to drive. (the other being the Autocar.co.uk video review).

random
11-06-2010, 12:02 PM
I don't think the polo gti would be fun to drive either... first off, regardless of what is under the hood, the car is too small, and i'm average size, and the car feels tight and claustrophobic, to begin with, when i look at the pictures etc. it looked really nice and it didn't look too small. But as soon as you see the car and jump into it... it is tiny.

I haven't driven the polo gti yet... but there are quite a few flaws already.

wilch
11-06-2010, 12:08 PM
The new Polo is the same size (or similar enough) to the Golf Mk3. It's not that small.

S&H
11-06-2010, 12:08 PM
I don't think the polo gti would be fun to drive either... first off, regardless of what is under the hood, the car is too small, and i'm average size, and the car feels tight and claustrophobic, to begin with, when i look at the pictures etc. it looked really nice and it didn't look too small. But as soon as you see the car and jump into it... it is tiny.

I haven't driven the polo gti yet... but there are quite a few flaws already.

The MkIV Polo GTI is cracker of a drive. Size isn't the issue if anything it is a plus. The outgoing Polo GTI is very nimble and fun to drive - even better IMO than our Golfs.
The new Polo GTI is slightly larger than the outgoing one too.

G-rig
11-06-2010, 12:10 PM
It is quite small - I sat in one at the dealers and there wasn't much room above my head, and I'm not particularly tall.

I assume the old polo would be more fun being a straight turbo and because it's less refined, similar to MK5's.

The MK6 GTI with APR is quite fun.

random
11-06-2010, 12:28 PM
well personally i didn't think the polo gti mk5 was fun or nimble. But maybe that was just me.

S&H
11-06-2010, 12:37 PM
well personally i didn't think the polo gti mk5 was fun or nimble. But maybe that was just me.

I think you mean the Mk4 Polo GTI - The Mk5 is the new one which hasn't come yet.

random
11-06-2010, 12:42 PM
i get mixed up with the generation... well to clean things up the mk4 polo gti was not fun to drive at all.

And from what i'm reading about the new polo gti, the drive hasn't improved.

S&H
11-06-2010, 12:45 PM
i get mixed up with the generation... well to clean things up the mk4 polo gti was not fun to drive at all.

And from what i'm reading about the new polo gti, the drive hasn't improved.

OK, that doesn't match my experience but thats cool. :)