stripethree

This will be the last entry for Project Daily Driver GTI. It’s under the knife, and will hopefully emerge a mean green turbocharged machine. It took a while, but I had to figure out something new to call this project, and I think the name’s a good one. It fits my car habit in general, especially given what has progressed with this GTI. Hence forth, it will be known as Project Skewed Priorities.

Why? Well, among my car friends, what I’m doing isn’t all that insane. The folks helping me do this work have done many engine swaps in the past. Non-car friends and family however, wonder why I’d bother to tear apart an 18 year old car just to put an entirely different engine, equally old in the car. Especially when the current engine that is, I mean ‘was’, in it was working pretty well. They probably think I’ve lost my mind (newsflash: ah, it’s been MIA for a while) Madness? No, this, is Volkswagens. Why then, do you ask, did I decide to do this?

Let’s just say that speed was definitely a factor.

I bought this motor back in May, and it sat at my friend’s house while the R32 threw shitfits and prevented the transformation of my little green monster. Last night the engine was finally hoisted onto a truck and moved across town, where it now sits next to a strikingly similar motor that just yesterday was powering a 1991 GTI. As you may have guessed the engine in the GTI was pulled this evening and now sits, waiting to be picked apart and otherwise used for the few things bolted to it that are of real value. Pulling the motor was not as complicated as I would have thought, but, as is always the case, putting something back together always proves more challenging than tearing it down. It also, again, doesn’t hurt to have the help of experienced friends – with the knowledge of Hayes (who sold me the motor) and John, the motor was out in less than 3 hours. Without an engine swapping newbie (me) setting much of the pace and asking questions at every wrench turn, it probably could have been out in about 90 minutes. It is a little sad to see the car sit in the carport with it’s heart ripped out and sitting off to the side.

If it could only know that it’s new heart will be about twice a powerful..

As far as the Golf goes, the VR6 is dead. A moment of silence.

What ever will we have to fill such a void? Well, it probably won’t emit as fantastic an exhaust note as the narrow angle six pot motor, but there is this:

This, is the new Golf R, which was unveiled this week at the Frankfurt International Auto Show. It certainly looks promising and the details thus far are quite good. It brings more power to the street than the old 3.2 VR6 prior Golf R32s (270 vs. 250) and does so with a lighter motor, which will certainly help the ghastly 60/40 weight distribution. Hopefully the overall curb weight can be held at no more than the weight of the ’04, even better would be if the Golf R can go on a mild diet. You should see people reactions when I tell them my R32 weighs upwards of 3400 with a driver and fuel, inevitably they reply with, ‘In that little car?” “Yes, that little car.”

The all wheel drive system is also improved, it is quicker to engage and more active rather than reactive, per say. With the Haldex system in the ’04 model, the front wheels have to be slipping before power is sent to the rear. Sure it works quick, but there’s always room to improve. The new version has supposedly done exactly that. Hopefully when – well, let’s not jump the gun since I don’t think it’s been formally announced – if it comes to America, we also won’t get the short end of the stick with the sports seats and other options. While there are certainly many folks very happy with their ’08 R32s, there’s something to be said about the original with its manual gearbox and wonderful seats. In fact, the same disbelief about the car’s weight is brought forth, though in a more positive manner, when I tell those that don’t know that the seats in my car are indeed, factory. As far as the transmission, frankly, I know DSG is wonderful and I’ve driven cars with it, but I want a third pedal and to change gears my damn self thank you very much.

Sadly, I fear that when, I mean if of course ‘if’, Volkswagen brings this car to the US, they will do exactly what they did with the Mk5. You see, with the ’08 R32, the driveline had already gone though all the necessary federal emissions and nonsense to be roadworthy in America via the underpinnings of its step sister, the 2nd generation Audi TT. Therefore all Volkswagen had to do was slap the Golf body in it, rip out the gorgeous seats that wouldn’t have survived US crash regulations (or something like that) and call it a day. No four door option, no manual transmission, in fact the only option, if I recall correctly, was a $2000 navigation system. Portable Garmin systems, one of which I happen to have, can move from car to car, work just as well, and are a fraction of the cost.

What’s my the point in relation to this new Golf R and America? Well, the TT, this time the TT-S to be precise, may be the foreshadowing of more bad news for the purists who want to rev match downshifts on their own. The TT-S uses the same driveline as this new Golf R, and is already available in the US. So once again, we may get a TT in drag – though I will say it’s awfully nice drag, that front end is fantastic – and the desires and complaints of many who loved the ’04 will fall on the deaf ears of VW accountants who don’t seem to give a damn about the enthusiast.

I could go on and on about exactly what it would take for me to even consider one – $30k price tag, no sunroof, 6 speed manual for starters – but the reality is that as good as it looks and as good as it will perform I just know that Volkswagen of America will chicken out, again, as they have done on many things of late, and not provide the complete ‘enthusiast’ package.

I dare the them to prove me wrong. Until then, I’ll keep beating the snot out of my overweight, transmission destroying, five and a half year old money pit. At least it makes a fantastic noise.

[ link ]

Two seats. Mid-engine, rear drive. Six speed transmission. Two liter, turbocharged diesel motor.

Build it Volkswagen, please, because I want it in my driveway. I’m still drooling over the Concept R from a few years ago and this is even better.

So I test drove a new GTI this afternoon and compared to what I drove to the dealership, I was impressed. The problem being that I didn’t drive my car to the dealership, I drove a stock 05 GTI 1.8T. The mark 5 is a new car, its supposed to be better than what it replaces and it is, minus a few choice areas. It’s got more power, it handles better, the interior is a definite upgrade (but maybe a little too busy for my tastes), and the fit and finish are better. The problems with all that start with my lack of appreciation for the exterior, it hasn’t grown on me enough, even seeing pictures of modified GTIs. Its cousin, the Audi A3 is much more visually appealing to me in both stock and modified form. The GTI just looks too tall, and it is tall sitting next to a mark 4. The black valances don’t help and the hatch seems to go on forever. While it definitely handles better than the mark 4 GTI, it’s still got some weight. It felt an awful lot like my R32, which is good in that it handles very, very well, but bad in the fact that its hauling around nearly as much weight, in base model, no leather, sunroof, or 18 wheels (or 4Motion and Konig seats while we’re at it) trim. That raises an eyebrow considering VWs message of ‘The GTI is back’ implying a return to the days of lighter more nimble GTIs. Let’s be honest, the car, like the mark 4s, is a fat ass. If there is anything close to the GTI of old in the VW lineup, it’s the Polo and we don’t have the privilege of being able to buy the Polo here (unfortunately). My next gripe is the jacked up price. The one I drove was listed as $22k, only $2k less than Kharissa’s car was new. Granted, she got a heck of a deal, but still, her car has Tiptronic, sunroof, better sound system, and leather seats, all of which would push the new GTI into the $27k range given how the new package trim levels work. Yozwa; for those scoring at home, that’s only $2-3k short of what a new R32 cost. Is the new GTI worth it and better than the R32? In some respects, yes, it is. It might not be a fair comparison, but it is what it is: not enough that I’d trade in my car for one.

What I would do, and I hope that Audi sees that there is a market for this, is seriously consider an A3 2.0T Quattro 6-speed or, dare I dream, an S3 (even a five door). I did enjoy the 2.0T very much, and the tunable aspect has GTI fans everywhere salivating at something that’s faster and better than the holy grail of 1.8T, myself included. As I said, it’s more the package surrounding said wonderful engine that I am not the biggest fan of, and I’ll admit, I’ve enjoyed, and become slightly spoiled by, 4Motion. I have been falling all over the A3, and the opportunity of having one, with all wheel drive and that could have more power for less aftermarket dollars than an R32 is indeed very, very tempting. Alas, I have a new car obsession every week, so we’ll see what happens. I’ve yet to drive one, although I imagine is it probably very similar to the GTI, again, just in a different package.

Ok, so I’ve rambled enough, and apparently my current car heard me and didn’t like that was driving or ever thinking of another car. Not only have the angel eyes still not been resolved (in fact, the passenger side has gone out again), but also now my battery might be on the way out. :sigh: Twice today I came upon this situation: turn key, nothing, cluster goes out, clock and odometer go out; remote lock and unlock, check, still work; try to start again, fires up with trip reset a la battery disconnect. Hmmm. Weird. What can I say, other than those jumper cables in my car might come in handy now. Hopefully I can get this handled tomorrow.