New (to me) car

I know you guys like a new car update so here we go.

After just over 2yrs of ownership the Leon Cupra 290 has now gone and I've bought a MK7.5 Golf R DSG.

Spec is:

Lapiz Blue
5dr
DSG
Keyless
19" Spielberg alloys
DCC
90% Rear tinted glass

I bought the car from a VW main dealer 30/01/19 so I've owned it almost a month. The first photo of the car below was taken by VW.

The Golf is keyless and also one of the most stolen models in the country, so the day after collection I had a Ghost immobiliser installed.

A few days later I had a resonator delete to make it sound a bit more meaty. Nice cheap mod and it gives some nice pops and crackles on over run as well as a louder DSG fart. I also had a Haldex service for peace of mind because these are known to clog up and leave you with a hefty bill.

At 310bhp it's no slouch, but I bought the car with the intention of modifying so I booked it in for a ECU remap as well as a TCU remap for the DSG gearbox. Being the facelift model it has the newer 7 speed gearbox and not many tuners offer a TCU tune yet. In the end I went with the Racingline OEM+ ECU & TCU remaps. This ups power from 310bhp to 370bhp and +70lb/ft of torque to around 360lb/ft so decent gains.

I only had the remaps done a couple of days ago and the car now feels much faster! It's a nice smooth map with similar power delivery to stock but it pulls much harder. I don't like maps that feel spikey so I'm really pleased with the outcome. I plan on going to stage 2 which should see over 400bhp and 400lb/ft

I have a dragy and I've timed a 0-60 launch in poor cold conditions and managed it in 3.77 seconds. I got a bit of wheel spin due to the cold 5 degree weather and I imagine a time of 3.5 seconds should be possible in ideal conditions. I've not had chance to time a 60-100 pull or anything as of yet.

So overall I'm really pleased with the Golf. It doesn't feel as light on its feet or as darty as my Cupra did but it feels very planted and the levels of grip are mind boggling. Being the facelift it has the digital dash and large screen infotainment screen so feels way more modern inside than the Cupra. The DCC adaptive dampers are fantastic and a must have option for me when looking for the right car.

Lovely car, Dan! How have you found the DSG remap? It's something we offer, but I've not done one yet and I'd be interested in feedback...

That’s lovely. I have a 310 r estate and am also tempted by similar mods to you, however I recently modded mine in an unintentional way so think it’ll have to stay standard for a while
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2eTvY8F][/url]

Thanks, Jim.

It's hard to comment on the TCU map because 99% of what it does isn't noticeable. It increases the clamping pressure to cope with the extra torque you get from an ECU map. This isn't noticeable and gear changes are just as smooth as before.

They do seem faster when pressing on but the tune also adapts to and learns your driving style apparently. I've only had it briefly so I imagine it's still adapting.

That looks nasty! Seems a ridiculous height so have it in a parking bay. I take it, it was too high to activate the reversing sensors?

2 seconds of inattention. Yes was a bar about 4 feet above ground level so sensors didn’t pick it up.


All better now though.


Once I get an idea of the insurance implications I might look at a remap for mine.

That's good feedback, thanks Dan - I think that although the speed/smoothness of the shift is improved, I'm not sure that everyone would be able to detect it (I include myself in that)!

Oh, and Happy Birthday!

Looks good Dan, a mate has a 2015 R and the DSG box is sublime.

Haha Thank you

The 2015 models have the older 6 speed DSG box. Mine has the latest 7 speed. It's a nice gearbox, but I'd still say the single clutch ZF auto gearbox I had in my M135i was better. That gearbox was sublime.

Another for the ZF 8 speed auto with paddle shifts.

I've only owned manuals, including my current RS, so almost anything is better when it comes to close to instant shifting!

Very nice car btw!

The latest generation Focus ST is now available in auto so I should imagine the next RS with be available in auto too.

Thanks Brilly 👍

I've managed a new 0-60 personal best now there's been a day without rain for the first time in weeks. I'm sure I can get <3.5 seconds with better tyres and warmer weather. Not bad considering my only performance modification in a remap

I've also bought a few bits from forge.

Forge Carbon intake
Forge high flow intake pipe
Forge wheel spacers

Update

This week I had a scorpion 80mm sports cat downpipe and Racingline OEM+ stage 2 software installed. The car feels rapid now. Way more torque than stage 1 and the throttle is so much more responsive. I'm really blown away with the performance!

In sports mode the car is loud with loads of pops and bangs on over run. Maybe too loud so I may refit the resonator. In comfort or eco with the valves closed it's nice a subtle.

I also fitted some aluminium DSG paddles

Click the link below for a video of the exhaust


https://drive.google.com/file/d/19aJH9WO8OfsZX_gP7zAy4TvKbpmPQQNI/view?usp=drivesdk