Golf MK8

[terrier]

 

[rich83]

Lots of people moaning about the infotainment on the MK8 being absolute garbage.

[GVK]

I'm not a fan of the DSG gear shifter, looks like you're using a chicken nugget to select gears!

[pudding]

I hate the MK8.  It looks bland and generic, inside and out, imo of course    People say it looks better in the flesh, erm, no it doesn't.  If an object has to be justified by comments like that, always go with your first instincts.  It looks naff, just like BMW's new vomit inducing M3/M4 front grille.  Have they got an intern in the design department or something?  The Alfa Quattro fromaggi or what ever it's called is a classy, tasty looking mega saloon. BMW M division have strayed down a strange path.

However, mechanically, it's a big improvement over the MK7.  I'll have to see what tasty bits from it can fit the MK5 

The press MK8 R CarWow have been using for their drag races makes me laugh though.  320hp, my arse    Closer to 350-360.

[GVK]

Seen a couple of dyno vids from the mk8R and they were both much more than stock, dyno lottery maybe....

[MIJ_JAGGER]

Remember when the MK5 came out and a lot of people weren’t a fan of how it looked....

[pudding]

I loved how it looked when I first saw it    Then again, it didn't have much to improve upon 

@GVK not surprised by that!  The MK8 launches a lot better than the MK7 (don't think it uses Haldex anymore?) and I suspect it has shorter gearing as well.  It pulls away from a MK7 far too easily for an alleged 15hp difference 

[titchy]

Beauty is subjective I am thinking about a Mk8 parked my Mk7.5 GTI next to one I quite like it regarding infotainment theres a good vid from Andrew Volks wizard shows how to get around some of the quirks makes it a bit more logical. Been offered a great deal on a new Mk8 but not quite ready to change yet Have a good think

[Shoduchi]

I loved how it looked when I first saw it    Then again, it didn't have much to improve upon 

@GVK not surprised by that!  The MK8 launches a lot better than the MK7 (don't think it uses Haldex anymore?) and I suspect it has shorter gearing as well.  It pulls away from a MK7 far too easily for an alleged 15hp difference 

The 8R has around 340 bhp but when you activate launch control the boost goes higher and measures around 370 bhp. I have a friend with a 7.5R with the optional Akrapovič cat back exhaust and it measured ~320 bhp, so it's similar.

What improved more in the 8R was the mid range torque. That's what makes it move so much better than the 7.5R. It uses a kind of Haldex rear diff but now with clutches on both rear axles, which allows the drift mode to send more torque to one of the rear wheels on the Performance pack version. The A45S uses the same system but with more clutches, since it has more torque.

I don't like the aesthetics of the mk8, exterior and interior. The 8R is for me the less ugly of them all. The power increase and handling improvements on the 8R are what make me like it, to be fair. I would much prefer to tune a mk7 GTI Clubsport.

[pudding]

I agree the MK8 R is probably the most interesting one for modifying, but I just can't get on with the exterior styling.  It's like the Germans have gone mad on making some bold statement in the front end styling recently, and in most cases it just looks awful.  The MK8 R looks OK from the back and sides, but the front end is messy.

The MK6 R is the best looking one so far, imo.

How it should be done. Subtle German aggression at it's best. Coherent with the rest of the car and just the right amount of styling to elevate it above the GTI, without going over the top.



   It just looks sad and sorry for itself.

[Shoduchi]

The 8R and the A45S use a Magna all.wheel drive system. Much better than a Haldex.

https://www.magna.com/products/power-vision/all-wheel-4-wheel-drive-systems/product/all-wheel-drive-systems

[pudding]

Yeah that's what I understood - VW had moved on from Haldex 

You can tell by way the 8R launches!  Haldex would have let the front wheels spin almost 1 revolution before the rear axle engaged.

[Dave J]

To use one of James May's best phrases - that front on the mk8 is gopping!

I agree the R is the best of the lot, but it is still terrible. It's the bland straight line across the bonnet, and how it rolls out to the wings, whereas mk5 & mk6 had a nice aggressive roll from the wings in to the bonnet (if that makes any sense!). Am sure it has been done for pedestrian safety, but it is very bland indeed.

Am sure it drives very well, but I could buy a lot more for nearly £40k.

[pudding]

Gopping    Gotta love the May 

I know what you mean about the lines.  Similarly with the 3 door MK5/MK6, I just love the raised rear haunches and sculpted rear windows.  It gives the side profile a purposeful, angular nose down look.  All of that careful styling is completely lost in the 5 door.  It's just flat and boring.  Similarly with the MK7, 3 or 5 door just has the same flat profile, which = dull.  MK8 is 5 door only so we'll never know what a 3 door looks like.

It's like, well, marketing says most people have kids, so f'ck the singletons who want a 3 door, and making only one body shell saves us some dough 

I think the R is £36K basic, but £40K gets you the blue paint and 'track pack' with 'drift mode'    No one 'buys' an R though.  It'll just be £300 p/m washing machine white only deals.

And 'drift mode' in a hatchback (to compete with the Focus RS) just means kids leasing them and 'drifting' them into hedges.  Oh and you just gotta have the overpriced A-Cr@p-a-vich exhaust, with the on-trend pops and bangs for a further £3K, to complete the package.  Oh dear VW, what have you become.  Some trends are worth pursuing, some are definitely not. 

[Chris92]

Not sure what it is with new cars but they all just look so soul less and much of a muchness, too many straight lines and no curves. Its been a good number of years since I had a mk5 but every time I see one I still get that buzz (sad I know) but the newer cars mk7 etc and onwards including all manufacturers I never look twice at them. Is it a focus? A golf? A 1 series? A mazda?  Cant tell these days. Dont like the designs and I dont like all this tech, not sure why or how people find tech so amazing its cold and boring for the most part. Think my days of having newish cars are over currently looking for another car and looking at another mk5 gti, mk6 ed35, mk2 focus st/rs, audi tt QS etc just no real interest in the newer 'tasty' cars.