I've just dug this up from E30M3 who had a CSL at the time I took him for a spin. Bare in mind I didn't have the diff, mounts, bilsteins (Eibachs at the time), R888's, and was still on Custom Code (less power)......
"Again it was a pleasure to meet you John, a true gent . and the GTI of yours is a sleeper in the true sense !
I was nearly 98% sure what my next car was going to be, either a Focus RS or a 996 GT2. I must have gone through at least 3 months of going back and forth on the decision, cheers John for making it harder now !!
John kindly took me for a spin(more like a lap of the nurburgring) in his crazy GTI as I wanted to see what a well modded GTI is like.
I was adamant I would not get a GTI again, ever.
Then what happens you meet John (Hurdy) (top bloke btw ) and he takes you for a drive and you come back with neck ache from the G achieved in cornering and swearing like a sailor
Forgot how good an mk5 GTI is and never realised how crazy a modded one was. I totally forgot the composure, the quality and the shifts of the DSG; it really is the total package!
Its unbelievably, mind numbingly, arse twitchingly, hand grabbing the grab handle, foot hitting the imaginary brake pedal RAPID as a road tool, I imagine as a track car too! The way those brakes shed of speed is crazy, I’ve got an enlarged AP Racing 6 pot on the CSL running pagid rs29's and the Tar-ox BBK were as good if not better! !
John was kind enough to take me on a drive round one of my local country lanes, which I know like the back of my hand.
Keep in mind he has not ever seen this road, the rate at which this road was dispatched was utterly gob smacking for a FWD 5 door car. I mean, I take a CSL and a M5 around these roads at least once a week and I like to think I know how to drive on that road, but damn, Johns GTI was reaching near enough the same speed with no fuss and with iron fisted control, no body roll, no wasted power and the worst bit is with a diff I think it would have been faster! The suspension just soaked up the abuse, its one very very good set-up road car! Also keep in mind that the GTE has a 2 litre 4pot turbo FSI and the other cars have a 5litre V10 and a 3.2 I6 and you seriously begin to wonder what the power in the M cars is doing! What suprised me the most is that it was riding as well if not better than a stock car, no harshness, no excessive noise, you wouldn't even know what lurked underneath was a montser, a proper sleeper!
Considering it cost a 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of the other cars, yet its just as fast is basically crazy
because it certainly is not half /third of the car!
Most BMW, Porsche or Audi drivers would have a hard time believing that a GTI is quicker in a straight line or round corners but I’m telling you guys it FU$%ING IS!
I reckon car mags really should test a GTI ed30 with a few mods etc, remap, DSG and LSD vs the Focus RS, both cost the same money, both about the same power, but which one would be the better everyday car? ?
Yes that old bug "but the GTI is modded, mod the Focus the same and the Focus would win" but the Focus costs more! A GTi Ed30 can be had for 17K, 3 K mods, that is still 20k! It would be nice to see which one really is the better car. I for one would be very interested to know!
The only thing magazines/media don't seem to realise is the GTI takes time to appreciate, like a good Cognac. Just sitting in John’s car brought back memories of how great a car the mk5 GTI is.
Now I’m totally stuck as to what car to get now, cheers John it only took me 3 months to decide between the Focus or the GT2! Now I have thoughts of a GTI in my head, not again!! I tell you my decision in another 3 months!!! LOL
Once again great meeting you John and thank you for that drive which made me "sh*t in my pants " You certainly know how to drive"
