Forgive the newbie question but whats the purpose of the open grills - better airflow or just for looks?
....The story goes that VW originally thought that the DSG box of tricks would need extra cooling but this wasn't found to be the case. So, the open version was dropped from production quite early around 2005. I don't know how true that is, but I think it's feasible.
They were deleted from UK spec cars from 2005 model year (first DSG cars into the UK in 2004 had them) as deemed unnecessary for colder climates. They are designed for 'warm climate' markets to provide additional airflow and cooling to the DSG oil - hence the scoop and duct on the nearside grille and the blanking plate on the offside.
I've just fitted a pair of brand new genuine open fog grilles to my DSG equipped GTI and love the subtle-yet-different OEM look (must add at least 5 bhp!
). I also stripped off the upper and lower radiator grilles, cleaned them and then treated them to a couple of coats of 303 Aerospace Protectorant following recomendations in the Detailing section. Highly recommended product!
Having a silver car I hadn't realised just how faded the upper honeycomb had become until cleaned and treated...
