MK5 Golf GTI
All Things MK6 R and GTI => MK6 Members Rides => Topic started by: illyun on July 18, 2010, 06:05:22 pm
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As some of you may know, I have owned 20+ cars in my driving life and only two of them have been non-VWs... - a Nissan Micra and a Subaru Impreza STI. I am currently working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and have been here for 9 months - although it feels like 9 years - and have been without a car for that time, using the nasty white Hyundai and Toyota taxis ubiquitous around these parts.
Riyadh is a city where cars rule and the only rule is 'the bigger and more fuel thirsty the vehicle, the better and your puny little Euro trash car better get out of my way if our paths cross, because my 20 tonne SUV-mini-articulated lorry crossover will crush you otherwise.' :driver: Oh and by the way, it is perfectly acceptable for a car to cut you off, when moving off at the traffic lights because he (women are not allowed to drive :rolleye:) wants to turn left even though he is in the far-side right-hand lane and has to cut across 2 lanes of moving traffic risking his car and his life :jumping: :jumping: :stupid: :stupid: Also the desert isn't far away and there are many occasions if one ventures out of the city to find yourself in the desert where a 4x4 SUV with proper low gearing modes is useful, e.g. Nissan Armada.
The only way to relate to the driving experience here is a comparison with the rules in the film Mad Max... there are no rules and only the strongest, fittest and largest survive :evilgrin: Plus with petrol costs the equivalent of 6p a litre with a 80 litre tank costing just under 5 pounds it would almost be criminal not to get something with a V8 in it - a work colleague filled his Nissan Pathfinder 80 litre tank for about 4.80 - sorry I have no pound sign on this keyboard.
With all this in mind and eyeing a few long distance trips across the desert to Mecca and Madina next year and the Gulf States after that (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain), an SUV like the Nissan Pathfinder or GMC Acadia - http://www.autospectator.com/cars/files/images/2009-GMC-AcadiaSLT-08.jpg - or Yukon would fit the bill perfectly. The GMC Yukon SUVs are very imposing and these black monsters are everywhere - http://www.suvtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/0510_01z+2007_GMC_Yukon_Denali+Front_Passenger_Side_View.jpg and it is hard to appreciate the sheer size of these beasts if you haven’t stood in front of one. :surprised: Another favourite amongst the locals, is the Nissan Armada weighing in at 2650 kg (about two Mk5 GTIs) with its 5.6L 32 valve aluminium-alloy V8 producing 360hp and 517NM of torque to give it a 0-62mph of 8 seconds flat - http://saloncars.com/catalog/images/08NissanArmada.jpg
Given the arrival of another (and final :jumping:) baby this year making that 3 children in total I have to take the size and suitability of the interior into consideration. I have spoken to a lot of people who have been here for a few years and the unanimous message I got was, buy a Toyota or GMC and you won’t go wrong both in terms of residual value and maintenance costs. Any attempt to ask about VW was met by a horrified look which translated into ‘are you NUTS or what!’ :rolleye: VW here has a reputation for selling expensive cars that have equally expensive parts and maintenance costs and low residual values. This seems to be a specifically Saudi phenomenon, because the GTI is popular in Dubai, Bahrain and Qatar.
So after all these considerations, my first port of call was the VW showroom. :laugh: :laugh: Old habits die hard. :evilgrin: They had a red Mk6 GTI on show for 124,000 Riyals (about 21,600 pounds) with leather seats, 5 doors, rear view camera, RNS 510 (?), Xenons, 18” Monza Shadows, DSG, front and rear parking sensors, sunroof and some other extras I have forgotten. As soon as I saw it, my mind was made up and I thought, that’s it, I’m getting one. :drool: :drool: :drool:
I enquired about cloth seats, but it would take 2 months to arrive and cost more as the spec shown was a special spec for the Middle East. Ordering one from the stock in Saudi would take 5 days for arrival from the post of Jeddah and I have a choice of Pearlescent Black, T. Red, C. White or S. Grey… I told the salesman that I’d be back in August and then kicked myself for not even attempting to negotiate… he could see how starstruck I was and fawning over it in my excitement, I completely forget about negotiating. :ashamed: You have to understand that 9 months of seeing just Chinese, Korean, Jap and American motors on the roads had left me weak at the knees upon seeing something so familiar as the VW GTI.
However, I decided to give Amercian and American-made Nissan and Toyota fuel hungry SUVs a look in out of curiosity as well as to see how much larger the interior was. The GMC Yukon looks really imposing from outside and really nasty and plain from within… but I like the V8 engine. :happy2: The GMC Acadia was a surprise however, with an almost pleasant family friendly interior with drop down DVD for the kids and a lot of space… I bit my lip and reminded myself that the GTI has just as much (well almost) room for rear seating as the Acadia uses its space for 3 rows of seats instead of two and unbelievably costs 500 pounds more than the GTI. However, that Acadia made a bit of an impression on me purely out of guilt for putting my children in the back of the GTI on a long journey… and we aren’t talking 100-200 odd miles here… more like 500-800 miles!
I went to see offerings from Ford and Honda and thought… no chance with their cheap and tacky interiors. Toyota were ruled out pretty quickly because they seem to be capitalising on their immense popularity in the country by charging rip-off prices for their vehicles. :fighting: The thing with the Toyotas is that their engines last forever and take a lot of abuse and boy do the drivers here in Saudi know how to seriously abuse a car, its scary :scared: On the flip side of course, the brakes on a Toyota might take a day off at random which means I don't want one :grin: :grin: The Nissan showroom was memorable just for the HUGE size of the Armada and its luxury interior – only a grand more than the GTI?!!!! WTF!!! :confused: A lot of car for the money… Oh and I also spent 10 minutes drooling over a GT-R they had in the showroom. :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:
So, what am I going to do? Get a Candy White Mk6 GTI come August of course… :evilgrin: :evilgrin: I mean, come on, am I really going to go for an American monster SUV over a GTI – no chance… *
*Unless of course my missus has something to say about it…. :chicken: :ashamed:
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I expect nothing less of you Nadeem!! :congrats: :congrats:
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Nice 1 Nadeem, enjoy your new motor :smiley:
I've done some work in Riyadh myself and the std of driving is fukin scary to say the least :stupid:, we were told not to drive because if you have an accident its automatically your fault, because if you hadn't have been in the country it wouldn't have happened, that was good enough for me and it was taxi's and mini-buses for us :happy2:
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I expect nothing less of you Nadeem!! :congrats: :congrats:
I'm touched by your faith in me :innocent: :innocent: :innocent:
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Nice 1 Nadeem, enjoy your new motor :smiley:
Thanks :smiley:
I've done some work in Riyadh myself and the std of driving is fukin scary to say the least :stupid:,
Scary is an understatement... absolutely no consideration for their lives, let alone the lives other users on the road :stupid: :stupid:
we were told not to drive because if you have an accident its automatically your fault, because if you hadn't have been in the country it wouldn't have happened, that was good enough for me and it was taxi's and mini-buses for us :happy2:
That sounds like the logic employed here... :rolleye:
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If I buy it - which is 99% certain - I plan to bring the GTI back to the UK when I'm done here... and will spice it up a bit so it'll be a bit strange going down the strip in a left hooker but hey its something different :driver:
The petrol here is 95RON and I am assuming that the car has been designed to take this for the Middle East market - unless VW designed the Mk6 GTI to run on 95RON fuel if I faintly recall - but not 100% sure about that.
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Well it finally arrived today - about 3 weeks late which is on par for Saudi :rolleye: I must have made 15 trips to the dealer to see if it had arrived over the past 3 weeks. But as an apology, the local stealer gave me free tints worth 3000 Riyals (about 500 pounds) and 3000 Riyals worth of stonechip protection - result :evilgrin: :laugh: The dealer also told me to come with them to track days :evilgrin: and said if you want to tune the car, no problem with the warranty as their engineers are too thick to detect it :grin: :grin: :grin:
I will post some more photos of the car in daylight and of better quality as these were quickly taken on the iphone.
At the dealer yard before the plates were put on...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FIMG_0655.jpg&hash=090702c58e4b39881d915fc275e453a57bd2ef71)
Back at home - unscathed through the mad Riyadh traffic...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FIMG_0657.jpg&hash=318392a081653bcde1bbb042c7c8804051554b79)
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FIMG_0658.jpg&hash=a20e11a322d3fb5d5c2055ff44343bd55d58f7a1)
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FIMG_0659.jpg&hash=36c59a7e615cadf5d3ac2fee78fd77e3ac2b0cb1)
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superb :happy2:
be interesting to see if you get any interest from the locals :grin: or they just try and drive over you.
Have you looked into the trackdays over there yet? I bet its a wildly different proposition to the UK!
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Love it, now you just need to think of ways to make it drink more petrol!!!
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Fantastic! :congrats:
Now remove that oversized number plate holder!! :wink:
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AWESOME mate :happy2: so when you come back to the UK are you driving it back!? :signLOL:
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Loving that
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Lovely car Illyun :happy2:
I guess that will have the hot climate kit on it too?
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lovely motor pal :happy2:
having experienced the standard of driving in Riyadh first hand please take extra care :scared:
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That is one tasty car sir :congrats: All she needs now is a front-mounted intercooler in 'er... :wink: :wink: :laugh:
Health to drive pal :happy2:
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A bit off topic but they don't sell S3's and the new R's over there do they? Is that because big power turbos don't work as well in hot climates?
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Mate...stunning :drool:
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Thanks for all the replies... I've been too busy driving it to post anything on here :signLOL: :driver: Some more pics coming up soon.
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A bit off topic but they don't sell S3's and the new R's over there do they? Is that because big power turbos don't work as well in hot climates?
Not sure to be honest, but I haven't noticed any S3's here and didn't see any in the Audi showroom either. :confused: The R isn't being sold here either - otherwise I'd have taken that :drool:
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Nice one, Nadeem! :happy2:
Now bring it to the UK and stick your fingers up at all the speeding and parking tickets! You can park it outside Horrids of Knightsbridge too with that plate.
Fit your own S3 intercooler at home in Saudi? :evilgrin:
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superb :happy2:
be interesting to see if you get any interest from the locals :grin: or they just try and drive over you.
The Saudi Security Guard where I work - I work for a government agency - was very curious as he realised the alloys and look of the car didn't belong to a run-of-the-mill hatchback and asked me which country the car was from etc.. and then said 'qwais' which means 'good/cool' I took that as an endorsement :happy2:
Have you looked into the trackdays over there yet? I bet its a wildly different proposition to the UK!
The VW Salesman told me about trackdays although I will look into it carefully as people over here drive like pr*cks at the best of times and the last thing I want to do is total the car on a track :grin:
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Love it, now you just need to think of ways to make it drink more petrol!!!
Well, once its run in, I won't need to worry about putting my foot down :signLOL: A full tank costs 30 Saudi Riyals - about 5 pounds - happy days :driver:
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Now remove that oversized number plate holder!! :wink:
Thats exactly what I was thinking when I got the car... :happy2:
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AWESOME mate :happy2: so when you come back to the UK are you driving it back!? :signLOL:
I am planning on driving it back when I finish work here... :evilgrin: It is LHD, but what the hell - its still a GTI. :jumpmove:
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Lovely car Illyun :happy2:
I guess that will have the hot climate kit on it too?
Having checked all the options, it doesn't seem much different to a UK almost fully loaded GTI. The I/C is larger, but it still has things like heating for the leather seats and rear fogs that I wouldn't have expected a Gulf spec car to have.
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lovely motor pal :happy2:
having experienced the standard of driving in Riyadh first hand please take extra care :scared:
Tell me about it - these guys are NUTS!!! Its like driving in a demolition derby over here :scared:
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That is one tasty car sir :congrats: All she needs now is a front-mounted intercooler in 'er... :wink: :wink: :laugh:
Health to drive pal :happy2:
Its larger than a UK spec car already :)
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Nice one, Nadeem! :happy2:
Now bring it to the UK and stick your fingers up at all the speeding and parking tickets! You can park it outside Horrids of Knightsbridge too with that plate.
Fit your own S3 intercooler at home in Saudi? :evilgrin:
And there I was thinking you were a law-abiding citizen Robin... and at your age too :P :P :P
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Some more photos....
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FDSC01482.jpg&hash=71ee1ae6223987f3e09398f6384831a16368db1f)
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FDSC01483.jpg&hash=fca41e81996d4c2fadd6d0d27373fa333ae070f9)
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FDSC01484.jpg&hash=40778e7ead661420a02ccb47d615ea1ecae575da)
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FDSC01487.jpg&hash=dc2d6da7df848abfeba3b1e94a378950e4d262e0)
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Is it just me or is the Mk6 a bit lower than the Mk5? I've looked at the Mk6 a few times now and it defintely seems lower than the Mk5 Edition 30 back in the UK.
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I don't understand how they can do it for 6p a litre? A litre is alot
Then there is the petrol stations cut off that.. so say 4p a litre... how can you possibly sell petrol at that price... oil rig ---> oil refinery ---> petrol plant --> truck to petrol stations...
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Is it just me or is the Mk6 a bit lower than the Mk5? I've looked at the Mk6 a few times now and it defintely seems lower than the Mk5 Edition 30 back in the UK.
i think its because the wheel arch lip is deeper on the mk6 that th mk5 so the arch gap looks less
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I don't understand how they can do it for 6p a litre? A litre is alot
Then there is the petrol stations cut off that.. so say 4p a litre... how can you possibly sell petrol at that price... oil rig ---> oil refinery ---> petrol plant --> truck to petrol stations...
no middle men i reckon or they don't pay 70% tax on it
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Some more photos....
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FDSC01482.jpg&hash=71ee1ae6223987f3e09398f6384831a16368db1f)
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FDSC01483.jpg&hash=fca41e81996d4c2fadd6d0d27373fa333ae070f9)
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FDSC01484.jpg&hash=40778e7ead661420a02ccb47d615ea1ecae575da)
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fo319%2Fmudawana%2FDSC01487.jpg&hash=dc2d6da7df848abfeba3b1e94a378950e4d262e0)
Lovely looking car , and great pics!
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I don't understand how they can do it for 6p a litre? A litre is alot
Then there is the petrol stations cut off that.. so say 4p a litre... how can you possibly sell petrol at that price... oil rig ---> oil refinery ---> petrol plant --> truck to petrol stations...
I have seen breakdowns of the cost of petrol in the UK that indicate the tax to be around 70% of the cost of the fuel. So at 120p per litre, we are talking 84p for the Government - as if the income tax, national insurance, council tax, 1000 x stealth taxes isn't enough for them already. An institute calculated that the average person's annual earnings go to the taxman until mid-May and only then do they get to keep what money they earn until December.
Part of the reason why I am out here - I was on a very good wage in the UK and STILL in debt and even now a year later out here, I am still paying off bits and pieces to creditors... A lot of the expats out here are in the same position and cannot return as they have tax bills etc.. and are paying them off. I would love to come back home and it feels like I am in exile but I need to do this for 5-6 years but by that time hopefully the mortgage will be paid off :fighting: Its a bit of a bitter sweet experience I suppose as its very hard for a lot of people back in the UK and in that respect I am very lucky to be in stable employment.
As for the cheap price of fuel in Saudi, the exact price is 0.42 Riyals for a litre of RON 95 and .30 Riyals for 91 RON - of course, the GTI only takes 95 RON. The current exchange rate for a pound to the dollar is 1.58 (it was 1.42 a few months back and the petrol price in Sterling was EVEN LOWER back then! The Saudi Riyal is fixed to the dollar at 3.75 Saudi Riyals to the dollar. So 95 RON works out at 6.9p per litre and 91 RON at 5p per litre. I think the Saudi government subsidies the fuel cost and the refinery costs are lower due to the scale of refing and the cost of living is lower so the forecourt doesn't need to take as much as a UK forecourt, plus the fact that people own vehicles with VERY BIG engines 4.0L is the avergae and don't think twice about leaving the engine running with their driver while they go shopping for an hour or 2 - its hot so the aircon needs to be on all the time. So fuel consumption is a lot greater and forecourts can afford to take a smaller share.
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^^^^
All of which illustrates why you can't blame folks for leaving UK plc! It's always been like that - Even the seriously wealthy foreigners get fed up living here.
It'll be even worse if the govn'ment kills the offshore, but I think they're only saying they will so to satisfy the tax paying public who don't like anyone doing better than they are!
Anyway... Off topic... Sorry!
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Very nice mk6 and some great photos with very nice backgrounds. :happy2: :driver: :smiley:
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Lovely car,great pictures... :happy2:
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Lovely car,great pictures... :happy2:
That's some thread revival!! :grin:
Lovely mk6 though....
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Lovely car,great pictures... :happy2:
That's some thread revival!! :grin:
Lovely mk6 though....
Nah, only the two years!! :rolleye:
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Lol... I think s3kel is trying to lure me back onto the forum :grin: The Mk6 will be sold in the next two months and I don't have plans to replace it as I might be going over to Dubai... or coming back home... well, I am trying to anyway!
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Get back here and get modding lol :happy2:
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Either way, it's good to hear you are well and doing ok, Nadeem :happy2:
There's loads of folks on here now who have cars other than Golfs or even VW's.