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Performance Package?

SnailPower

Autocross Newbie
Location
North NJ
Car(s)
2017 GTI MT, PP, LP
Early adopters almost always get burned by these kind of things.

Aside: Has anyone seen how bad the shift knob is in the mk8 manual? It's like the cheapest plastic I've ever seen.

Car quality in materials is only going to continue going down probably no different than how we're paying for more and getting less in stores. They're going to have to cut corners here and there.

I also feel like, early adopters get that first year of, yeah, I got the brand new car that nobody else has around. Then two years later, they're seeing everyone else driving that same car with the all the bells and whistles and a frown on their face. It's just one of those, either get that first year of the car and the looks it brings or wait and get the better deal.
 

mrmatto

Autocross Champion
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Car(s)
2024 GTI DSG
Human psychology is a hell of a thing.

Just buy the car that's right for you at the time you decide you need/want a new car. You're going to make a bad decision if you buy a car based on what you think others perceive. And, objectively, a new upgraded model doesn't make your current model worse.
 

Oversteermybagel

Go Kart Champion
Location
Boston
Car(s)
mk7 2017 GTi Sport
All you are getting mechanically is:-

1. the Haldex VAQ unit..which is not a LSD......
2. The braking system from the Golf R (340mm fronts & bigger vented rears)
3. Software to make the car have the same power to weight ratio as the standard GTI...as the VAQ unit & the bigger brakes all add weight...

Cheaper & better to buy a base GTI, fit Quaife/Wavetrak, & a set of either Audi TT-S, 4 pot ATE fronts or the Porsche Macan 4pot Brembos...& get a APR/Revo remap & drop in filter...

Unless you can't be bothered (no skills/no decent workshops) to do any of the above, in which case ignore what I just posted...

Why are you so certain a quaife/wavetrak solution is an upgrade over VAQ? One of these is a proven solution in IMSA/SRO in this chassis and the other is not.
 

bentin

Autocross Champion
Location
Austin, TX
Car(s)
23 Golf R - 3 Pedals
Why are you so certain a quaife/wavetrak solution is an upgrade over VAQ? One of these is a proven solution in IMSA/SRO in this chassis and the other is not.
Also assumes that the Macan/TTS brakes actually perform better, which is far from a given, especially if you're pairing stronger fronts with the same small, solid rears and the stock brake balance.

While it's a small difference, and likely to be replaced anyway, the PP does also have a slightly larger rsb.
 

mrmatto

Autocross Champion
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Car(s)
2024 GTI DSG
*googling submarines and submarine classes and now going down a very deep rabbit hole*

mmhmm so one had shooty-uppy missiles and another had shooty-outy type. mmhmm mhmm I see
 

DrFunkalupicus

Autocross Champion
Location
Topeka
Car(s)
2016 VW GTI S
I don't have a pp =(
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Why are you so certain a quaife/wavetrak solution is an upgrade over VAQ? One of these is a proven solution in IMSA/SRO in this chassis and the other is not.

For starters The Seat Leon Cup Racer TCR Race cars were launched only with the DSG & the VAQ unit in 2015. Then from 2016 they offered the Sadev sequential gearbox with a mechanical LSD as an upgrade package or full new build. Quote from 2016 brochure:- “For the TCR series the car receives a new lighter & more individually adaptable transmission”. Basically, the racers wanted a sequential gearbox & a mechanical LSD. Thus, a lighter car (40kg less than DSG/VAQ for 2017) & more adjustment to suit driver & total predictability of the LSD, compared to the DSG/VAQ version. The DSG & VAQ launch in the TCR race cars was effectively a PR exercise to “prove” you could track the DSG/VAQ...the DSG & VAQ was proven too costly in terms of repairs & weight...

Secondly there are people on this forum who have removed the VAQ unit & fitted a Wavetrak.....so go ask them for their 100% direct experience of comparing the exact same car with VAQ & then with VAQ removed & Wavetrak fitted...

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...-wavetrac-lsd-into-a-vaq-equipped-car.381177/


Also assumes that the Macan/TTS brakes actually perform better, which is far from a given, especially if you're pairing stronger fronts with the same small, solid rears and the stock brake balance.

While it's a small difference, and likely to be replaced anyway, the PP does also have a slightly larger rsb.

Any braking caliper with opposing pistons will be better than a single piston sliding fist type caliper....basic mechanics....also its lighter, so less unsprung weight as usually they are alloy-vs cast iron/grey metal

Rear brakes do very little..in fact the MK7 is over braked on the rear from the factory.....
MK7 Golf TCR race cars have 272mm solid rears with two piston calipers & 378mm vented fronts with 6 piston calipers.

https://www.tcr-series.com/homologated-cars/item/volkswagen-golf-gti-tcr-dsg

Compared to the factory spec of the:-
MK7 GTI have 300mm solid rears & 312mm vented fronts, both with sliding fist single calipers
MK7 GTI-PP & R have 310mm vented rears & 340mm vented fronts, both with sliding fist calipers..

Plenty of people have swapped out their single piston sliding fist calipers for either the Audi or Macan calipers (& even bigger RS ones) on this forum here, maybe go ask them for their direct experience?:-

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...brembo-upgrade-thread-read-first-post.371028/

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/audi-tts-front-caliper-option.353249/

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/ttrs-brembo-upgrade-info.392933/
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
For starters The Seat Leon Cup Racer TCR Race cars were launched only with the DSG & the VAQ unit in 2015. Then from 2016 they offered the Sadev sequential gearbox with a mechanical LSD as an upgrade package or full new build. Quote from 2016 brochure:- “For the TCR series the car receives a new lighter & more individually adaptable transmission”. Basically, the racers wanted a sequential gearbox & a mechanical LSD. Thus, a lighter car (40kg less than DSG/VAQ for 2017) & more adjustment to suit driver & total predictability of the LSD, compared to the DSG/VAQ version. The DSG & VAQ launch in the TCR race cars was effectively a PR exercise to “prove” you could track the DSG/VAQ...the DSG & VAQ was proven too costly in terms of repairs & weight...

Secondly there are people on this forum who have removed the VAQ unit & fitted a Wavetrak.....so go ask them for their 100% direct experience of comparing the exact same car with VAQ & then with VAQ removed & Wavetrak fitted...

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...-wavetrac-lsd-into-a-vaq-equipped-car.381177/




Any braking caliper with opposing pistons will be better than a single piston sliding fist type caliper....basic mechanics....also its lighter, so less unsprung weight as usually they are alloy-vs cast iron/grey metal

Rear brakes do very little..in fact the MK7 is over braked on the rear from the factory.....
MK7 Golf TCR race cars have 272mm solid rears with two piston calipers & 378mm vented fronts with 6 piston calipers.

https://www.tcr-series.com/homologated-cars/item/volkswagen-golf-gti-tcr-dsg

Compared to the factory spec of the:-
MK7 GTI have 300mm solid rears & 312mm vented fronts, both with sliding fist single calipers
MK7 GTI-PP & R have 310mm vented rears & 340mm vented fronts, both with sliding fist calipers..

Plenty of people have swapped out their single piston sliding fist calipers for either the Audi or Macan calipers (& even bigger RS ones) on this forum here, maybe go ask them for their direct experience?:-

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...brembo-upgrade-thread-read-first-post.371028/

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/audi-tts-front-caliper-option.353249/

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/ttrs-brembo-upgrade-info.392933/
Base GTI/non-PP has 272mm rears not 300s.
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
@tigeo ...
Here's the ERWIN Self Study guide from May 2013 on the Europe spec MK7 GTI....

ERWIN SS MK7 GTI brakes.jpg
 
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