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New owner 2015 SE PP DSG!

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echelonphoto

Ready to race!
Location
northeast
So I came to VW from the dark side, good old american muscle Vette guy...had 6 different vettes from 2007 to present, including 2 c5z's, 3 c6 coupes and one cc5 convertible. One of the c6's was a 500 hp wide body monster...the last was a great GS coupe, my first automatic vette. I finally decided I liked the auto better than having to shift all the time, plus, it was actually faster overall than the manual vettes. Anyhow...decided it was time to get back to my german roots and try the gti...almost bought one several years ago, but wound up with a vette again. The one I have now is a carbon metallic se with dsg and the PP.It is certified and has 25K miles on it and a nice warranty. Have to say...this car is really more fun than the vette around town and on most county roads...just feels more tossable and zippy...kind of sneaky fast. The ride is better than the vette and the handling feels more preciise , at least at low speeds. I love the much increased fuel mileage, esp as gas prices are shooting up now.

Took it for a nice trip on the expressway yesterday...a road where the average speed is about 80, but quite a few cars going 90 and above. I decide to go to manual mode, as the car was constantly shifting down from 6th to 5th at 90. I actually had it up to a 100 for a brief time. Here is where I miss the vette, as cruising at 90 , you felt it was on the edge of an explosion right up to 130 within a few easy seconds....not that I often do that, but an occasion burst in the right conditions is fun.

The gti felt a little strained and buzzy at 85 cruising in 6th, got a little smoother at 90....but now I keep wishing for some extra grunt up there. I will be ordering the jb4 next week and probably get some nice wheels with meatier tires too....do you thing I will be satisfied with the little upgrades I plan? I am not a boy racer, but love my power to be there when needed. BTW...I was born in Germany and have driven the autobahn many times at speeds up to 145.
 
vj123

vj123

Autocross Newbie
Location
The Detroit
Car(s)
19 & 16 GTI - sold
Congrats on your GTI.

Not sure if yours still have the stock tires. If you look around, not many people are happy with the stock tires. I swapped wheels, tires, exhaust and i was more than satisfied with the GTI.

I would suggest you to spend at least a month with the vehicle to exactly figure out what performance mods you really want.
 
Rafiki76

Rafiki76

Ready to race!
Location
Los Angeles
Car(s)
MKVII GTI
Congrats on the new GTI. It's very different from a Vette but I'm sure you've discovered that already lol. A JB4 is very capable and you can really get a lot of power from one, but the GTI is amazingly tunable and you can flash your car anytime to get over 350hp and 400lb-ft if you wish. Drive the car stock for a few thousand miles then decide what you really want out if it. It's a good platform stock but can be an amazing vehicle with some mods.
 
imthanick_a

imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
Location
Ohio
Lightweight wheels with some wider tires with better grip will make a world of difference. I am very pleased with my JB1, and the JB4 is even better so I'm sure that will satisfy you at least for a while. As for power up in high gears, I'm not sure theres much that can be done there as far as I know. Small turbo and gear for low range torque make it difficult to get high range power. Maybe a stage 2 tune from what I've read but I can't attest to it personally.
 
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E

echelonphoto

Ready to race!
Location
northeast
I think the most annoying thing right now is a kind of grittyness from the suspension or transmission at 80+ on freeways...transmits thru the steering wheel and gas pedal. Its not a wheel balance vibration per so, but a constant kind of nervous jiggling. Doesn't really show up in around town driving or on concrete surfaces. Haven driven lots of vettes with performance suspensions, I am used to road feel, but this is an irritating kind...have those stock hankook S1's on, maybe its them or a bent wheel, don't know. Looking for a summer tire that will give me handling , but maybe soften the effect a little. On the vettes, we removed the factory run flats and replaced them with a good non run flat like nitto or michelin ps. Could be just a front wheel drive thing, but I drive a rav 4 too and thats fwd.
 
imthanick_a

imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
Location
Ohio
echelonphoto said:
I think the most annoying thing right now is a kind of grittyness from the suspension or transmission at 80+ on freeways...transmits thru the steering wheel and gas pedal. Its not a wheel balance vibration per so, but a constant kind of nervous jiggling. Doesn't really show up in around town driving or on concrete surfaces. Haven driven lots of vettes with performance suspensions, I am used to road feel, but this is an irritating kind...have those stock hankook S1's on, maybe its them or a bent wheel, don't know. Looking for a summer tire that will give me handling , but maybe soften the effect a little. On the vettes, we removed the factory run flats and replaced them with a good non run flat like nitto or michelin ps. Could be just a front wheel drive thing, but I drive a rav 4 too and thats fwd.
Click to expand...

Yeah that doesnt happen on mine. Swap those tires!
 
GTI-Jay

GTI-Jay

Ready to race!
Location
USA
It seems a lot of PP cars have the Hankooks on. mine included. TBH under stress they're not too bad, especially with fast cornering. The VAQ seems to compliment them. First thing i noticed when jumping into a new PP autobahn was no understeer or squeal going into a corner at a good 90mph. Whereas a non pp on pirellis i had prior, squealed like a little piggy. What i don't like about them is they're a little noisy and feel a little harsh on normal driving compared to the pirelli's.

Yeah get a JB4 and enjoy the extra fun. German autobahns sure are fun ! and far safer than any US highway. Why? cos people are paying attention ! They don't undertake, nor do they drive up your ass ! Actually i believe you get a fine for driving too close to someone.
 
E

echelonphoto

Ready to race!
Location
northeast
GTI-Jay said:
It seems a lot of PP cars have the Hankooks on. mine included. TBH under stress they're not too bad, especially with fast cornering. The VAQ seems to compliment them. First thing i noticed when jumping into a new PP autobahn was no understeer or squeal going into a corner at a good 90mph. Whereas a non pp on pirellis i had prior, squealed like a little piggy. What i don't like about them is they're a little noisy and feel a little harsh on normal driving compared to the pirelli's.

Yeah get a JB4 and enjoy the extra fun. German autobahns sure are fun ! and far safer than any US highway. Why? cos people are paying attention ! They don't undertake, nor do they drive up your ass ! Actually i believe you get a fine for driving too close to someone.
Click to expand...


Yes drivers in Germany have to take a two year comprehensive private driving school course, which they pay for themselves and it is very strict. They know not to stay in the left lane when not passing, even if they are going 150mph..if the center lane is clear, you move over. They WILL tailgate you at very high speeds if you violate this rule...I had my bmw 320i pinned at about 135 in the left lane...couldn't get over as there was a car next to me...a mercedes comes right up on my tail at about 150...I finally got to move over, but it was a little hairy for a few seconds. The roads there are built to stay smooth and last for many years, just like their houses...you spend the extra up front and you get what you pay for. The grading is such that even in a downpour, there is no puddling. Around here, they poured a new road a couple of years
ago and it already looks like s__t.

BTW...you WILL get a fine for cruising in the left lane and there are many traffic cameras in areas where there is a posted speed limit...pulled into little village one dark night and must of hit a camera maybe 10mph over the limit...it was like ufo's going off...they flash pictured my car. Never got a ticket in the mail, my car was a french lease at the time. Driving yesterday on the AC expressway, its amazing how many dotards drive the left lane at slower speeds, even though there are three open lanes...and they won't move over for nothing...hate passing on the right...cops should focus on that behavior more, would save a lot of accidents.


You got me going now....Italy is an entirely different scene...no unlimited speed zones, but those drivers over there don't care...drive like maniacs...you have to really watch your back....was going up into the dolomites on those narrow one laners up pretty steep grades and blind corners...I don't drive slow, but those bikers up there think nothing of passing at 70mph around a totally blind curve...I guess they do a lot of praying around there.
 
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Diggs24

Diggs24

Autocross Champion
Location
de plains! de plains!
Car(s)
2015 GTI
echelonphoto said:
Yes drivers in Germany have to take a two year comprehensive private driving school course, which they pay for themselves and it is very strict. They know not to stay in the left lane when not passing, even if they are going 150mph..if the center lane is clear, you move over. They WILL tailgate you at very high speeds if you violate this rule...I had my bmw 320i pinned at about 135 in the left lane...couldn't get over as there was a car next to me...a mercedes comes right up on my tail at about 150...I finally got to move over, but it was a little hairy for a few seconds. The roads there are built to stay smooth and last for many years, just like their houses...you spend the extra up front and you get what you pay for. The grading is such that even in a downpour, there is no puddling. Around here, they poured a new road a couple of years
ago and it already looks like s__t.

BTW...you WILL get a fine for cruising in the left lane and there are many traffic cameras in areas where there is a posted speed limit...pulled into little village one dark night and must of hit a camera maybe 10mph over the limit...it was like ufo's going off...they flash pictured my car. Never got a ticket in the mail, my car was a french lease at the time. Driving yesterday on the AC expressway, its amazing how many dotards drive the left lane at slower speeds, even though there are three open lanes...and they won't move over for nothing...hate passing on the right...cops should focus on that behavior more, would save a lot of accidents.


You got me going now....Italy is an entirely different scene...no unlimited speed zones, but those drivers over there don't care...drive like maniacs...you have to really watch your back....was going up into the dolomites on those narrow one laners up pretty steep grades and blind corners...I don't drive slow, but those bikers up there think nothing of passing at 70mph around a totally blind curve...I guess they do a lot of praying around there.
Click to expand...

They got the Pope.
 
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