Something a bit special
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R, TIGUAN R
GO for the Volkswagen Golf R in its optimised First Edition configuration and you get a nice extra treat, a Performance Pack.
A specific feature of this is ‘‘special’’ mode; a subprofile accessed via a ‘‘race’’ setting designed to heighten the thrill for owners who enjoy taking their cars to track days.
The colloquial name for ‘‘special’’ mode is ‘‘Nurburgring setting’’. It’s recognition that an assist with many influences, the primary ones being to ramp up to maximum the throttle map and also inhibit the direct shift gearbox from automatically upshifting when reaching the redline in manual, was developed from driving many laps of the famous venue in Germany.
When they say the Nurburgring, they mean the original 20.8km heartinmouth Nordschliefe, built in the 1920s and comprising 154 corners.
When you’re literally living half a world away, how literally is the ‘‘Nurburgring’’ side of things to be taken?
It’s a question Jan SchiedekJacht, head of technical development for Volkswagen’s R performance subgenre, is happy to take.
In a video call to NZ media on the night before a drive programme that took both the Golf R and Tiguan R sports utility (same powertrain, also allwheeldrive but more familyminded so lacking the
Prices: Golf $77,990 and $82,990 (First Edition); Tiguan $80,990 and $85,990.
Clean Car rebates and charges (additional to price): Golf R $517.50 charge, Tiguan R $1955 charge.
Engine: 1984cc, Fourcylinder turbo, allwheeldrive, 1984cc, 235kW, 400Nm.
Transmission: wheeldrive.
Fuel and economy:
Emissions:
Safety rating:
full set of assists meted the fivedoor hatchback) from Auckland to the Pukekohe racetrack, where both were given a good workout, he was quick to clarify the magic ‘‘special’’ enacts is not specifically optimised just for that one venue in Germany.
‘‘You don’t need to come here to feel the benefit,’’ he explained from Wolfsburg, Germany.
Any circuit in any country will do. Any special road.
‘‘Every country with roads that have ups and downs and are good to drive will be very enjoyable in that mode.’’
‘‘Special’’ mode earned the Golf R a 7min 51sec Nordschliefe time; that’s 14sec quicker than the previous version’s best.
It also influenced positively at Pukekohe. Various exercises in the standard Sport mode were fun. The same workouts
Dimensions: Golf, length, 4290mm; width, 1789mm; height, 1439mm; Tiguan, length, 4514mm; width, 1859mm; height, 1668mm.
after flicking it into the bonus feature? Even better. The 80% of Golf R buyers who’ve gone whole hog and included the Performance Pack have not wasted a cent.
Within that, ‘‘special’’ mode is a brilliant flavour enhancement, for more than simply making the car sound and feel tangibly more eager and energised.
I found it as handy as the impressively reactive launch control, now a standard R fitting, in lending obvious edge in two exercises; drag racingstyle sprints and chucking the car through a slalom.
Subsequent full laps of the circuit left no doubt. Despite ‘‘special’’ regressing to a slightly softer suspension tune than ‘‘sport’’, the car is more precise with it enacted.
There’s just one disappointment. A criticism
Golf R has to wear at the moment is a subdued exhaust note. Feeding of artificial performance noise through the speakers might fool an occupant into thinking it’s a rorty thing, but from the outside the soundtrack is far from overt. VW NZ is seeking to remedy this by sourcing a factoryapproved Akrapovic accessory.
As is the custom on days such as this, the wrap up was a hot lap session with a pro driver where helmets had to be worn and the 160kmh speed restriction and requirement to keep stability control enacted were dropped.
This was Greg Murphy’s first drive of the car, so I elected to wait until he’d undertaken a few laps with other guests before getting in with him. He hadn’t been using ‘‘special’’; I showed him how to access it. It was a wild ride, validating how much more the car had to give than we’d seen and felt. He pushed the car to the very edge of grip, but it remained faithful. It got the Murf tick.
Another of the day’s objectives was assessment of another Performance Packspecific ingredient, a Drift mode also shared with the RS3 and operating in exactly the same way, setting the new dualclutch rear axle (there’s one clutch either side of the differential) to maximum attack by biasing the majority of the torque available to it (up to half of what the engine is delivering at any given moment) to the outside wheel. It’s not the sort of thing you could or should use on the road, but is fairly effective in enacting sustained poweroversteer on a track.
The Tiguan R was restricted to controlled lap driving and the drag race and did well at both.
VW has not created a Porsche Macan equivalent, yet you’d have to think it took interest in the Cupra Ateca to get a good steer about how to set up a model it sees offering good potential. Tiguan has long been the brand’s most popular model worldwide and performance SUVs strike a chord with Kiwis. The market reception since availability began in March has been strong, with 167 accounted for at time of writing.
Being heavier and physically larger than the Golf mean it burns more fuel and cops a heftier Clean Car fee ($1955 versus the hatch’s $517.50 hit). The allwheeldrive system’s tuning is good, though, and it has lots of grip and traction.
Meantime, the global coronavirus’ pandemic affecting chip supply and the Ukrainian War affecting wiring loom production are double headaches for VW supply here, but it will still have a T Roc R here in July and a Touareg R, a plugin hybrid that kicks off the R electric push, next year.
The Giltrap Group that holds VW distribution rights is also the national franchisee for the Sixt rental and lease operation; Golf R and Tiguan R will be on offer through those, with the cost of the rental credited against the cars’ purchase price should the hirer decide to try then buy.