Volkswagen GTI and R range hit the racetrack

Volkswagens, by their very definition, are cars for The People. And in Australia, The People rather like the fast ones.

The German auto giant reckons that by next year, 25 per cent of its Australian sales volume will come from performance models – those being badged GTI, R, and (eventually) GTX – a feat that no other market can match.

As a way of proving its performance credentials, Volkswagen invited Wheels along to test each of its offerings on Sydney Motorsport Park’s North Circuit, a 2.8km winding loop comprising a 200km/h-plus straight, high-speed bends, a tight hairpin, and myriad surface changes.

45

The basic recipe for most of the GTI and R products is the same, 2.0-litre turbo petrol, front- or all-wheel drive, a practical body, and wolf-in-sheep's-clothing intentions.

So, how did each car hold up on track?

JUMP AHEAD

• Polo GTI
• Golf GTI
• T-Roc R
• Golf R hatch/wagon
• Golf R 20 Years
• Tiguan R
• VERDICT

Polo GTI

Often in life, it’s the simplest things that bring us the most joy – and VW’s Polo GTI is a perfect example.

Essentially a Mark 5 Golf GTI powertrain strapped into a new body and married to a tech-heavy cabin, it features MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear end.

With Sport mode engaged, I head down the pitlane to the turn two hairpin, hit the anchors for the first time and the agile Polo squirms under brakes, its pedal remaining firm as the pointy front end dives into the first of two apices.

45

There’s no tricky diff here to pull you out, but there isn’t enough power to overwhelm the front tyres in the dry and the torquey motor pulls the Polo out with conviction.

Dancing through the left-right chicane, the Polo’s lack of mass means you can float the tail through – it’s actually the most rewarding of the lot to drive.

Bollocks to speed, give me a smile any day.

🔼 Back to top

45

Golf GTI

The Golf GTI is all grown-up. This long-standing nameplate is one that’s too often forgotten in a world of ever-harder hatchbacks.

A pleasing four-cylinder burble from the exhaust, tractable motor and responsive seven-speed dual-clutch transmission make this a brisk and fun car on the racetrack – providing you don’t over-drive it.

45

Like the lighter Polo, the front-drive Golf GTI doesn’t have much weight over the rear end, meaning the hind pair of Bridgestones need to smear across the road to help turn-in, which is especially enjoyable through the North Circuit’s final complex as weight transfers from the outside kerb back into the apex.

Through the high-speed first turn, the Golf GTI’s grown-up multi-link rear suspension and longer wheelbase inspire more confidence than the slightly unsettled Polo, so it’s easier to commit to the throttle on exit.

With enough power to spin the fronts in second, the GTI's 'VAQ' locking front differential drives the Golf out with no fuss and minimal on-throttle understeer.

45

🔼 Back to top

T-Roc R

'Take it if the race car’s broken' was what I was going to write, but do you know what? Stuff it, bring both along and share the T-Roc R with someone else.

It’s plenty capable on the racetrack, the all-wheel-drive system making up for the lack of a locking front differential on corner exit.

Unlike the Golf GTI, it’s best to set the taller T-Roc into Individual mode, with steering, engine and gearshift all amped to maximum attack, but the dampers softened back to Normal as Sport introduces enough mid-corner hop to be unsettling.

45

Raising a vehicle off the ground comes with consequences: stiffer suspension is needed to stop it toppling over.

Don’t let that thought ruin the day though. The T-Roc R sounds good, pulls hard, stops well, and moves around more than a Golf R. Sure it’s less confidence-inspiring, but that doesn’t make it much less fun.

🔼 Back to top

45

Golf R hatch and wagon

These two make turning out fast lap times as easy as shooting fish in a barrel (seriously though, who does that?)

A lower rating than the much slower Polo and Golf GTI might raise some eyebrows, but here’s the thing: Volkswagen never really designed the Golf R as an outright track monster.

45

The Golf R generates its speed via a trick twin-clutch locking rear differential that allows the R to unleash maximum grunt

If you want that, a Hyundai i30 N or Honda Civic Type R are better bets. The trade-off (certainly in the Korean’s case) is a bigger chiropractor bill from its stiff ride.

Remaining neutral to understeery on turn-in, the Golf R generates its speed via a trick twin-clutch locking rear differential that allows the R to unleash maximum grunt unto the outside rear, killing front-end push on exit. Mighty impressive it may be, but the overwhelmingly digital feeling isn’t as satisfying as the human-machine bond you get in a looser front-drive car.

🔼 Back to top

45

Golf R 20 Years

With a titanium Akrapovic exhaust adding aural drama and a thump in the back of your head when you shift up at redline, the R 20 Years give a better impression of speed, but its road-biased Bridgestone S005 tyres are the limiting factor.

Moreso even than the Hankook-shod regular R, the 20 Years' front end was less hooked-up through Eastern Creek’s tight turn two.

45

Stay patient through the apex, though, and you can let the intake gobble fresh air on exit as the tricky electronics overdrive the outside rear to send you out with a just-past-neutral attitude.

Like the normal R hatch and wagon, the 20 Years is plenty quick – in fact even quicker with an extra 10kW sent to all four wheels. It’ll flatter track day novices, but more experienced drivers won’t find all that much substance to sink their teeth into. The Golf R is more impressive on a wet twisting road.

🔼 Back to top

45

Tiguan R

For when you have school run at 9:00 and track day at 10:00.

Strangely, the high-set Tiguan with its comparatively bus-like driving position felt the calmest of the lot on the racetrack. Its brakes are up to the task, the steering responsive and chassis planted.

It helps that you’re up high – it masks the sensation of speed. You can’t gobble kerbs like you might expect, though, as Volkswagen has clearly wound huge amounts of spring rate and rebound control into the Tiguan R’s chassis to keep it on the ground.

45

It hops over undulations in the asphalt in Race mode and clobbers sawtooth kerbs with its 21-inch alloys.

There’s plenty of grunt and a couple of laps are satisfying. I can imagine coming to a track day here and really giving regulars in modified hot hatches a run for their money. That would be funny and rewarding in its own way.

🔼 Back to top

45

VERDICT

As a disclaimer, we did no more than two flying laps in any of these cars and, although Wheels didn’t experience major brake fade, your average track day with 10- or 15-minute sessions will definitely overheat the brake pads and tyres of every car tested here. Maybe not in the first session, but by runs two and three, they’ll be worse for wear.

If you intend to use your car on the racetrack regularly, extra preparation is needed. Higher-temperature brake fluid is a great start, followed by sturdier brake pads and tyres designed for the kind of loads experienced on longer stints.

What’s the winner, then? The T-Roc R was probably the biggest surprise, and the Golf Rs were predictably excellent. If I had to choose one as a track car it’d be the Polo GTI. The cheapest, lightest, and loosest. There’s a lot of fun to be had here.

Today wasn’t about proving any of these cars as ultimate track tools; ultimately Volkswagen's GTI and R range are Swiss army knives. You don’t expect to be able to slice sashimi with your Gerber, but if the opportunity presents itself the blade will be sharp enough to carve a slice of salmon for the barbie.

🔼 Back to top