[FormulaGPL]

Check out this AuotBlog story - VW is obviously responding to Ford (and to a lesser extent Mazda). Interesting how they also hope to quell torque steer. :8:

Next VW GTI to get 260-hp from 2.0-liter four

I'm also attaching the original AutoCar story which references the Golf R and lightweight materials. Interesting!!

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/scoop/new-golf-gti-gets-260bhp

 

[PDX:ST]

Hmmm, that should make for some interesting competition for the ST...

 

[focusownerskid]

Its the only car that would keep me out of an ST.

Cant wait to drive one.

- Drew

 

[2phun]

Excellent. Hot hatch competition gets hotter. This is good news for hatch fans.

 

[Chip]

this is something VW should have done a long time ago. the car has been lacking power for years. Hopefully they will do something about the rollerskate design.

 

[Brandon]

VW's HUGE leg up: the optional DSG. That'll get more people in the car than any differences in horsepower, torque, or random features.

 

[McShibbs]

The MKVII is also suppose to be dropping 150-200lbs in weight so it should weigh in just under 3000lbs as well.

I'm seriously excited for this, the ST, Dart SRT, and ATS 2.0T / ATS-V.

 

[agr964]

Glad they finally give it some power, but are they leaving the body style as is? I never really liked the way the GTI looks, otherwise I just might have bought one a few years ago before I learned about the ST.

 

[Grabber523]

Meh...it's all fun and games until they're both broken. ST FTW in that scenario. It seems like it takes forever to get parts for VWs, they're expensive, and quite frankly, a pain in the a$$ to work on. I'll still take the Ford, hands down.

 

[sk8parker94]

serious competition, this is gonna be really interesting!

 

[Chip]

Grabber has a point, VA's parts are rare and expensive. I've worked on many a vws' and as soon as the factory warranty is up it appears that everything g starts to fall apart.

 

[Shomare]

My VW ownership experience was so bad I'll never buy another one. Crooked dealership, service department and absolutely no support from VW of America with the never ending problems. I found that my VW buddies have come to expect and accept that their cars are in the shop frequently and it's ok. Not for me.

 

[FormulaGPL]

My VW ownership experience was so bad I'll never buy another one. Crooked dealership, service department and absolutely no support from VW of America with the never ending problems. I found that my VW buddies have come to expect and accept that their cars are in the shop frequently and it's ok. Not for me.

Gee - Maybe I was lucky, but the VW's I've owned (over the years I've owned 3) were rock solid; and I put over 100K miles on each of them. Agree you had to stay away from dealerships due to their ridiculous "flat rate" charges once warranties were over, but I wonder with VW having a major assembly plant in Chattanooga if parts availability will be easier.

I know the GTI will not be assembled in TN; but with VW's stated commitment to become the world leader in automobile production, I wonder if parts/autos will be easier to get and more affordable (doubtful).

Regardless. VW was the originator of the hot hatch concept and it seems that they're getting back into the game in a big way! :thumb:

 

[Istvan Buda]

My volkswagen i'm diving right now has 90.000 miles and it is rock solid , however i am trading it in for the ST , European ford has a interior like my volkswagen and ST is much cheaper then the gti also with Ford you can find tuning companies will tune your car for the half price of the GTI tuner , wonder if the next GTI will cost up to $35k

 

[Grabber523]

One buddy had...I believe it was a Jetta. Showed classic signs of a vacuum leak (stalling, hesitaion, rich). I really hated the fact that after pulling off what seemed like 7 layers and 40 pounds of "decorative" (read: useless) plastic, it was a cracked hard line off of the brake booster...hard, thin, brittle plastic. I was shocked. Another guy I worked with needed to change his starter, and had to remove a good protion of the front of his car to get to it. I think German engineering and import reliability are not the rule, but more of a theory backed by good marketing. The only cars I've had to do engine work on because of failures were both Honda Accords, and my wife's 07 Toyota is a lightly built, rattley, plastic, throwaway appliance. And I can't count how many times it's been recalled.

 

[sleepin 4.6]

Parts costs are enough to keep me away from any German car.

 

[2phun]

LOVED my Audi...until my extended warranty went south and I had to actually start paying for repairs out of pocket. $3500 to repair the ABS system (parts alone) and I knew my time with it was coming to a close.

Gave it to my brother-in-law, and shortly thereafter it ATE a spark plug! WTF? Well, that was the end of the Audi.

 

[Shomare]

That's the most common comment I hear from Audi owners. Don' t own the car out of warranty.


On the go - Via TapTalk

 

[ST4Life]

Check out this AuotBlog story - VW is obviously responding to Ford (and to a lesser extent Mazda). Interesting how they also hope to quell torque steer. :8:

Next VW GTI to get 260-hp from 2.0-liter four

I'm also attaching the original AutoCar story which references the Golf R and lightweight materials. Interesting!!

New Golf GTI gets 260bhp | Autocar

Well Ford will trump that as the Car wars go internationally now.

Ford Focus RS (2014) first details of 350bhp hot hatch | Secret New Cars | Car Magazine Online

 

[agr964]

Well Ford will trump that as the Car wars go internationally now.

Ford Focus RS (2014) first details of 350bhp hot hatch | Secret New Cars | Car Magazine Online

350 HP RS...wow. Now that's getting serious.