Golf GTI shines at opening round of TCR season in Dubai

Liqui Moly Team Engstler made a perfect start to the season with the Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR. Drivers Luca Engstler, Florian Thoma, Benjamin Leuchter and Jean-Karl Vernay claimed a TCR class victory in the 24-hour race in Dubai which was also the victory in the TCE touring cars category. As at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, the 350-bhp-strong Golf GTI finished ahead of all the GT4 cars in Dubai, underlining its reputation as something of a surprise package on the sports car scene.

The Golf GTI TCR, which was prepared perfectly on site and entered by Liqui Moly Team Engstler, overcame the extreme demands of a 24-hour race and ran like clockwork. Starting from third place in the TCR class, the team produced a consistently strong performance and refused to be put off by the large field, with a total of 89 cars. The number 130 Golf GTI TCR had moved up to second place in its class by the halfway point of the race. Franz Engstler’s team had the ideal strategy for the closing stages of the race, pulling clear of the chasing pack and refusing to relinquish the lead.

Engstler and his fellow drivers – reigning TCR International Series champion, Jean-Karl Vernay, the 2017 champion in the TCR class of the VLN Endurance Championship, Benjamin Leuchter, and touring car newcomer Florian Thoma – appear to have formed a successful team right from the word go in 2018

Volkswagen Van Centre Brian Currie in Milton Keynes has donated a brand new Caddy van to the South Central Ambulance Charity. The converted Volkswagen Caddy van will be used by the charity’s team of volunteers to deliver lifesaving first response care to residents of Newport Pagnell and the surrounding area.

Considered perfection.

Tom Newey is the very lucky owner of this red, big bumper Volkswagen Golf mark 2 16 Valve. Tom has always been around VW Golfs and when he inherited this Golf from his father he was able to tweak and alter it to become his ideal car.

The Golf first appeared in Tom’s life when his father upgraded his previous car to this ex-dealer demo car in 1990. Tom’s dad kept the car reasonably standard until around 3 years ago when the car and its bulging service folder (demonstrating a fully documented service history along with every receipt from B.R Motorsport and TSR Performance) transferred to Tom’s ownership and he set about some subtle but very important modifications.

Tom takes up the story “We had been thinking about possible engine conversions for quite a while and had been in talks with TSR Performance about which route to go down. The aim was never to go for the typical 1.8 20v turbo swap that seems to be more and more common these days; we wanted to keep the car ‘raw’ and true to its roots so we opted to have a full overall of our current engine. This consisted of TSR Performance boring the engine out to a 1.9, adding 83mm Wossner forged pistons and a set of Piper 274\276 ultimate road cams along with a new fuel metering head and fuel injectors. In addition, we also had a gas flowed cylinder head (to Pack A specification) and added a TSR Performance/Milltek 4 branch manifold with full Jetex exhaust system.”

To cope with the added power and urgency the now 1900cc engine produces Tom sent the gearbox away for a complete rebuild, whilst being rebuilt it also gained a new Quaife LSD and a Sachs clutch kit.

The chassis also benefitted from some attention, being fully poly bushed and having a complete set of adjustable Koni dampers and Eibach springs fitted. As a result the Golf now sits some 35mm lower. To tighten things up a little more on the handling from Tom has also fitted an Eibach from strut brace. The difficult task of stopping the car is now handled by rebuilt G60 280mm calipers in conjunction with Pagid discs and fast road pads.

“This really has made for a totally different car!” adds Tom “The difference is like night and day compared to how it was before, especially with its 7800 rev limit; it has made for a real screamer of a car”. When the car was last on TSR Performance rolling road it was producing a very healthy and more importantly easily useable 180bhp.

Performance was not Tom’s only requirement, the Golf needed to look the part too. “I’m not interested in the “scene”; running low with highly stretched tyres.” mentions Tom “In my opinion you can’t beat a good, well sorted OEM example…hope you agree!” To this end the Golf has recently had a full body restoration consisting of new seals, bumpers, G60 arches, a full respray (in the original Tornado Red that it left the factory in) as well as having all the original underseal carefully replaced with new underseal.

With the body fully sorted Tom then came up against a slight issue “My next problem was to find the ‘perfect’ set of wheels to give that OEM look that the car really deserved and needed” remembers Tom “This is where Chris at B-Star wheels came in! The B-Star 8x16” RA wheels are a work of art and what should have come with the car from factory, they really fill the arches well and in my opinion have made the car pretty much perfect”

Tom is very pleased with how his family’s Golf has turned out, we think it is a shining example of how an OEM+ car can offer style and speed all very, very subtly. Below is a complete spec list of Tom’s Golf:-

Engine

1.8 KR engine bored out to a 1.9

83mm Wossner pistons

Pack A gas flowed head

ARP bolt kit

Piper 274/276 ultimate cams

7800 rev limit

Modified fuel metering head - providing 10% more fuel

Transmission

Fully rebuilt gearbox with Quaife LSD and Sachs clutch kit

Suspension

Koni adjustable dampers

Eibach springs

Fully polybushed

Eibach upper strut brace

Wheels

B-Star RA 16” 4x100 ET35 front and ET25 rear

195/45/16 Uniroyal Rainsport 2 tyres

Brakes

G60 280mm Calipers rebuilt by Alcon

Pagid discs

Pagid fast road pads

Our thanks go to Tom for letting us feature his car and to Daryl for the photographs. If you want your German car featured let us know and we’ll be happy to arrange something!

Feature car - Kurt Hertsens' Golf GTI G60

Here’s our first feature car, we’re hoping you like it as much as we do!

 
Kurt Hertsens is the very lucky owner of this Volkswagen Golf mark 2 GTI G60. Originally sold in The Netherlands in 1990 Kurt’s Golf is a genuine G60 making it a reasonably rare car. Once in Belgium and in the care of Kurt this mark 2 Golf underwent an extensive range of subtle modifications, all of which encompass the OEM+ ideal but done well before the OEM+ look had even become that popular.


The engine benefited from some attention, the 1800 8 valve now producing a healthy 200+bhp thanks to a new camshaft, a new chip and a smaller pulley. A Mocal thermostatic oil cooler helps the engine cope with the extra demands created by the power increase whilst some extra detailing ensures a concours finish to the engine bay.

To cope with the extra power and speed generated Kurt opted for a complete set of adjustable AP coilovers as well as improved brake callipers, pads, discs and braided hoses - a front strut brace keeps the struts nice and tight. Whilst altering all the brakes and suspension Kurt also opted to convert his Golf from the original 4x100 stud pattern to the later 5x100 pattern, removing the need for spacers or adaptors. Kurt also switched away from the Porsche 17” BBS Rennsport wheels he had fitted originally (using adaptors) to a brand new, special order set of 7½x17” Compomotive TH2s (ET32 front and ET22 rear). Wrapped in 185/35R17 tyres the wheels really compliment the car’s styling as well as adding to the poise and enhance the stiff, race-car like handling of the G60.

 Having ensured his Golf now goes, stops and corners as he would like Kurt turned his attention to the exterior and interior of the car. The Golf retains all the original Volkswagen badges and is still painted in the original Royal Blue colour as it was when it left the factory. In keeping with the OEM+ look the door handles have been replaced by Porsche 944 Turbo versions and the front fog lights are now yellow rather than white, very subtle we think you’ll agree.

The interior is once again an example of OEM+ at its best, the front seats are electric Recaros re-trimmed in Golf mark 6 chequer material and leather. The original BBS steering wheel benefits from some mark 6 chequer material and a custom fabricated aluminium centre. Audi TT pedals add a touch more aluminium to the interior whilst OE style VDO gauges in the centre console provide all the information Kurt needs to fully enjoy the performance of his Golf.

Kurt is very pleased with the his car and rightly so, it embraces everything that is good about the G60 and improves it subtly making this Belgian Golf one of the nicest everyday OEM+ spec cars we’ve seen.

Thanks to Kurt for all his help and the photographs, if you fancy getting your car featured just let us know!

Volkswagen Design Vision GTI

As with every year Volkswagen chose to showcase a new Golf GTI concept at the annual GTI festival on the shores of Lake Wörthersee in Reifnitz, Austria.

Designed by Volkswagen engineers and designers the Design Vision GTI is based on the seventh-generation Golf GTI and is aimed at showing the design and power potential of the iconic hot hatch to the world of motor racing (or exceptionally fast road use). 

The concept car’s most striking features are the C-pillars and side sills which have been extended out as autonomous body elements, allowing for a substantially wider track and larger wheels. Using all the flexibility allowed by the Volkswagen Group’s MQB (Modular Transverse Matrix in English), the Design Vision GTI has a long wheelbase and short front overhangs. It shorter, wider and lower than the production Golf GTI creating a purposeful stance which is ideal for the race track, unique 20-inch wheels and ceramic brake discs further complete the motorsport pedigree.

Mechanically is where the Design Vision GTI becomes truly interesting, powered by a 3.0-litre V6 TSI engine with direct injection and turbocharger, figures of 503 PS and 560 Nm of torque are impressive. This power is channelled via a DSG gearbox to all four wheels; standstill to 62 mph takes a mere 3.9 seconds. 

Styling hasn't been ignored, exterior and interior styling is very much an enhancement of the traditional GTI values with a familiar black, red and white colour scheme, touches of honeycomb, carbon and alcantara adding familiarity to the Design Vision GTI.

Like every Wörthersee special the Design Vision GTI offers a glimpse of what is possible and (sadly) not a view of what is probable, those hoping for a 500 PS 4wd Golf 7 are going to have to make it themselves.....