A Woppy R-view!

[Woppum]

A Rocky Review, by Woppy Woppson

I thought it was time I put a little key to screen and offer my thoughts on the rocky after a couple of months and just under 1k miles. As usual one point at a time, it unclutters my mind and helps adhere to the points that matter?

• Economy
  

It seems to be getting better and better as the miles are setting in. the car is only used to drive to work everyday at the moment so not really had the chance to stretch its legs on a motorway blat more than say 20 miles. That said im getting 35mpg regularly on the way down the A40 every morning and 25mpg on the mad dash back so im incredibly impressed! When you think the old, much much slower mk4 R32 returned 16-17mpg most the time and 24-25 on the motorway this is an outstanding achievement VW.

• Performance
  

Possibly the important bit for the guy that wants this car. Its fast. Very fast for such a little chugger. Jumping out the RS, which does 0-100 in 8 seconds flat in to this im not feeling feck this is slow. In fact I feel feck this is accessible. As it’s a 2ltr with a big turbo the power kicks in only when the turbo spoils up, before then it is wheezy and worthless unless you are trying to get high 30mpgs (a new fun challenge!). Luckilly the turbo kicks in at around 2krpm has oodles of torque and zings on a mighty liniar curve all the way to just under 7k rpm. As I said its quick., I cant remember the stats but that’s not important – last night I stayed up the bum of a Jag XK all the way up the Amersham hill, all the way I tell you! Not much if anything passes on the motorway and with the liniar turbo there is no such thing as a flat spot. Im sure at some point ill give in, say what the feck and get a remap to 300bhp, but at the moment the power is perfect for everyday.

• Noise
  

What noise I hear you say? It sounds like a hoover I hear the passengers say. The more cultured will of course compare it with a dyson however I would say a Dyson has the edge. Now what I say may not be a totally fair position. My last golf type thing was a V6 and had big booming unresonated milteks. I then went to a CSL with unresonated supersprints and now my other car is so noisy its banned from most UK trackdays. However, my mates cooper s works sounds far more bubbly. Nuff said on this but I now kind of like this for the journeys I do, it seems to suits my use for the car – its woppy purpose if you will. For those that want a big booming hot hatch though this aint it!

• Handling
  

Bit of a surprise here. The car being only FWD gets all 260bhp of power down in every gear. I drive with ESP off most the time and unless in wet weather the car dosent break smoke.

Having that light little engine where it is is a godsend. I was expecting handling similar to the r32 but in truth it is much much better. I go fast with this car, very fast where I can on private roads and the front does not give in to understeer. The R32 would lazily quit to turn and wobble on through the corner. There is zero torque steer too which is a surprise. The mini by comparison is an animal. In truth I probably drive this car faster than the RS on many roads, never expected that!

• Luxury?
  

Very nicely made, even after stepping out the porker. The seats are about the most supportive and comfortable of any car I have been in. they don’t look the part of the old R32 seats but in truth hold you just as well. Sat nav works, stereo is pooor! Still a great place to be, especially comparing it to the competition.

• Price……..
  

Dodgy subject. Many on here (including myself when the prices first came out) said they wouldn’t go near this car with a barge pole. Way to expensive for a hot golf (type thing). Truth is, see what else you can get for the price. Spend weeks like me aching over what to get for say mid 20k’s and you just wont find anything near as good as this. Truth is today, at this price for a new fast car – this is a bargain.

Happy, thanks Matt!

Wopps

[AZURES3]

Glad you are happy with it mate, thought you might go for the S3 afyer Santa Pod lol. The Rocco R must make a great companion to the Porka.

[Tipex]

Damn, was hoping you'd hate it, your punishment for owning the GT3 should mean you have to drive a MK1 Mondeo diesel (no RWD sierra'y fun) in a fetching dark green with sun faded panels, a bit of rust, and a dirty interior that smell of damp dogs.

Not that I'm jealous in any way at all, oh no.

[Woppum]

yes that santa pod day has left scars on the brain. i blame it on worn cups or something S3 was impressive!

[AZURES3]

yes that santa pod day has left scars on the brain. i blame it on worn cups or something S3 was impressive!

Keep the pics and videos of the Porka coming mate, what a car ! Even the reviews of the GT2 RS say they prefer the GT3 RS

I have to ask I presume it was due to your track days but why didnt you go for the 911 turbo S, it seems a beast

[Matt R]

No probs mate, the new R's do drive even better with some miles on them, my Golf R has nearly 7000 miles on now and feels much looser and the fuel economy has also improved.

[Woppum]

Its down to trackdays as you say mate. I wanted a roll cage and harnesses first and formost. Thought about putting them in the CSL but i didnt fancy ruining the car for my selfish needs. The Gt3 has them in clubsport mode so that was always top of the list. I looked at the mk1's for ages with a view to buying but couldnt part with the money. When pics and specs of the new one came out in Sept last year I considered it then as luck had it a bloke from another forum wanted out of his first slot so i called him up and bought it off him. Happened really quickly after months of agony deciding and im a happy bunny. That car has no trouble with traction and would be rather nifty at the Pod. No way near as nifty as the turbo s however - but thats an old mans car

[Woppum]

No probs mate, the new R's do drive even better with some miles on them, my Golf R has nearly 7000 miles on now and feels much looser and the fuel economy has also improved.

It is sounding better and going better. Im not sure if its placebo but it doesnt half shove. very pleased, a keeper for a good while. You are a gent and pleasure to do business with.

[Cuprabob]

I was hoping you were going to say itas cr@p. I'm so trying to resist the temptation

[Tarmac_Terrorist]

Great little review - was half expecting comments that it was 'too soft' and just 'not focussed' enough for a sporty type thing!

[Woppum]

Thanks. It's perfect for what it is. Its as focused as an m3 (in a vw type way), which is about right. I didnt want a rocky csl.

[ashleywater]

Nice to hear some positive comments on the "R" for a change,

Had two MK4 R32 and a couple of months in a MK5 DSG R32, which did not rock my boat as the MK4 did, just got out of my second S3 after brief interlude with a TTS (sad I know, probably down to the extended mid life crisis) and into a GOLF R, as I got fed up of waiting for the RS3 to appear, Audi messed up by going with the TTRS, where as the RS3 would have sold in bucketloads in comparison, and after all the negative comments,ref the MK6 R,ususally in relation to price, which I can sympathise with, until I think back to the good old days in the eighties when I shelled out £13.5K on a Cavalier SRI FFS!

I have to say that the Golf R is a really good car, agreed not exactly cheap, but what German motor is after sterling did a 20% nosedive against the euro?

Nice concise write up Woppum.

[Woppum]

Thanks bud. How do you find the performance compared to the mk5/6? My mk4 was sold over 4 years ago now so can't really directly compare. It feels much faster though?

[Mook]

Who did you get to type out that review for you Wopps...?

Top write-up. Stick a Milltek on it and get it remapped. You know you want 330bhp and 300+ torques :D

[ashleywater]

Have to say that in all honesty, the MK6 R is a far quicker motor all round than than the MK4/5,the same comment would also apply to the Rocco,they really have sorted the 2.0 version of this engine,lag is non existent, and the much lighter weight up front, make it a more positive drive, I have to also compliment the revised hydraulic haldex they have fitted, as it definitely give you more rear wheel bias, over the electronic version fitted on the S3, once you get the hang of how to get the best out of it, something which Toff Needle,managed not to do on fifth gear the other week,which sort of illustrated to me that he had

trned up jumped in, did a couple of laps and then naffed off again, which I guess is probably what they tend to do when doing these so called "tests"

In response to Mooks tuning mods, would be a bit of a handful with that many ponies in the FWD set up, Feckus without the revo, a car I test drove on a few occassions and dismissed, even had an option on an RS500, still not interested.

I nearly went the same route as you wopps on an R, was a cancelled order in silver, looked immense, but always had a soft spot for the Golf from Mk1 days, so back in the VW for now,until the RS3 appears, which my ever optimistic mind says Paris show in October............maybe!!

[Woppum]

To be honest I'm amazed at the power you can get transmit well through the front wheels these days. In 2003 I remember thinking they overcooked the old feckus rs and the 147 gta was virtually undravable. The new feckus rs is miles better although still a but of a handful. The rocky has no noticeable torque steer at all and you really have to nail it to get the wheels to spin and when it does it's controllable. I drive with ESP off all the time now even in the wet!

I'm interested in the rs3 too if they do it although probably not for a couple of years, I'm very happy with what I got.

[ashleywater]

147 GTA......ahh what a beast that was, fab soundtrack,wonder if there are any still left alive, as they definitely did not do "corners"

The feckus RS Mk1 was just a torque steer nightmare, but to be fair this only seemed to affect the early cars, as the later models did seem a whole lot better,for some reason.

I would hesitate to suggest, without knowing how many miles you have on your Rocco, but they really do loosen up immensely with mileage,both S3,s I had were exactly the same, completely different performance after bedding in over a few thousand miles,so would be interested to know how that affects getting the power down?

I have to be honest, I think the feckus figures on HP are way over stated, a lot of feckus owners have dyno figures which are nowhere near fords claimed figures, and the ones I drove did not impress me as 300hp cars,after jumping back into a 260 hp S3

Much betterfuel consumption, something on this R which completely surprised me, as it seems much better than either S3 I have owned.

One downside of the V6 lump was the constant visits to the pumps, I swear the medusa manning (I use the description in a totally literal sense), decided I had the hots for her the amount of times I was in there a week, filling up, not on a par with my mates Jensen interceptor fitted with a 427 hemi though, but bad enough so you would notice.

I guess if I was running a beauty such as a GT3, then one could stomach it, but a Golf, no matter how good?

[Woppum]

The car is certainly getting faster, it now has 1500 miles on, the last 500 it is rapidly becoming more alive. The engine seems to make a much better noise than before too. Its been wet this week and I have done a few back roads so have noticed the wheels spinning up. In the damp doing a standing start up the hill I can make the front lint up fully in the first 3 gears! Not that I condone that behaviour! As I said before it is very manageable though and I'm sure makes it lighter. Would be very interesting to see what difference in straight line and on a track there is between the 4wd golf and the rocky.

[billy2shots]

5th Gear did a head to head with a new Seat Cupra and Golf R20 ( both same engine as yours). Tiff said the seat was more fun and felt quicker but the lap time for the Golf was quicker. The R20 did understeer too much imho but then Tiff is a nob so that probably explains that.

[Woppum]

The rocky dosent understeer at all, the back feels like it would be first to go. On a dry track I would think the rocky is quicker due to the weight advantage.