It's become a tradition now. Every time a generation of the Volkswagen Golf nears an end,
an extra crazy special GTI-version gets released. The enthusiasts might remember the Golf II G60,
or a Golf V Edition 30. More recently, you had the pre-facelift Golf VII Clubsport.
I can remember that car really well, and especially the S-model.
That was the most extreme and sharpest Golf we ever drove.
That means my expectations are very high for this car, the TCR.
It's supposed to be the post-facelift successor to the Clubsport. The Golf VII is coming to an end, so let's drive.
TCR stands for "Touring Car Racing", which is meant for a racing class driven around the world.
And they drive cars based on these kind of cars. C-segment cars, hatchbacks...
front-wheel drive, turbocharged 2.0-litre engines... Those races are driven nationally or even regionally.
A big success. They've already sold 500 cars in that category. Volkswagen uses a racing version of the TCR as well.
And Volkswagen has already sold 100 of those racing-TCR's.
But Volkswagen says that the road-going TCR is fitted with a lot of parts coming from the racing-TCR.
And that confuses me, because the TCR Racing Regulations state, that the race car is supposed to be based on a street car.
So which one was first? It's almost like the chicken and the egg, right?
Anyway, there are some similarities. Just look at the engine and bodywork.
The technology between street and racing is certainly there, and in this case, it's just good marketing.
The racing version produces 350 horsepower. This road going version doesn't, but it's not slow with its 290 horsepower.
That's 45 additional horses compared with the regular GTI.
Also, it always produces 290 horsepower. The Clubsport produced 265 horsepower with a 290 horsepower boost,
but the TCR always produces 290 horsepower.
And with that, it'll do 0-100 km/h in 5,6 seconds, which is really quick for a hot hatch.
If you also get the Performance Pack, they'll remove the speed limiter and it'll do 260 km/h.
You also get 19-inch wheels and an adaptive chassis.
You'll be able to recognize the TCR by the lip bumper and the cooling slots in the bumper.
Those are necessary to control the power. Then there are the almost obligated side skirts,
which fit a car like this. It has a roof spoiler on the rear and a diffuser underneath the rear bumper.
That does complete the picture. You can get additional stickers as well for €600, but I wouldn't get those.
I'd spend that money on a few tanks of petrol. If you put your foot down, it stands out how linear the engine is.
I do have to say that I know cars with a better initial throttle response, but it picks up very nicely at 2.000 RPM.
And it keeps going seemlessly until 6.000 RPM. And it's those final 1.500 RPM which makes the difference with the regular GTI.
That's when it becomes more enthusiastic.
In Sport Mode, you've got a valve in exhaust that opens. It's quite civilized, but it gives that little extra growl.
It makes it all sound a little more enthusiastic.
The TCR always comes with a 7-speed DSG, you can't get a manual.
Opinions differ about how you should attach the flappy paddles, if you shift yourself.
Sure, it's an automatic, but when you put your foot down, you want to change gear yourself.
The flappy paddles in here are too small for my taste. And they steer with the steering wheel
So when you turn the steering wheel more than a quarter, and you have to change gear because you get out of a corner,
you sometimes cant reach them. I'd rather have bigger flappy paddles that are attached to the steering column.
That way, you'll always know where the paddles are and you might need to lift your hands, but you'll always reach them.
And to keep those 290 horsepower in line, the TCR has an LSD as standard.
It's also lower and it has harder springs and dampers. I'm driving through the Algarve at the moment,
and the roads are beautiful, but there are quite some bumps. That's when you notice the springs are hard enough.
Yesterday, we drove it on the track, and we though it could've been more extreme.
Because it felt restrained. It's not a track car really, I wouldn't recommend it for a track day.
On these B-roads though... It's a tad sharper than a regular GTI. The response is really good.
You can go from corner to corner with small steering movements. The front reacts really direct. It's just a very pleasant car to drive.
You really have to try if you want to encounter understeer. If you exit the corner, you'll notice how much work the LSD is doing.
There's a tad more traction, the understeer is a tad less... Let me make a declarative statement about an LSD:
A limited slip differential doesn't solve all of the understeer. Your grip will end on a certain moment.
The edge much further away. But what you do notice, is that when you reach that edge,
suddenly, the nose will move to the outside. Something you'll notice very well on a track.
When you're really pushing it to the limit, building op speed in a corner... It'll go well for a very long time,
until your wheels eventually lose grip. That's when the nose kicks to the outside.
Speaking of understeer. That's what I miss in this car. The rear is incredibly tight.
If you're driving on the edge, it's always the front that loses grip first. I miss the playfulness at the rear.
You might think 'there's another journalist which wants a loose rear end', but do you know what the problem is?
It says TCR on the side, so you should expect it should go a step further than a regular GTI, right?
Well, if you ask me, I think it has the same balance as the regular GTI. It's a little modest, but it's a tad more direct.
It also has more grip, so yeah there's something extra, but I miss the part that gives the name TCR added value.
When it comes to steering, it's more like a Clubsport with more power.
That means there might be room for a TCR S, but I don't think they're gonna make that.
So if you want a TCR, you have to be quick. Order one now, because only 75 will come to the Netherlands...