VW Golf R32 (MkV) – Entry 023

It’s been over 3 months since my last entry. In truth, there’s not been anything of note to report. The .:R is still going strong (approaching 19,000 miles) and my adoration hasn’t diminished. On a personal level, the company I work for is feeling the pinch like everyone else and subsequently, I have agreed to a salary reduction whilst we steer our way through the storm. Unfortunately, this means much of my monthly spending money has gone. Modding will still continue but at a slower rate. C’est la vie.

To continue the doom and gloom theme, I thought I’d make a note of everything that I don’t like about the car. Up to this point, I’ve only ever written about how amazing it is (which it is!) but there a few minor things that are worth noting.

1. Rattles
I have a rattle in the front passenger door pillar (near the seatbelt holder) and two or three rattles in the central console (above the cd player, around/above the air vents). The latter are seemingly random and they come and go but on rougher tarmac, there is one rattle that’s really quite noticeable. The first tiny one occurred a couple of months before I fitted the 19” alloys but I’m sure they haven’t helped things since. Most of the time I drive with music playing or I have the windows down (weather permitting) listening to the engine so I rarely notice them.

2. Brakes
Whilst on holiday, the car sat for three weeks without moving and ever since, there’s a faint vibration under breaking, a kind of subtle judder that you can feel and hear. The breaks are also not as responsive or potent as they were below 15,000 miles. I suspect the pads are starting to wear. I was looking at getting EBC Yellow pads, braided hoses and Motul fluid but maybe not given my change of circumstance.

3. Milltek
The quality of the metal used for the tips is not as good as the stock item. They’re harder to keep clean because soot seals itself to the rings more easily. They need regular elbow grease to keep clean.

4. Boot
The weighting on the door is heavily counter sprung meaning you have to give the boot door a strong pull down to get it to shut. I am used to it but it often catches out passengers.

5. BBS CH’s
They take longer to clean than the stock wheels and being 19’s rather than 18’s, it does make you cringe even more if you fail to spot a pothole.

6. Michelin PS2
The level of grip in very-cold/very-wet/icy conditions is poor. The minimal tread pattern verges on being dangerous in the snow. They also create more road noise than the factory fitted Dunlop Sport Maxx.

7. Performance
I’m now accustomed to 250bhp and it can feel underpowered on occasion. I don’t want to be troubled by your typical hot hatch or 3 litre saloon in a drag race. 300bhp would/should be the natural power of the R32 given its AWD setup, composure, breaking ability etc. It would also open up more overtaking opportunities.

8. Gearbox
The manual box feels as if it tries to predict which gear you want. Normally this is a positive but sometimes it’s not keen on going into 3rd from 5th/6th at high speeds. This is however due to my lack of driver skill because if I rev match it always slots in without issue. Also, since installing the short-shifter, I have less margin for error when changing from 1st to 2nd and occasionally snatch the gear. Again, this is driver skill.

I think I’ve covered everything… None of the above angers me but I thought it would be a good thing to record. On a positive note, the Milltek has really bedded in now. Something seems to have changed in the last 500 miles or so and the rasp has noticeably increased; it sounds excellent!

I haven’t washed the car for 4 weeks (completely filthy) so as it’s been a nice weekend, I decided to get the products out…