VW Golf R32 (MkV) – Entry 026

David Conway    Personal, VW Golf R32 (MkV)     official r32 entry, vw golf r32

A few weeks ago, the thought of my car riding on coilovers was a fleeting idea, pending further consideration next year. As of last Thursday, it’s a reality! The ball first started rolling when the option to buy a second hand set of KW V1 coilovers presented itself. The price was good but V1’s come with fixed damping (bump and rebound rates) which is fine, providing they suit the drivers preference and I had no easy way to find out. Although given little consideration, my front runner for coilovers was HPA’s SHS (Sport Handling System) coilover kit which is a modified version of KW V1. By all accounts, SHS strikes the right balance between comfort, performance and price. Given this, I contacted HPA to find out if I could buy the V1’s and convert them to SHS. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible because the strut housings / dampers are longer with a different valve code.

Whilst deliberating this dilemma, the planets aligned, the gods looked down favourably and the option to buy a second hand set of KW V3’s appeared by magic. After a bit of back and forth on price, the deal was done! I’ve always quite fancied a set of V3’s but the £1,400 install price just seemed too extravagant. I agreed to meet the seller (fellow R32OC member R32Dom) at a tuning company called APS last Thursday as he was having various modifications removed and I needed the V3’s fitted. We met at 12pm and after I’d explained my ideal setup to a friendly chap called Ed, we dropped our keys off and headed into town for some lunch and a beer (shandy for me, I’m on a diet). A couple of hours later we headed back to check on progress. The coilovers were off Dom’s car and being added to mine! We amused ourselves in APS’s waiting room (fitted with comfy sofas, a flat screen TV and a large selection of magazines) and sometime later, the familiar rumble of thunder could be heard and my car emerged from the work shop. I only caught a tiny glimpse as it was straight out for a short test run to ensure everything was as it should be. Minutes later the car returned and WOW! It looked awesome!! Not even the accumulated dirt gained by three weeks neglect could diminish the new presence.

Pleased with the aesthetics, it was on to the most important part… How does it drive? I jumped in and headed off for a quick spin. Unfortunately, it was approaching rush hour and there was simply too many cars around to have safe fun so the drive was restricted to cruising. This alone threw up a surprise; the ride was very much like stock. It wasn’t hard, I just seemed to be noticing a few more bumps but the car was riding them just as well, if not better. If I hadn’t known, I could have probably been convinced that nothing had changed. The maximum attack test would have to wait but I returned to APS pleasantly surprised with the level of comfort. Upon having a second look around, I decided the front could do with being slightly lower. I informed Ed and it was back on the ramps within seconds and when it came out again, it was spot on! Great service as usual.

After handing over the cash (£875 inc fitting) and saying my goodbyes to Ed and Dom, it was time for the drive home. It was dark, I was tired and so I resigned myself to looking at the back of a big blue lorry for a long time. On the motorway, within minutes the thought of coilovers left me completely and it wasn’t until a familiar B road, close to home that I finally found myself away from other motorists. I didn’t push hard, just enough to test the water and see if there was a difference. The short answer is yes! Although only dipping my toe, the car felt more “locked” into the road and didn’t lean as much.

Friday I was unable to have a play but with my appetite wetted, I got up early Saturday and went for a blast along my 27 mile, 35 minute circuit which has a mixture of A, B and C roads. It only took the first corner taken at speed to confirm the cars handling is different, and in a good way! A stock R32 has great handling but once you’ve modified something, it exposes the areas that had room for improvement. There are various sections of the drive that previously the car would get unsettled by. One particularly nasty bit has a sharp dip and a bump that really upsets the balance. With the V3’s fitted, it flies over it with abandon! It’s significantly less phased by undulation and camber changes and once the coils compress on the outer side, it’s so solid and just sling shots you around the corner. There is almost no wobble once the car comes out of the corner where previously the weight shift was more apparent. The best way I can describe it is that the car now feels like it is totally dominating the road, pounding it into submission, refusing to let it interfere. You dare try and stop me and you’ll regret it road! Haha!

On the day of install, I wasn’t absolutely sure I was doing the right thing. I like a spirited drive but I use my car daily and although I was prepared to sacrifice some comfort, I was a little worried I would need a cushion to avoid bum ache. The new found level of performance is awesome but I expected this to a certain degree. The real revelation is the compliant ride. I now feel a few more bumps but only slightly and the car rides them better than stock. KW V3’s have a lot of adjustment so I can go a fair bit harder apparently (maybe if I get into track days) but for the way I use my car currently, it’s perfect! This is the benefit of having adjustment; you can tailor it to your requirements. You get what you pay for I guess. There are few modifications that improve both looks and performance, coilovers are one of them!

I’m so pleased with the way my car handles with Michelin PS2’s, Haldex and KW V3’s that I’m not convinced I need to do any further handling changes. Right now it is compliant yet strong and not at all edgy. The balance between daily driving and performance is fantastic! For the money I paid, I’m absolutely thrilled I went for this mod!!!

Here are some pictures after a much needed wash. Thanks for reading, stay tuned!

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