[Santoshbhat]

Completed another highway drive in the GTI today and made quite an important discovery.

The gear box has 2 modes in automatic
- D for regular drive, where the box shifts up early and the engine is generally relaxed.
- S for sports mode, where the upshifts happen later and the box downshifts aggressively every time we slow down.

Apart from these two modes, I assumed there is one manual mode where we tap the box to left and use paddles for manual shifting.

I use all three modes judiciously. D mostly in the city, with S mode being brought up whenever I see an open stretch and feel like ripping the engine a bit. I use manual mode mostly during highway drives. And generally once I get into manual mode, I stay in manual all the way until I hit traffic.

Today I started my journey and did not get out of D until I was out of BLR city. Once the road cleared, I jumped into manual mode and drove for nearly 150 kms, getting in and out of D depending on traffic density. Usually in D mode , the car always tries to get to D7 as quickly as possible and stays there. So you hardly spend a lot of time in D4 or D5 or D6. But in manual mode, I don't get to D7 so quickly and sometimes, just for fun, like to see the RPM needle climb in each gear and just stay in gear for prolonged periods. At one point I decided to drive in S mode for a change and enjoy those aggressive downshifts and hear the exhaust pop and fart. In S mode the box only goes upto S6 and does not go all the way till S7. I felt 6th gear in sports mode to be more peppy than 6th gear in manual mode. Same with 5th gear.

I thought all that sports mode did was make the gear box shift later in the RPM range and do some aggressive downshifting. I never expected any difference in in-gear performance from the engine. But S6 did feel more peppy since I had been driving in M6 for quite some time and S6 felt distinctively different.

The gear lever in the GTI is different in the way it works for selection of sports mode. You just tap the lever and it goes down and springs back to original position and S is selected, unlike in the GT TSI where you have hold the lock switch and bring the lever physically down one position to sports mode. You can only go into manual mode from D mode in the GT TSI (or so I believe), but in the GTI you can go into manual mode from sports mode! Put the lever into S mode and then tap it to the left for manual mode. You now have manual mode - Sport!!

The performance from the engine is even more ballistic in this manual - sports mode . M5 and M6 now felt similar to what they were in S5 and S6. I never knew S mode selection in the gear lever also made the engine switch to a more aggressive map. It's almost like a hidden cheat code. Surely the work of some enthusiasts in the VW GTI team . I can't believe it took me almost 11,000 kms to discover this.

I am now exclusively running the car on Speed 97. Sadly Nagpal's Garage on Reidency Road which dispensed Speed 97 has been completely razed. Hope it's for renovation and not closure of the pump. I managed to get HP power 99 for this journey, but this pump is really out of the way from my location.

Really enjoyed the drive once again. What a thrill it is to drive this car on smooth highways. Compared to the normal Polo one may feel the GTI only has a slightly bigger engine, stiffer suspension and bigger brakes. But it packs in a lot more subtle things, like the steering feel, the gearbox, the exhaust which have all been tuned to make the car as much fun as possible for the enthusiast. And they really do their job. The GTI truly is a car where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

I am now exclusively running the car on Speed 97. Sadly Nagpal's Garage on Reidency Road which dispensed Speed 97 has been completely razed. Hope it's for renovation and not closure of the pump. I managed to get HP power 99 for this journey, but this pump is really out of the way from my location.

.

Sadly Nagpals is closed for good. They lost a court case and had to evict on two days notice

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

The gear lever in the GTI is different in the way it works for selection of sports mode. You just tap the lever and it goes down and springs back to original position and S is selected, unlike in the GT TSI where you have hold the lock switch and bring the lever physically down one position to sports mode. You can only go into manual mode from D mode in the GT TSI (or so I believe), but in the GTI you can go into manual mode from sports mode! Put the lever into S mode and then tap it to the left for manual mode. You now have manual mode - Sport!!

Santosh, I believe the Octavia 1.8 TSI gear lever also has the same movement as in your GTI.

I also tried S Manual today but ran out of road on the morning commute. Scared a couple of Pulsars whose plan to drag my Octavia (remember I am in a suit and tie with graying hair ) went out of the window when I took off in pseudo 'launch control' mode.

More on this later

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

The performance from the engine is even more ballistic in this manual - sports mode . M5 and M6 now felt similar to what they were in S5 and S6. I never knew S mode selection in the gear lever also made the engine switch to a more aggressive map. It's almost like a hidden cheat code. Surely the work of some enthusiasts in the VW GTI team . I can't believe it took me almost 11,000 kms to discover this.

Hmmm, interesting. even I have done 11000km and never tried this yet! Will try this weekend, if true, this will be like getting a brand new car complimentary after 1 year of ownership Also, will be interesting to know if it rev matches in this Sports/Manual mode!

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Hmmm, interesting. even I have done 11000km and never tried this yet! Will try this weekend, if true, this will be like getting a brand new car complimentary after 1 year of ownership Also, will be interesting to know if it rev matches in this Sports/Manual mode!

Think of it like a loyalty bonus for loyal 1.8 TSI users like us .

I just returned to BLR and for the return journey, I drove almost all the way in manual sports mode. The car is absolutely wicked in this mode. It is almost as if a new dimension has opened up. What a car!

Edit : No, it does not rev match like it does in the Auto S mode.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Think of it like a loyalty bonus for loyal 1.8 TSI users like us

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Will try this weekend, if true, this will be like getting a brand new car complimentary after 1 year of ownership

I think this can be directly related to how the BMW gearbox behaves as well.

In the BMW, the mode select switch selects between Comfort and Sports modes (leaving out the EcoPro and Sports+ modes). And the gear selector can be pushed to left in both the modes.

In comfort mode, if you push the gear lever to left, the gear shifts become aggressive. In Sports mode, the engine response as well changes and the gear shifts become more aggressive with gear lever to the left. In Sports mode, with gear lever pushed left and if the paddles are used, I felt that the power delivery became much more insane, and I call this the ultimate beast mode.

Santhosh, Anand, looks like you guys have this beast mode in both the cars you own

[Santoshbhat]

I saw this post on the Movell plates thread and really liked the VW - GTI customised gel plates that were on offer. Immediately opened the link and placed an order. They are pricey at about 3.5k a set, but the quality is top notch and finishing is very good. I don't know how long they will last though in our harsh weather conditions, esp the glossy faux carbon fibre border trim. Quite happy with the rich look they impart to the car.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

I saw this post on the Movell plates thread and really liked the VW - GTI customised gel plates that were on offer. Immediately opened the link and placed an order. They are pricey at about 3.5k a set, but the quality is top notch and finishing is very good. I don't know how long they will last though in our harsh weather conditions, esp the glossy faux carbon fibre border trim. Quite happy with the rich look they impart to the car.

Wow! They sure do look sweet!
Am tempted to get one for myself, but the steep price is coming in the way.

On the source, is it Movell or Orbiz? Just to confirm, since the plates have "Orbiz" written on the right bottom corner.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Wow! They sure do look sweet!
Am tempted to get one for myself, but the steep price is coming in the way.

On the source, is it Movell or Orbiz? Just to confirm, since the plates have "Orbiz" written on the right bottom corner.

Sorry for creating confusion. These plates are from Orbiz. Somebody had posted about these on the Movell plates thread.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

I saw this post on the Movell plates thread and really liked the VW - GTI customised gel plates that were on offer. Immediately opened the link and placed an order. They are pricey at about 3.5k a set, but the quality is top notch and finishing is very good. I don't know how long they will last though in our harsh weather conditions, esp the glossy faux carbon fibre border trim. Quite happy with the rich look they impart to the car.

I saw these on their website a few days back and was wondering what's really different about them? Are they made up of softer plastic (for the lack of a better word)! vs the metallic HSRP plates that we usually get?

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

I saw these on their website a few days back and was wondering what's really different about them? Are they made up of softer plastic (for the lack of a better word)! vs the metallic HSRP plates that we usually get?

The base material is some kind of gloss black plastic material. The numbering is some kind of gel material that is poured on the plates (I think)) and then gets cured or hardened giving you that 3D effect. The plate has a nice faux carbon fibre material surrounding it, inside which the VW and GTI emblems are printed in colour. All of this feels fairly durable when you hold in your hand. The plastic flexes like any other plastic would when you try to bend it.

I have fixed the plates using 3M double sided tape and in fact had to remove the rear plates and reinstall due to poor alignment. The plate came under quite a lot of stress in the removal process and did not break or chip (thankfully!!). My only worry is whether the glossy CF trim will fade or develop surface cracks under sustained exposure to the sun.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Put the lever into S mode and then tap it to the left for manual mode. You now have manual mode - Sport!!

The performance from the engine is even more ballistic in this manual - sports mode . M5 and M6 now felt similar to what they were in S5 and S6. I never knew S mode selection in the gear lever also made the engine switch to a more aggressive map. It's almost like a hidden cheat code. Surely the work of some enthusiasts in the VW GTI team . I can't believe it took me almost 11,000 kms to discover this.

After reading this, I have started trying this mode "M in S" and it's fun - just like S. What I am trying to ascertain is if "M3 in S" is more aggressive than S3 (and same for M4, M5 and M6). I will need a placebo controlled trial, as I have already read your post, there is a chance that my brain is already a little biased . Need to test S and "M in S" back to back on same stretch of road.

But, what a fun this car is. I have done 12,200KM now.

Cheers!

[Santoshbhat]

2 Years - 15,000 Kms update

Two years up with my GTI and time for second service is here. The car has done about 15,500 kms in these two years. It’s been an absolute pleasure to own and drive. I am happy to state that the car has been 100% reliable with almost zero issues till date. Apart from the engaged hand brake making a grinding noise while getting in and out of the car, I had nothing to report during service.

The car is an absolute hoot to drive whether in city or out on the highway. Closing small gaps in traffic is ridiculously easy and it takes a lot of self control to be a good boy and not get carried away. The gear box is phenomenal. It literally is lightening quick. Paddles make up for that slight hesitation to downshift quickly when you want to close that gap. On the highway I am happy to use paddles continuously for 100s of kms without any complaint. Manual S mode is the default option on highways now with both engine and gear box in sport setting.

There is no getting away from the fact that the ride is harsh. On city roads, I have to slow down to a complete crawl when there is a pothole or broken surface to negotiate. This is something that has become a habit with me, but I don’t mind it at all since I know this is part of a trade off. You can’t have that go cart like handling and a mushy ride. If someone does not value the fun part, this is possibly the worst car for them. But having said that if you take the bad roads real slow, comfort isn’t thaaaat bad. The ride is really good on regular roads and it stays fairly flat most times. The seats are very comfortable, the sound insulation’s good (at low speeds) and the ergonomics are brilliant. This is the only small car where my 6’2” frame is properly comfortable. It is perfectly usable as a daily driver which is what hot hatches are all about.

The 215 Bridgestone Turnazas are surprisingly holding on. I was thinking they may not last long, but they seem to have settled and the wear rate isn’t that high. They are hard compound tyres and make quite a din. But they are surprisingly grippy. It takes a lot to make them lose traction. Since this is a DSG equipped car there is no way to get the drive wheels to spin out. Maybe with ESC off it’s possible but I wouldn’t want to make the DSG Gods angry despite having 5 year warranty. The warranty also means no modifications and there really isn’t any need either.

Nagpal's is back with Speed 97 and they've come closer to home so that's the preferred diet as of now.

I am quite pleased with the service support and have no complaints there. VW Palace cross Hesarghatta is where I have got it serviced both times and I am generally happy. The car is given the respect it deserves. Service costs have been approximately Rs. 15,000 each time.

Here are a couple of pics I clicked at the service station. All clean and ready for delivery

[Ak007]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Put the lever into S mode and then tap it to the left for manual mode. You now have manual mode - Sport!!
The performance from the engine is even more ballistic in this manual - sports mode . M5 and M6 now felt similar to what they were in S5 and S6. I never knew S mode selection in the gear lever also made the engine switch to a more aggressive map. It's almost like a hidden cheat code. Surely the work of some enthusiasts in the VW GTI team . I can't believe it took me almost 11,000 kms to discover this.

Hi Santosh. After reading the above , tried it in my Tiguan. Wow..truly phenomenal. As you mentioned its ballistic. Could do only a short stretch and it was scary in the short distance i tried.. Will have to try out in a longer stretch when I get time.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

2 Years - 15,000 Kms updateThe car is an absolute hoot to drive whether in city or out on the highway. Closing small gaps in traffic is ridiculously easy and it takes a lot of self control to be a good boy and not get carried away. The gear box is phenomenal. It literally is lightening quick. Paddles make up for that slight hesitation to downshift quickly when you want to close that gap. On the highway I am happy to use paddles continuously for 100s of kms without any complaint. Manual S mode is the default option on highways now with both engine and gear box in sport setting.

Hi Santosh, always a pleasure to read your crisp yet enthusiastic updates! I miss the point-and-shoot ability in my Octy that you enjoy with your GTI. The former is just too big and relatively softly sprung. Wish I had impulsively picked one up when it was at 19.99L towards the last few weeks!

Nagpal is a gift from God for us neglected north Bangaloreans (). Visiting them ~ Wednesday after I burn through my current half tank of normal.

Have PM'ed you as well.