RE: Golf GTI Clubsport S 'ring record

[thegreenhell]

greenarrow said:

BaronVonVaderham said:

ZX10R NIN said:

So would that make the Trophy R Megane the actual production car record holder as that came with the roll cage?

Yup as it's the only one you can buy in the EXACT same spec as the record holding car.

Renaultsport still hold the crown

I agree, Renault are the only manufacturer to have sold the Nurburgring spec car as a road car, although, cant you buy the Seat with the actual pack? Seem to recall an EVO test with one the other month...has the big brakes, tyres etc.

TBH all these lap times worry me, because it means a car set up to be so stable at Nurburgring velocities probably wont start really coming alive at typical English B road speeds. No more cocking a back wheel like the old Mk2 Golf! Is there any point in a hot hatch that needs to be doing 120 before it starts "moving around"..?

What's also worrying is the number of wannabe heroes buying these cars and trying to match the laptimes of the pro drivers. The Megane has become the car to crash at the Ring in recent months, and as the cars get faster the accidents get bigger...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=renau...

Also let's not forget that there actually is no such lap record or crown to win. None of these lap times are officiated or recognised by the track or any official body, and there are no specific rules to setting a time. This whole precept is just the manufacturers doing there own thing on their own individual terms to suit whatever product they are trying to market.

[ZX10R NIN]

I've decided to look at this Clubsport S in a different way so we've established it doesn't hold the production record.

But it does throw up an interesting 2 Seater (the rear seats in the TT are for carrying bags) inter VAG battle, so which of these £40,000 offerings would you choose?

2.0 Cayman 300bhp

Clubsport S 310bhp

Audi TT RS 400bhp

Personally I'd take the TT.

[DoubleD]

I would drive all 3, then make my mind up from that.

[anonymous-user]

DoubleD said:

I would drive all 3, then make my mind up from that.

I won't tell you again, stop bringing common sense into the Internet

[DoubleD]

Oops, my bad.

[Wills2]

JockySteer said:

Wills2 said:

MrBarry123 said:

Love it. Love it. Love it.

1 second off the M3 GTS!

Very impressive.

The new one? That's something like 7min 28sec so 21 seconds quicker.

Well there isn't a 'new' M3 GTS so..

True, old habits and all that....

[Guvernator]

ZX10R NIN said:

I've decided to look at this Clubsport S in a different way so we've established it doesn't hold the production record.

But it does throw up an interesting 2 Seater (the rear seats in the TT are for carrying bags) inter VAG battle, so which of these £40,000 offerings would you choose?

2.0 Cayman 300bhp

Clubsport S 310bhp

Audi TT RS 400bhp

Personally I'd take the TT.

Out of that lot it would be a tough call between the Cayman and the TT. The Golf wouldn't even get a look in I'm afraid. If it HAD to be a hatchback for £40k, I'd be looking at the A45 or RS3 in that price range. Both have about 50bhp on the Golf and more importantly, rear seats.

[Derek Chevalier]

V8RX7 said:

JoeMarano said:

V8RX7 said:

I have no idea but that's irrelevant to your comment.

The answer is - the difference between winning and losing.

In many races it's a hundredth of a second.

The point I'm trying to get across is that the differences in times are so small and on such a huge track there's so many variables. Therefore what I'm trying to say is that if you buy this over say the civic or megane purely for the laptime then idiot!

If you buy any FWD 2 seat hatchback you're an idiot when you could have a RWD coupe / convertible.

Admittedly it's the less focused Trophy rather than the Trophy-R, but the dynamics of the top modern hatches seem to better (to some minds) than the equivalent RWD coupe

http://www.evo.co.uk/renault/megane-coupe/14126/su...

[Derek Chevalier]

greenarrow said:

BaronVonVaderham said:

ZX10R NIN said:

So would that make the Trophy R Megane the actual production car record holder as that came with the roll cage?

Yup as it's the only one you can buy in the EXACT same spec as the record holding car.

Renaultsport still hold the crown

I agree, Renault are the only manufacturer to have sold the Nurburgring spec car as a road car, although, cant you buy the Seat with the actual pack? Seem to recall an EVO test with one the other month...has the big brakes, tyres etc.

TBH all these lap times worry me, because it means a car set up to be so stable at Nurburgring velocities probably wont start really coming alive at typical English B road speeds. No more cocking a back wheel like the old Mk2 Golf! Is there any point in a hot hatch that needs to be doing 120 before it starts "moving around"..?

Not true for the Meganes I have driven

[RacerMike]

Derek Chevalier said:

greenarrow said:

BaronVonVaderham said:

ZX10R NIN said:

So would that make the Trophy R Megane the actual production car record holder as that came with the roll cage?

Yup as it's the only one you can buy in the EXACT same spec as the record holding car.

Renaultsport still hold the crown

I agree, Renault are the only manufacturer to have sold the Nurburgring spec car as a road car, although, cant you buy the Seat with the actual pack? Seem to recall an EVO test with one the other month...has the big brakes, tyres etc.

TBH all these lap times worry me, because it means a car set up to be so stable at Nurburgring velocities probably wont start really coming alive at typical English B road speeds. No more cocking a back wheel like the old Mk2 Golf! Is there any point in a hot hatch that needs to be doing 120 before it starts "moving around"..?

Not true for the Meganes I have driven

For a car to be quick around the 'Ring, it actually has to be set up pretty soft. The tarmac is also fairly low adhesion compared to a normal track, so really, if it works well at the 'Ring, it should actually be quite a decent car on a B Road...

[Derek Chevalier]

thegreenhell said:

greenarrow said:

BaronVonVaderham said:

ZX10R NIN said:

So would that make the Trophy R Megane the actual production car record holder as that came with the roll cage?

Yup as it's the only one you can buy in the EXACT same spec as the record holding car.

Renaultsport still hold the crown

I agree, Renault are the only manufacturer to have sold the Nurburgring spec car as a road car, although, cant you buy the Seat with the actual pack? Seem to recall an EVO test with one the other month...has the big brakes, tyres etc.

TBH all these lap times worry me, because it means a car set up to be so stable at Nurburgring velocities probably wont start really coming alive at typical English B road speeds. No more cocking a back wheel like the old Mk2 Golf! Is there any point in a hot hatch that needs to be doing 120 before it starts "moving around"..?

What's also worrying is the number of wannabe heroes buying these cars and trying to match the laptimes of the pro drivers. The Megane has become the car to crash at the Ring in recent months, and as the cars get faster the accidents get bigger...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=renau...

Also let's not forget that there actually is no such lap record or crown to win. None of these lap times are officiated or recognised by the track or any official body, and there are no specific rules to setting a time. This whole precept is just the manufacturers doing there own thing on their own individual terms to suit whatever product they are trying to market.

It would be interesting to see if Megane crashes per km is increasing, or instead Meganes are becoming more popular for ring use.

[Stamford78]

Honda will have this record back very soon. VW took the back seats out and other weight saving.

[GrumpyTwig]

Derek Chevalier said:

It would be interesting to see if Megane crashes per km is increasing, or instead Meganes are becoming more popular for ring use.

Well they're 'cheap' relatively, extremely competent and very easy to drive fast and already a popular tool for the job because of that. I suppose you could also say the average Renaultsport owner is more likely to be the type to want to drive at a higher limit simply because of the brands leaning more towards function over form.

[Onehp]

JoeMarano said:

How many people that have bought a civic/megane/golf/leon plan on using that car for racing and not using it as their daily driver to tesco?

Well this critique summarises 50% of the pages I just read (why?). Answer: roughly, about 400 (total Clubsport S production) out of 4'000'000 (the number of normal hatches sold in a year?).
Because some people, believe it or not, are track regulars in a hot hatch and will buy such if provided from factory.
And probably £35k as you won't 'properly equip' a track car for another 5k...

If you want fast and practical, buy a Leon Cupra ST (estate) with performance pack, did the ring in 7:58, still fast. And you also get a comfy, roomy and effortless daily drive too.
I did and payed 27k...

Edited by Onehp on Monday 9th May 07:49

Edited by Onehp on Monday 9th May 07:55

[JoeMarano]

To be fair if I had the money I'd have the regular clubsport out of all the VAG group cars.

[Atmospheric]

Out of all of the VAG group cars?

[JoeMarano]

I don't see myself ever buying something over that price in my life ever. So yeah.

[CraigyMc]

JoeMarano said:

I don't see myself ever buying something over that price in my life ever. So yeah.

I think he was pointing out that all of them are VW group cars, since Porsche was taken over.

Or am I mistaken?

[thebraketester]

If this was pretty much any other make of hatchback, folk on here would be spoffing their load in their Armani boxer shorts.... cos its a VW Golf, everyone hates it.

I love it personally. Much more appealing than the Golf R.

[rb5er]

Not true.

Its divisive as was the R26R linked earlier. 2 seater hatchbacks will always have people asking "what is the point?"