Hello all

[Riz_RS4]

VW Golf R32 (The dogwagon)

What are you view`s on the R32?

Riz [img]images/graemlins/s3addict.gif[/img]

[Alan]

Hi Riz,
well I pretty much love it I have to say!

IMHO it's one of the best-handling cars I've had (stock that is) and the performance, whilst not gut-wrenching, is excellent.
Retains a good deal of practicality too (hence it's the other half's and used to ferry a mad Springer around) and it's the car we go on holiday in if we take the dog as we can get him and our luggage in no problem.
I've driven the AMD 300bhp conversion and was mightily impressed, makes the car a serious STi contender, probably not quite a quick in a staight line but it has masses of power when you really need it, zero lag (of course) and the stock chassis and brakes are up to the job, something the STi's aren't if you go for the PPP.
I prefer the handling of the R32 to the STi anyday too.
Makes it a very potent tool indeed.

Tried the S3 and stock-for-stock IMHO there's no comparing the two, S3 feels wallowy and numb to me and is a good few grand more expensive [img]images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

I'm actually seriously considering swapping ours, which is a 3-door, for a 5-door version to maybe solve my current predicament however the rear legroom is somewhat pathetic particularly when I'm driving as I'm 6'4" [img]images/graemlins/033102bad_1_prv.gif[/img] hardly got the space of an RS6!

[peterb]

Anyway...off to drive one of the beasts this afternoon so I'll let you know what I think.

So - did this happen? What's the verdict?

[Alan]

Well yes it did happen.

I will start by saying that I was nowhere near as dissapointed as I expected to be.
Please don't take that the wrong way, I just expected to be dissapointed by the whole experience.

What I found was a car with a fantastic engine and performance.
NOT anything like as spectacular in performance as the Porsche, which has the same (or more) power and some 400kg-odd less, but extremely impressive for such a car [img]images/graemlins/nodder.gif[/img]

I also did not find the handling too awful and at this point I will stop saying things like "when compared to the Porsche" [img]images/graemlins/1syellow1.gif[/img]

You see I went with the right attitude I think, to assess the car for what it is and for the reasons I was evaluating it, rather than "RS6 vs Porsche 996TT".

I have read just about every review I could find over the last week or so and they all seem to miss the point in some way or another IMHO.

The RS6's performance speaks for itself.

Most critiscisms seem to be aimed at the handling.

I had 2 hours+ on my own with the car, and drove constantly for this time on a wide variety of roads.

I found the ride quality to be very good, if on the firm side (to my liking actually) and the handling perfectly acceptable.

I'll expand on that last bit.
The DRC at first felt very odd and although I immediately loved the lack of dive and bobbing under braking, initially I had the feeling that the car was considerably "skittish" when under load in corners.

I soon overcame this feeling however and got used to the fact that I just wasn't used to a car of this bulk NOT rolling and pitching all over the place.
This car can "press on" extremely effectively for all it's bulk once you get to know it IMHO.

The space and comfort, fit and finish of the car were exceptional (the example I drove and the other they had at the dealership), but then this didn't surprise me too much.

All in all I was very impressed to be honest.

However now I'll tell you a story you will all love.

A year ago today I collected my brand new 996 Turbo with factory performance pack and other extras, invoiced to me at £103K.
Today the same franchise (AFN) offered me £70k for the car (which is in MINT condition and done 8k miles).

I will now go and buy a 2nd hand Mundano or similar estate to do my mule duties and park it somewhere in the street.
I shall insure it 3rd party fire and theft because it's greatest threat are the thiefscum.

The greatest threat to my beloved porker are the theifscum at the dealerships however [img]images/graemlins/FIREdevil.gif[/img]

Looks like I will have it for 3-4 years at least after all...can't say as I'm too dissapointed [img]images/graemlins/jump.gif[/img]

Mind you, I'm amazed at myself for expecting anything different, car salespeople are ALL the same.
Slime [img]images/graemlins/033102bad_1_prv.gif[/img]

[peterb]

A year ago today I collected my brand new 996 Turbo with factory performance pack and other extras, invoiced to me at £103K.
Today the same franchise (AFN) offered me £70k for the car (which is in MINT condition and done 8k miles).

Well, b*****r me! I thought Porkers were supposed to have high residuals! Is it worth asking anywhere else, non-franchised specialist, for instance?

I'm hoping that my RS6 might still be worth at least 70% of purchase price after one year!

Still, I'm glad that the RS wasn't a total disappointment to you - it sounds as though you could live with it if the Porker were to attract a reasonable offer.

Yes, the engine is sweet and, for a big heavy car, it does move reasonably well. Handling may not be the ultimate, but it does hold the road and gives a great deal of confidence. The ride is stiff, but suits me well for out-of-town use. In town it is a little too 'jiggly', but then it isn't a town car. Whenever possible, I will take the A2 for short journeys. DRC is a little disconcerting at first because, when you're not used to it, you don't quite realise how hard you're cornering - but the anti-dive and anti-squat properties are great.

[Alan]

Absolutely Peter and that's what they'll kid you.

Porsche "residuals" *are* great...for Porsche dealers.

They have several cars the same sort of spec as mine, without the power kit (£8.75k) for sale at the moment and the ones with the same mileage are going for high 80's.

The only car I can find with a power kit in their stock is up at £97k.

I actually liked the RS6 very much, for what it is IMHO it has no betters [img]images/graemlins/clap.gif[/img]

[ChrisB]

Alan,

I'd agree with a lot of your comments about the RS 6 - mostly it's misjudged, but IMHO that's as much down to Audi's marketing as anything else. It's been positioned as like an RS4 (they bang on about quattro GmbH making the RS4 in the brochures & sales pitch) but a bit bigger, which just isn't true. Audi should have come clean and just said it's an executive luxury rocketship, not a sportscar (it's nearly a sportscar IMHO, but not quite).

I agree that takes some getting used to DRC and how it changes the way the car feels, and I can't see how other Audi enthusiasts fail to understand this, after all us quattrophiles say that quattro cars get unfairly reviewed by drivers used to RWD performance cars, so why shouldn't the same be true of something as significant as DRC?

I know somebody will probably come back with another scathing assault on how the RS 6 isn't a drivers car, is a barge, handles badly etc etc, but then a lot of RS4 drivers were unhappy enough with what quattro GmbH did with the car to spend a lot of money on aftermarket mods. If you sank £20k or more into an RS 6 I'm sure you could make quite a lot out of it. Yes, it would still cost a lot more than an RS4 + £20k in mods, and wouldn't be as effective on the track, but it would be bigger, more luxurious and also available in a saloon for those of us who are a bit perverse (in the classic sense of the word) and like to buck the trend!

Now, if I went down the route of having more than one car, I'd go for an A8 for cruising and something far smaller and lighter for fun. I haven't - I've got one car, and it's a good all-rounder IMHO and that's what I bought it for. I don't criticise the RS4 for not having as much space as the RS 6, I just appreciate that it's different and appeals to different people for different reasons...

[Alan]

Spot on Chris, I for one never take notice of Audi's marketing anymore, I had one of the first S4's (last model) in the country and expected an M3-beater, and got a high-speed cruiser.

The RS4 in standard form is far from the sports car you are led to believe it is by Audi's publicity either.

If you look at the RS6 for what it is, it's a bloody good car IMHO.

The RS4 is not "better", the RS6 is not "better", my Porsche is not "better".

They're different.

Only thing the same are the dealers... [img]images/graemlins/elefant.gif[/img] [img]images/graemlins/rocketwhore.gif[/img]

[martian]

I know somebody will probably come back with another scathing assault on how the RS 6 isn't a drivers car, is a barge, handles badly etc etc,

....I can't believe anybody would do a thing like that!! [img]images/graemlins/033102bigblink_1_prv.gif[/img]

[Joshie]

The RS4 is not "better", the RS6 is not "better", my Porsche is not "better".

My M3 is better [img]images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]images/graemlins/flamethrower.gif[/img]

Donning fire retardant underpants etc etc ...............

[Alan]

I'm not gonna argue with you Joshie [img]images/graemlins/roflmao.gif[/img]

Well as an update, isn't it amazing what a little foot-stamping to the right people can do?

I now have a perfectly acceptable offer for my Porsche so the RS6 deal is back on.

Also have a car, RS6 Avant, Avus Silver, Black Leather, Aluminium Fascia, Solar Roof [img]images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img], Electric Steering Column.
Tracker Horizon to be fitted and windows tinted for the drug-dealer look [img]images/graemlins/062802drink_prv.gif[/img]

I couldn't make my mind up between Daytona and Avus, I guess Avus will look cleaner longer [img]images/graemlins/clap.gif[/img] and the immediate availability of the car made my mind up for me.

So should be a "full member" by next week.

[wazza]

Well done Alan [img]images/graemlins/clap.gif[/img] although I guess you will be sad at the loss of the porker too

[ChrisB]

I now have a perfectly acceptable offer for my Porsche so the RS6 deal is back on.

Also have a car, RS6 Avant, Avus Silver, Black Leather, Aluminium Fascia, Solar Roof [img]images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img], Electric Steering Column.
Tracker Horizon to be fitted and windows tinted for the drug-dealer look [img]images/graemlins/062802drink_prv.gif[/img]

I couldn't make my mind up between Daytona and Avus, I guess Avus will look cleaner longer [img]images/graemlins/clap.gif[/img] and the immediate availability of the car made my mind up for me.

So should be a "full member" by next week.

Wow, you don't hang about do you? It normally takes me weeks to make my mind up when changing cars!

Avus hides swirls marks better than the darker colours, but it does look dirty when mud/spray gets on it. Nice in summer though, easier to clean than the dark colours IMHO - in the summer Mugello gets so warm even in early morning or evening sun, it's almost impossible to not get water marks when cleaning and you've got no chance in the middle of a sunny Saturday or Sunday.

Solar roof is a nice option. If you don't know what it is, it's a sunroof with solar panels on the top surface. On sunny days, the panel powers airflow into the cabin while the car is parked so the black leather isn't quite so hot when you get back in...

[peterb]

So should be a "full member" by next week.

Congratulations. I'm sure you will enjoy it.