meeno

Ok, the performance numbers are not too similar...but it seems like the R32 is very fun to drive.

I'm conflicted

also, the reason why the 0-60 is only 6.4 is because the 2-3 shift is at 56 mph, as if VW doesnt care about 0-60

i think its a great car out of the box reasy fro auto-xing

ThoughtZ

It's a nice car and all but the Z has that addictive fun type of ride and I just don't see a Volkswagen being able to fill that role. It might be able to match it but the hp advantage would thwart me over to the Z. Plus I don't see a big aftermarket following for that car such as the upcoming Lotus Ellise.

EnthusiastZ

You have been reading to many magazines. 0-60 in 6.4 was an estimate by VW. I have both cars so if you want a "real world" opinion you can PM me. The R32 is my daily driver and the Z I drive on sunny days only. The Z is stiffer and a better handler and also wins the "look at me" factor. The R32 is more compliant and a better pratical driver. I have never taken either car to the drag, but the R32 feels quicker. VW's performance estimates on the R32 were very conservative. Go to vwvortex.com and do some research. There are stock R32's pulling 1.8 60ft's, 8.7 1/8's, and 13.8 1/4's on a consistent basis. Quickest 1/4 noted so far is a 13.6 @ 101.

Blue Batmobile

iTrader: (22)

Can't beat the looks of the Z though.

Bat™

Unison8

I didn't even think that car was out yet, how long has it been out??????

EnthusiastZ

The first cars arrived at select dealers back in Jan-Feb.

Alberto

iTrader: (14)

They are nice cars, but they die top-end, cuz of the All Wheel Drag. I saw a good driver in one run a 1.8 60ft and he went 13.9 @ 96. They run great 1/8, but after that most any Z would pull on it. From a roll, stock for stock even an auto Z would smoke it...

meeno

I dont think VW intended it to be a straight line drag racer. It has excellent handling, though I dont know how it compares to the Z.

The R32 is just so damn appealing though...AWD, 240 hp N/A (I wonder if a turbo will fit under there) and higher build quality than the Z (from what I read).

It looks like it would be a much better daily driver than the Z.

shinz

iTrader: (3)

I remember reading an article about an r32 with a TT kit in it. IIRC it was really fast but very expensive. I think around the 20k range, but i could be wrong since i read it a while ago.

Edit: i think the company was called HPA motorsport or something close.

del105

iTrader: (4)

This is crap because the STi has a 2-3 shift before 60 and it runs a 4-9 or less.

Benzo

HPA is the tuner with the TT 3.2 VR6 in the R32 and it is blindingly fast... high 11s in the 1/4, 200mph top end.

I had a 98 GTI VR6 and the interioir build quality was much nicer than that of the Z..... now I am jonesing for a R32 with those nice Ricaros. I really miss the sound of a VR6 at WOT, it is intoxicating.

EnthusiastZ

The HPA Motorsports R32TT is quite the tuner car. 550hp at 1.3 bar (19psi) with a 0-60 in 3.2 and 11.4 in the 1/4. All this at a premium price...37K beyond the price of the car!

Meeno...the R32 is a much better daily driver than a Z. I have 4k miles on mine in just over 2 months as compared to just over 2k miles on my Z in 18 months.

Benzo...the R32 does not come with Recaros. They all are equipped with Konigs in leather/cloth or just leather.

Someone mentioned all-wheel-drag above. The VW Haldex 4Motion system on the R32 is not a full-time AWD system. It activates under hard acceleration, when ESP senses a slip conditon, and under hard cornering. When just cruising on the highway or normal daily driving it is FWD. In this case the R32 does not exhibit as much drivetrain loss as some of the other AWD systems.

Unison8

The R32 goes for like 35k though, right?????? Correct me if I'm wrong.

auburnjosh

not quite 35k...plus look at www.vwvortex.com they have already come out with a turbo and there will be an aftermarket for this car.....BUT the Z is still my favorite!

Un-Kut

WTF??? $35k ??? It looks like a mid $20k car.

meeno

I think in terms of price it is a little high for a golf, but still. The quality is much better than the Z's...they didnt cut as many corners when it come to quality

DuckyZgiirl

I rather have the Audi TT with the same engine but making 15 more hp.

cwerdna

Depends on how you define "quality". Yes, most current VWs have pretty nice interiors and yeah the Z's is cheap, but VW reliability is mostly from bad to awful. Reliability is a big part of "quality" in my book. Take a look at the April 04 auto issue of Consumer Reports on all VWs and you'll see what I mean.

I seriously doubt the average VW will hold up as well as the average Japanese car. Heck, I kept telling one of my coworkers to not buy a new Jetta (since it has a terrible reliability rating) and he did anyway. Now in less than a year, he's thinking of getting rid of because he's had so many problems, ranging from sunroof not sealing right, a prob. w/some sort of chatter after going hard on the gas during a turn (he's been back at the dealer 3x for it), bad battery, radio failing, another radio disabling itself for no reason (needed to be reset by dealer), etc.

tulene

i love the R32 for every reason except the FWD. i dont like when cars are advertised as AWD but not totally. . . FWD and FWD 'AWD' is the reason i cant totally get into the mini, murano etc. . .
but what do i know? i just know what feels good to me. . .

EnthusiastZ

Technically the R32 is rated at 241hp and the TT is 250hp. That is only a difference of 9 hp. And, yes, they share the exact same engine, but the R32 outperforms the TT hands down