Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI TCR

As I go up the A1 in the direction of Lille, aboard this Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI TCR, the trajectories of the Pau-Arnos circuit take shape in my head. Its pif-paf in slope so technical, its relief, its speed… But above all, this afternoon of September 2016 aboard a Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport. This car had an ease, a balance and an engine that forced admiration.

I chained rounds aggressively and she never ceased to impress me. I had fun driving it and I remain marked three years later. Can the Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI TCR rival or even surpass the memories of this Clubsport? That's the question I ask myself. But in any case, I am happy to find a car supposed to be similar.

Along the way, curled up in the sports seats of my TCR, the questions keep coming and my concern grows. From the inside, little distinguishes the TCR from a normal Golf and it's even more subtle compared to a Golf GTI. Especially since our copy has neither optional rims, equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, nor bucket seats.

We have a rather wise configuration with 5 doors, a 7-speed automatic transmission and adaptive suspension (DCC). No, really nothing allows me to suspect any witchcraft in this car that would allow it to brilliantly end this generation of Golf 7 and a fortiori, the line of GTIs. Apart from this, this toll exit, swallowed open tomb with this engine inflated to 290 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque when it had hitherto hidden its game well.

These questions will take me to Belgium, to my shooting location where my official photographer will not find me. Having broken his malleolus, too bad for him, he will not have the opportunity to taste the flavor of this limited edition of 100 copies for France.

The bridge of holes, which spans the river Scheldt, is a symbol of the city of Tournai. A work dating from the end of the 13th century and whose central part was rebuilt after the war, it had been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. Was? Indeed, to facilitate river traffic between the port of Le Havre and the Benelux, part of the bridge was destroyed to enlarge the arches… I would therefore have paid homage to this bridge, I hope.

The Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI TCR looks very similar to the Clubsport version released in 2016. Note a slightly more aggressive diffuser and side sills and a subtly different spoiler. Finally, it is its decoration with a… questionable taste that allows you to recognize it at first glance. We win, on the other hand, inside, the new digital counter.

On my usual roads, I struggle to identify the chassis of this car. Its ability to ride fast means that the surrounding country lanes give the impression of jeans that have shrunk in the wash. It's fine, but we would need a size above to take full advantage of it. So I innovate and bring a friend with me in a Mini Cooper S JCW. The very latest, with 231 horsepower and the ZF 8-speed gearbox. After having put boulevards on the highway, we have moved far enough away. The roads then offer us a smooth and wide asphalt with large curves with significant visibility.

And there, the Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI TCR reveals itself. The chassis development commands admiration. The TCR has the art of putting you in confidence and driving fast with a very good balance. The damping leaves a significant deflection which underlines, if the Alpine had not yet demonstrated it sufficiently, that a hard chassis like wood is total nonsense. Optimized for a time at the Nurburgring, it had a rigor that the TCR does not have.

It then gains even more versatility. She also forgives. Especially in this bend where my attention was lost in the landscape synonymous with very bad braking in curves. In the meantime, I don't even see the flashing of the Mini's LEDs any more, which in 2-3 turns will not have kept up with the imposed pace.

The engine no longer has to prove itself, one of the most interesting 4-cylinders on the market. Despite the loss of 4-wheel drive compared to the Golf R, the front axle digests power and torque perfectly. The DSG box, which sometimes suffers from certain criticisms, is fast and does not mind the descent of the reports. He will be criticized above all for never having the possibility of being entirely manual. It will always end up pushing the higher gear. Braking, especially on the open road, does not seem to lack efficiency. Nevertheless, it is very (too much?) solicited by the electronically controlled mechanical limited slip.

Night has fallen and so has the rhythm. A climb full of cobblestones takes us to the Grand' place in Cassel. Not brittle, the Volkswagen GTI TCR once again becomes the car of everyone. While the passengers of the Mini seem well shaken. A Triple Karmeliet 25cl later, I go home and take stock before returning to Paris the next morning.

It might seem that the Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI TCR is the ultimate weapon. It is versatile knowing how to be comfortable and sporty at the same time. Above all, she knows how to excel in both areas. Just like the Alpine, you might say. Except that you have 5 doors, trunk, equipment… Just like a classic Golf GTI, you might say. And that's the problem with this Golf TCR.

It is supposed to close the Golf 7 chapter and be a tribute to the circuit version. In this sense, it lacks a bit of exclusivity and flavor while its price is still high: 47,590 €. For comparison, the GTI Clubsport started at €37,400 and the Golf R starts at €48,110. The Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI TCR is fundamentally a good car, but unfortunately it is not what we were entitled to expect from it. Something much more radical, more special. This dose of glitter that sublimates the evening, this icing on the cake. But I can't end this essay on a bad note. Because indeed, the Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI TCR, beyond this criticism, gave me a lot of pleasure to drive. Basically, that's the main thing.