Dave’s MKV R32 Blog - R32OC

davefish · 22nd August 2007, 08:04 PM

Entry: 001

To commemorate my 100th post (yay), I’ve decided to start a car blog here. As some may know, I currently own a 1.4L Pug 206. It’s very well specced and has been a great first car but to be quite frank, the performance is rubbish, acceleration is frustrating and the handling… suffice to say I’ve become the king of under-steer.

About six months ago I set about researching my next car. From the start I’d decided to get a hot hatch (my 2 seater sports car / fast saloon days are yet to come). My conclusions were as follows:

Audi S3 – Pricey, should have used the 3.2l (please make an RS3 with this engine).
Audi A3 Quattro – Pricey, not as good as the R32 (discounting image).
BMW Mini Cooper S Works – Small and overpriced.
BMW 130i – Overpriced, ugly.
Civic Type R 07 – Underpowered and looks like a spaceship both inside and out.
Ford Fiesta ST – Small and underpowered.
Ford Focus ST – Steering wheel has a Ford badge (stupid but honest).
Mazda 3 MPS – Poor looks and can’t cope with its power.
Peugeot 207/307 GT – Rubbish in so many ways.
Renault Clio 197 – Good but too small.
Renault Megane R26 – Awful styling (shame).
Seat Leon Cupra – Poor version of the Golf.
Skoda Octavia/Fabia vRS – They’re Skodas.
Vauxhall Corsa VXR – Wouldn’t be seen dead in a Corsa.
Vauxhall Astra VXR – Average engineering (better than my preconceptions).
Volvo C30 T5 – Style over substance.
VW Golf GTI – Underpowered (edition 30 overpriced).
VW Golf R32 MK4 – Mean looks but newer version more appealing.

So after discounting all of the above, I’d narrowed it down to two options:

Option 1
Spend around £10,000 on a second hand Civic Type R (EP3) and keep £13,000 in the bank. I’d get a race bred road car with big grin performance. Looks a little dated both inside and out.

Option 2
Spend £23,000 (Internet) on a brand new 07 UK Mk5 R32. I’d get a well built, classy car with 4wd and a 3.2l engine that sounds awesome.

Well, as the perceptive people may have picked up on… I decided on Option 2! I’ve been getting quotes and making comparisons for the last couple of weeks and all being well, I should be placing an order this Saturday. I’m VERY excited.

Here endeth my 1st entry. Stay tuned to Dave’s MKV R32 Blog.

SpoonZ · 22nd August 2007, 09:47 PM

what spec do you get for £23k?

khutula · 22nd August 2007, 10:37 PM

£22500 would have got APSs R300 - hmmm nice - with 19" BBS CHs too.

davefish · 23rd August 2007, 12:36 AM

I'll have more details soon SpoonZ.

Khutula... The APS .:R will probably have been driven hard from cold by APS customers. It's also a 5dr which I don't want, the wrong colour and I'm not bothered about the BBS wheels as everyone's got them. £22,500 is a good price though, just not the right car for me ;-)

Tokyo Dub · 23rd August 2007, 01:02 AM

Have fun on Saturday Dave!

Have you decided on exact spec yet? Please share details.....

I'm still waiting for mine to arrive.... v.frustrating.

Is blog entry 2 for when you collect the car?

I don't reckon you can hold off that long.

I'd like to see 'proposed mods' as entry 2.

Enjoy........

James

khutula · 23rd August 2007, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davefish

I'll have more details soon SpoonZ.

Khutula... The APS .:R will probably have been driven hard from cold by APS customers. It's also a 5dr which I don't want, the wrong colour and I'm not bothered about the BBS wheels as everyone's got them. £22,500 is a good price though, just not the right car for me ;-)

Will make someone a good car - the BBS CH is a popular wheel - however you don't see many on the road.

gogsie · 23rd August 2007, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davefish

Entry: 001

To commemorate my 100th post (yay), I’ve decided to start a car blog here. As some may know, I currently own a 1.4L Pug 206. It’s very well specced and has been a great first car but to be quite frank, the performance is rubbish, acceleration is frustrating and the handling… suffice to say I’ve become the king of under-steer.

About six months ago I set about researching my next car. From the start I’d decided to get a hot hatch (my 2 seater sports car / fast saloon days are yet to come). My conclusions were as follows:

Audi S3 – Pricey, should have used the 3.2l (please make an RS3 with this engine).
Audi A3 Quattro – Pricey, not as good as the R32 (discounting image).
BMW Mini Cooper S Works – Small and overpriced.
BMW 130i – Overpriced, ugly.
Civic Type R 07 – Underpowered and looks like a spaceship both inside and out.
Ford Fiesta ST – Small and underpowered.
Ford Focus ST – Steering wheel has a Ford badge (stupid but honest).
Mazda 3 MPS – Poor looks and can’t cope with its power.
Peugeot 207/307 GT – Rubbish in so many ways.
Renault Clio 197 – Good but too small.
Renault Megane R26 – Awful styling (shame).
Seat Leon Cupra – Poor version of the Golf.
Skoda Octavia/Fabia vRS – They’re Skodas.
Vauxhall Corsa VXR – Wouldn’t be seen dead in a Corsa.
Vauxhall Astra VXR – Average engineering (better than my preconceptions).
Volvo C30 T5 – Style over substance.
VW Golf GTI – Underpowered (edition 30 overpriced).
VW Golf R32 MK4 – Mean looks but newer version more appealing.

So after discounting all of the above, I’d narrowed it down to two options:

Option 1
Spend around £10,000 on a second hand Civic Type R (EP3) and keep £13,000 in the bank. I’d get a race bred road car with big grin performance. Looks a little dated both inside and out.

Option 2
Spend £23,000 (Internet) on a brand new 07 UK Mk5 R32. I’d get a well built, classy car with 4wd and a 3.2l engine that sounds awesome.

Well, as the perceptive people may have picked up on… I decided on Option 2! I’ve been getting quotes and making comparisons for the last couple of weeks and all being well, I should be placing an order this Saturday. I’m VERY excited.

Here endeth my 1st entry. Stay tuned to Dave’s MKV R32 Blog.

Have you tried Euroimports for a price, Thats who the girlfriend got hers from and can't fault their service at all. She went for a 5dr black, leather,armrest,cruise,tints,ipod conn,winter pack,full mfd. all for just over 25k.

Mattchaps · 28th August 2007, 01:52 PM

Well it's now Tuesday... did we do any ordering on Saturday?!?!

davefish · 2nd September 2007, 12:11 AM

Entry: 002

As planned, last Saturday (25/08/07) I called the company and informed them that I wished to proceed with the order. Documentation arrived on Thursday and I’m delighted to say the contract’s now been signed, posted and my deposit paid!

3 Door
6 Speed Manual
Deep Blue Pearl Paint
Cruise Control
RCD 500 - 6 CD Autochanger

Price: £22,995
Includes Number Plates (57), UK Registration and 12 months tax.

I can't believe this is really happening! I managed to resist the temptation to add lots of extras for two reasons. Firstly, £23k is a lot of money for me and I can’t really afford any more. Secondly, although I love the idea of a 3.2 V6 in a Golf, I don’t want to pay £28k for it.

The manufacturer order has been placed and my car is due for build in week 41 with an estimated delivery date of Nov 5th 2007 (3 days before my birthday). I have 66 days until my dream becomes reality and the anticipation is killing me (in a good way). I look forward to the day when I can comment from an owner’s perspective rather than a Peugeot driver who does a lot of research!

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Here’s a bit of info extracted from my documentation that may prove useful for people deciding whether to buy an Import/Parallel or buy from a UK Main Dealer.

Firstly, we only supply UK specification cars from the EU, they are “parallel” not “grey” (which we guarantee in writing), a number of our competitors claim to be supplying UK specification cars but in actual fact they are not they are just similar. Cars with the same engine and badge on the back from places like Cyprus, Malta or Southern Ireland (commonly found being sold from car supermarkets) do not come with the same interior trim, the same alarm (which has implications with your insurance). These cars do not benefit from the same under-body protection nor do they come with the 1 year VW assistance (ours do).

Secondly, our prices quoted are fixed in £Sterling, completely ‘On the Road’ with 12 months Road Fund Licence, you as the first keeper and brought here by transporter and consequently only with delivery miles. No hidden extras.

Thirdly, UK dealership salespeople do their utmost to try and dissuade you from buying a car from the likes of us, insisting that the car will not be UK specification (they are from us), even resorting to untruths about the cars that we supply. We have heard through some of our customers that some salespeople claim the cars have different parts which are not straightforward to replace - this is rubbish, it is the same car off the same production line made with the same parts. They also say that you cannot get the car serviced by their service department or any warranty issues dealt with-again this is rubbish. The service department (the most profitable part of the dealership) want to see you (or at least your money!) for servicing and indeed warranty work where the manufacturer pays the bill. UK dealers try and scare you with lower resale values, this all depends on when you sell and who you sell to. We admit that if you buy the car from us and then 3 months later go to a UK main dealer to part exchange the car they will use the fact that it is an ‘import’ (but aren’t they all!) to offer you less for the car. Will they sell it for less? I do not think so. If you sell the car in 5 years time the original source of the car will not affect the resale value by a penny.

So what are the differences when you buy a car from us? Unlike a UK supplied car which does come with a 3 year warranty-made up of 2 years unlimited mileage warranty from the manufacturer (the same as our cars) and then supplemented in the 3rd year by a dealer network, insurance-based warranty that is no where near as comprehensive as the first 2 years and limited to 60,000 miles. This can be purchased and added on to a car supplied by ourselves at any time during the first 2 years of ownership the only requirement being that the car is serviced by VW in accordance with the servicing schedule, which is on the ‘LongLife’ service system (a computer tells you when a service is required but can be anything up to 2 years before the 1st service is required). UK supplied cars are NOT supplied with a 3 year manufacturer warranty.

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Below is a list of the key elements of my contract. It may prove useful for people looking at buying an Import vehicle. Kind of a “checklist” I.e. Does the price you’ve quoted me include this…

Two Year’s Manufacturer’s Warranty commencing from the date of delivery
English Number Plates
First Registration Fee
Pre Delivery Inspection - at the official authorised Dealership
Pre Delivery Valeting - at the official authorised Dealership
Secondary Valeting – Upon delivery.
The cost of transporting the car from the foreign dealership to the foreign port, the ferry crossing, and the transportation of the vehicle to dealer premises.
UK Certificate of Conformity
Road Fund Licence – 12 Months
Choice of DVLA Pre-allocated number plates
UK Specification
Management of all Documentation
All documentation for the vehicle in English
Guaranteed as first registered keeper on the V5 registration document
Guaranteed to show no former keepers or any reference to the vehicle being an import
Guaranteed fixed sterling price, with no ‘hidden’ additional ‘on the road’ costs.

Thanks for reading. Stay tuned to Dave’s MKV R32 Blog.

Tokyo Dub · 2nd September 2007, 10:23 AM

66 days!!!

Cheers Dave, very informative.

I believe ALL MkV R32's come from the factory in Wolfsburg. So my dealer in Tokyo tells me. Obviously there are various specs for different countries, which I think they just just do to frustrate people (eg USA getting white, but not Manual etc etc).

Which wheels does it come with?

I think I read somewhere that UK spec is changing to the wheels the US gets...?

Here's to a rapid 66days!

James

davefish · 2nd September 2007, 12:00 PM

Hi James, the wheels will be the 18" Omanyt and not the Zolder. I don't know which I prefer but I guess it's good to have the latest spec and they should be easier to clean.

Are you enjoying your new car?

FiftyPenceR32 · 2nd September 2007, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davefish

Secondly, although I love the idea of a 3.2 V6 in a Golf, I don’t want to pay £28k for it.

So does this mean you are getting a MkV R32 but from a cheaper source or you are getting the cheaper GTI instead?

davefish · 2nd September 2007, 12:39 PM

The R32! I think I've got a good price.

FiftyPenceR32 · 2nd September 2007, 01:07 PM

Im not sure how that compares to Guernsey prices as we dont pay VAT so itd be another 17.5% cheaper but im sure its an excellent UK-mainland inc. VAT price

Tokyo Dub · 2nd September 2007, 02:24 PM

Not got my car yet Dave... The insurance company kept on c%cking up the VIN number so we couldn't apply for the reg plates last week. Dealer is closed Weds so will probably get it on Thurs if the plates come through quickly.

Got a long road trip planned for the weekend. Unsure whether doing motorway miles from new (ie fairly constant rpm) will be too detrimental. I'm generally of the old school and would prefer to drive gently and at varying revs, but mates in the trade reckon that new engines don't really need runnning in. Obviously I won't be caning it from new though.

Anyhow... bit of a derail.

Nearly 65 days now!

J.

davefish · 2nd September 2007, 02:56 PM

Sorry to hear that chap, hope it's sorted soon. Regarding the running in... Even if you're on the motorway a lot, you could still drop it down a gear or two now and then as well as changing between slow/fast lanes for a bit of variety. Probably not required but may help with your peace of mind.

EdHoskins · 3rd September 2007, 01:25 PM

The running in process isn't as necessary as people think now days. Running in is specified not only for the engine, but the brakes, exhuast etc etc.

I took it easy for about 300 miles, not taking it over 4k rpm. Gradually increasing the revs in all gears over 400 miles, then by 500 I was redlining. Rolling road figures showed that with 1000 miles on the clock, it was running 243bhp - 6bhp off book figures...

I've read countless threads of people taking it easy for 1000 miles, rarely putting any stress on there engine, then they wonder why they're producing 230bhp at 3k miles.

Tokyo Dub · 3rd September 2007, 02:22 PM

Yup, I've driven a Corrado VR6 that was nursed from new, the engine was sooo tight and unwilling to rev.

At least we all seem to be of the same opinion here. Cheers for advice, and it's good to know the RR figure.

J.

davefish · 14th October 2007, 10:20 PM

Not an official blog entry, just an update... unfortunately VW have moved the build date from week 42 to week 46. I'm gutted. I should have been picking the car up in 3 weeks but it's now going to be the end of Nov. The only slight positive is that this is now a "confirmed" date from VW which means it's very unlikely to change. Very frustrating but c'est la vie.

davefish · 9th November 2007, 11:24 PM

Following up on the above post... My car was built yesterday which coincidently was my birthday! We were both born on the same day, this relationship is meant to be!

Stay tuned.
Dave.

db · 9th November 2007, 11:35 PM

Good news and happy birthday for yesterday!

Tokyo Dub · 10th November 2007, 01:33 AM

:love:

davefish · 23rd November 2007, 02:10 AM

She's arrived in the UK! I've chosen the plates, just need to arrange insurance plus a couple of other things. Will be on my drive within a week. Oh my bloody god I'm getting excited ;-)

khutula · 23rd November 2007, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davefish

She's arrived in the UK! I've chosen the plates, just need to arrange insurance plus a couple of other things. Will be on my drive within a week. Oh my bloody god I'm getting excited ;-)

Excellent news

You got a choice of plates too - now that pretty impressive - everytime I've bought a new car I always get told that are allocated before the garage get a say in it.

EdHoskins · 23rd November 2007, 06:43 PM

When I got my Golf the garage sent me a list of about 200 number plates to choose from!