[More Example Stories]

A weekend with TSI

It’s incurable

I am sure that many things make an indelible impression in most peoples mind sometime during their life. Things that change their life in some meaningful way. One I can personally recall was the development of the 2 way potato peeler. The simple flip flop double bladed peeler was an evolution of the primitive one directional peeler I had suffered with during my 4^th to 8^th years during which preparing the spuds was regularly on my hated list of chores which required completion before I qualified for my 1 shilling weekly pocket money. The new multidirectional peeler was a revolution. It enabled my peeling task during the 9^th to 12^th years to be completed much quicker. Initially, while it was still new technology, I was able to convince a friend it was something he should experience without any other inducement or reward, which relieved me to do other more interesting things like developing the Mark 27 slingshot.  

Volkswagen has developed a new slingshot too. The Golf GT with Turbo Stratified Injection – that’s Germanic for Twincharger which simply means it has both a supercharger and a turbocharger. It’s also evolutionary and it’s certainly made an impression in my life. It’s actually done more than that … it’s been a good earner for me over the weekend. I’m $20 ahead. 2 x $10 to be precise. The first $10 came from a friend who may never speak to me again. He currently drives a Ford Falcon XR8 Ute but this is now under review since he fell for my cunning wager. I bet him that the little 1400cc VW was quicker up the steep side of the Kaimai Ranges than his planet destroying, antique technology, bent 8, space waster. But there was a condition. Since we are both respectable mature gentlemen with reputations to protect there was never the suggestion the law should be broken. Oh no, not us. The rules of the contest specified that we both approach the bottom of the hill with cruise control engaged at 100kph. The accelerator may not be touched during the assent – only the brake and cruise restore button. As is usual with competitive events, the first over the top is declared the supreme champion of the occasion. He admitted cheating. After the Golf passed around the outside of the first tightening corner his accelerator was flat on every possible occasion but he was still 50m behind the little VW over the brow. I do admit to crowing a little too obnoxiously while folding his $10 note into my wallet but a deal is a deal.  The other $10 came from an acquaintance who professes to know everything about cars. He claims to lie in bed at night identifying vehicles by their exhaust note and can quote the piston travel and valve size of any engine built. Of course nobody bothers to check if he’s right. My task for him was to sit quietly while I demonstrated the abilities of the GT over my favorite test route then to tell me the engine size. He’d obviously done some hurried homework and confidently held out his hand for the loot when he said 1984cc - which is wrong. It’s not the GTi brother. This confusion can be milked. I think I could buy and pay for the GT in about 17 years. Perhaps this is Volkswagens new model funding scheme for customers with gullible friends. The look on his face when I claimed (with documented proof) that it was only 1390cc was almost enough reward for me to let him off the debt. Fortunately I caught myself in time and added his note to the growing wad.  

The concept of a tiny economical engine with not one but two pressure boosters to provide performance on demand is extraordinarily simple – like all good inventions. It’s not new. Ships and planes have been using it for almost 100 years but no-one thought to apply it to cars. At no time does this feel like a 1400cc engine. From key turn to law defying entertainment it has the impression of being a V6. It’s so smooth and firm. I suppose it’s all the spinning things inside. The stated 125kW is also deceiving. The number to remember is 240Nm of torque.  I believe Nm is the metric way of describing how many elephants the car can pull out of a bog. (ie. Nm = Number Mammoths.) This little engine can impressively round up heaps of them. 

The natural gait of the GT is about 140kph. Obviously this is designed for civilized European driving. Here in New Zealand that speed is enough to send the MOT into convulsions and stimulate visions of mayhem on the roads. Fortunately it has cruise control which can be used to promote the 100kph boredom we are shackled with.  

The stopping power of the GT is equally impressive. It feels like you are ripping up two parallel strips of tarmac. I suspect the brakes have been lifted straight out of the Bugatti Veyron. Even better is the DSG gearbox. 6 speeds and it’s always in the right one. After a day of playing with the sequential lever and steering wheel paddles I achieved nothing more than a reprimand from the Minister of Domestic Affair so I cautiously discovered that the best practice was to leave it in drive until some lively motoring was anticipated. Then one discretely moves the shift lever into S for ‘spirited’ where the computer takes over and moves the scenery past the windows at an astonishingly fast pace. Overtaking is a joy. The exhaust noise is pure symphonic and quite addictive. The handling is right up there with the rest of the performance package and is contributory to the astonishing point to point times achieved during my weekend visiting places hidden at the end of little used roads. Given the Golf is quite a heavy car its perfect manners and incredible performance is amazing. However all is not well. I discovered that this car really annoys owners of BMW’s who continually get in its way. 

There will be those who want to know about stuff that I find of little interest in a car of this nature. It should be enough to simply say the car is typical of the VW family – Teutonic which in English means ‘damn near perfect’. The ride is firm but comfortable, inside noise level very low, visibility superb, seats wonderful, controls perfectly placed and there’s one for every imaginable gadget including a couple I have no idea what they do. Being a male I didn’t bother to consult the handbook. Domestic Affairs reports the luggage space could carry her whole shoe collection and the stereo is excellent. That’s taken care of that. 

While not wishing to appear picky there is one thing that disappoints. When I open the bonnet to show disbelieving losers that there’s little more than a motorcycle engine lurking under there I am discouraged and have to resort to written evidence. I would far prefer to see the bits that make this car so award-winning – and believe me, it will win lots of awards. Please Herr Volkswagen – dispense with the engine cover so we can see the twinchargers. I don’t even care if you don’t reduce the price. Make the savings into profit. Those who buy this car will be delighted. On the subject of who will buy – probably the wives of men who secretly want an Evo or WRX but have an image to consider and a wife who is happy with a frugal energy saver. This will do it. My fuel consumption average of mumble mumble was not typical of it’s potential but I did experience a journey at general traffic pace for over 150km that returned 7.1lt per 100km. The manufacturers overall consumption figure of 7.7lt per 100km should be easy to achieve. Ladies will love its good looks and civilized demeanor while their husbands will delight in its attitude.  My wife summed up this car perfectly when she spoke up from what I thought was a deep sleep by saying … “If that young guy knew he’d been thoroughly dusted by a near superannuate in a 1400cc car he would probably send back his licence and join a monastery”.