Last weekend was Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia's (VPCM) Volkswagen Track Day 2018 at the Sepang International Circuit. Friday, the 21st of September was a session for the media fellas and VPCM's fleet customers. These are basically people who report for motoring media - print, online & broadcast as well as lifestyle media if I am not mistaken (I didn't pay attention...I was just there to have some fun with the cars provided). Saturday night, the 22nd was for Volkswagen car clubs and customers invited by VPCM to have a go around the track.
As I attended Friday's session, I can only write about friday...and not what happened on saturday. So what happened on Friday was fun, fun and more fun. Why was it fun? Well, the track was damp. It had just finished raining and it was an experience to drive pretty fast around a track.
I had a go in a Volkswagen Golf TSI R-Line first (the car in the photo below), then in a Volkswagen Golf GTI. Both were the current facelifted 'Mk7.5' variants and both were fun as heck. Some managed a go in the Golf R, Jetta and even the Passat, but I did not as I did not want wait too long as the list was long. I must be getting old, or jaded not too bothered.
Anyway, the track was damp, which made for an interesting drive. In terms of enjoyment, it was thrilling. You get unrestricted speeds yet you have to manage the car as it will squirm under heavy braking and even torque-steer through most of the corners. So it wasn't just mashing the throttle of even the Golf TSI. Tried that mashing the throttle mid-corner too early and the car would simply drift wide. Slam hard on the brakes and you better be sure you are braking in a straight line. If you aren't, the rear of the Golf TSI will step out and when it does, you have to be quick in catching it.
The Golf TSI 1.4 R-Line may have felt planted whilst cruising on the north-south highway as high speeds when I last tried it (together with the Golf GTI). It may have had ample pulling power from its 1.4liter engine there, but on a wet Sepang half circuit, it felt surprisingly loose. It was struggling for grip at everything more than three quarter throttle. As I mentioned, it was fun, yet you have to manage it properly or a spin is in order. The standard 215/45/17 tyres seemed to have too tall a sidewall as it squirmed. Never did I think a 45 aspect ratio tyre to be a tall tyre.
Of course, in the Golf GTI (the red car above), everything felt tighter and taut. It would step its tail out at higher speeds and the torque vectoring system in the GTI helped to smoothen things out. The GTI would allow some slip before its systems reel things in whilst still keeping everything on boil for you to fling it into the next round of corners. This hot hatchback is a good example of how a hot hatch should behave even in slightly wet conditions. I must say that on the wet track, a properly set up suspension with low profile tyres - 40 series and below, and a lot of width does wonders.
The extra 60 over horses does add to more fun too (150hp vs 210hp+). But it is also a lot of balancing too. Not just full throttle or full on brakes in the damp you know.
So thank you VPCM. I had fun, but I basically came back with more driving knowledge especially in terms of high speed wet road control. And folks, please do not try this on a normal wet road. You don't have gravel traps and long run-offs on normal roads.
"Are you sure it isn't a coffee grinder? You mean We've been waiting for nothing???"
"It isn't a donut?"
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