Ok so I am waiting for delivery of my new manual Vrs 245 estate. I don't want to spark yet another debate of manual or DSG however I am aware people report the manual has an incredibly weak clutch? Who has actually experienced any problems with it? I am not interested in 'burnouts' or potentially tuning beyond 300bhp if at all, and I drive progressively but with plenty of car sympathy. I have heard it is the same clutch as a Golf R but surely 300bhp AND 4wd would lead to greater stresses on the clutch........thoughts/experiences please. Tar

Edited 24 February, 20197 yr by Sliceman

Don't believe some of the bull you read on forums. Driven in a realistic manner mine has been tuned twice in 18 months, first stage 1 at 7,000 miles then stage 2 at 14,700 miles. Currently showing just over 20,000 miles and no sign of any clutch slip on the factory clutch despite having to deal with 517NM (standard 370NM) of torque and 336bhp (standard 242bhp). Call me test pilot, development driver or guinea pig for this engine/drivetrain because my car was probably one of the first 10 registered in the UK and far as I know is still the most powerful with the original turbo also. As well as a track day it has had several dyno runs on 2 separate occasions. Nothing to worry about if you drive sensibly as I am sure you will given your comments above. You will love the manual gearbox it is so satisfying for anyone not driving around London or on that beautiful orbital car park (M25). Enjoy from the tyre shreader SHY.

Ah great stuff and reassuring to hear. Cracking figures too mate. Bet it pulls like a train. Thank you ! 

13 hours ago, Sliceman said:

Ok so I am waiting for delivery of my new manual Vrs 245 estate. I don't want to spark yet another debate of manual or DSG however I am aware people report the manual has an incredibly weak clutch? Who has actually experienced any problems with it? I am not interested in 'burnouts' or potentially tuning beyond 300bhp if at all, and I drive progressively but with plenty of car sympathy. I have heard it is the same clutch as a Golf R but surely 300bhp AND 4wd would lead to greater stresses on the clutch........thoughts/experiences please. Tar

 

 

People report..... ‘my mate said...’ or you can can ask actual owners who have mapped TSI  manuals, like Shy.... Of course you can probably kill any clutch if you abuse it enough. 

The clutch is fine. The internet is full of doom and despair on everything from cars to the Worlds oceans, 99.9% of which is complete BS. 

NEVER buy a car and google (XYZ common problems.) Also, few people come onto car forums to say everything is hunky-dory about any given car.

 

I bet when Dyson build their first electric vehicle, the first review will be called. "Unlike their vacuum cleaners, this car sucks".

9 hours ago, shyVRS245 said:

Don't believe some of the bull you read on forums. Driven in a realistic manner mine has been tuned twice in 18 months, first stage 1 at 7,000 miles then stage 2 at 14,700 miles. Currently showing just over 20,000 miles and no sign of any clutch slip on the factory clutch despite having to deal with 517NM (standard 370NM) of torque and 336bhp (standard 242bhp). Call me test pilot, development driver or guinea pig for this engine/drivetrain because my car was probably one of the first 10 registered in the UK and far as I know is still the most powerful with the original turbo also. As well as a track day it has had several dyno runs on 2 separate occasions. Nothing to worry about if you drive sensibly as I am sure you will given your comments above. You will love the manual gearbox it is so satisfying for anyone not driving around London or on that beautiful orbital car park (M25). Enjoy from the tyre shreader SHY.

After warranty expires I would be chuffed with about 300bhp, take it that could be achieved with just a Stage 1 remap? Pretty clueless when it comes to tuning tbh.....

Not directly related to the clutch but when I had my Scirocco R manual I wished that I had bought the DSG instead. I've always had manual gearboxes and generally prefer them but there was just so much power and the car was capable of so much that I physically couldn't change gear fast enough.

 

For day to day stuff I still preferred the manual but for twisty roads with lots of acceleration and braking the the DSG would have been the best choice

Edited 25 February, 20197 yr by Delberthot

16 minutes ago, Sliceman said:

After warranty expires I would be chuffed with about 300bhp, take it that could be achieved with just a Stage 1 remap? Pretty clueless when it comes to tuning tbh.....

Yeah everything was standard on mine with just the AmD custom map plus always been fuelled with Shell V-Power Nitro (99 octane). It gave 302bhp and 467NM so any 245 run on decent fuel should crack the 300bhp barrier.

13 minutes ago, Sliceman said:

After warranty expires I would be chuffed with about 300bhp, take it that could be achieved with just a Stage 1 remap? Pretty clueless when it comes to tuning tbh.....

There's loads of information on here about tuning if you search for 'Remap' in Search bar - usual players are Revo, APR, Shark (now Racingline) and a few others here and there.

 

With tuning - as with modifying anything - one needs to consider a few things like increased wear on components, warranty invalidation, insurance, additional parts etc, and the like which will be incorporated into overall cost. I would have a read up on this forum, as well as a few other good formal sources of information (car magazine sites / enthusiast) on the basics of tuning & remapping before you make a decision.

 

Just to throw my lot in - I've got a Shark/Racingline Stage 1 remap on mine which has drastically improved the drivability of the car in many ways. I am only now experiencing (minor) clutch slip at 25,000 miles (remapped at 11,000 miles), and have a view to change to Sachs Performance clutch kit in the near future. I don't launch, drag, race etc., but I do change gear a lot and think initial wear occurred from not dropping a cog when overtaking on motorway a few times (in 5th / 6th), where the torque is outrageous and blasts the clutch unnecessarily (my left foot's fault...)

 

Either way - you should be absolutely fine having a stage 1 on a stock car. Just advise using better quality fuels, shorter and consistent oil changes, and pay attention to components more often. But I do highly recommend it.