Last week, we spoke to VW’s resident hot-shoe, Benny Leuchter about the Mk8 GTI and why he believes it’s even better than the Mk7. And now we footage of the car running through a battery of handling tests.
The new GTI is supposed to be pointier on turn-in, which VW’s ISO lane change test shows well. In quick maneuvers, the front end sticks well and moves the car quickly, which traditionally contributes to a feeling of good handling.
The car, according to Leuchter, isn’t only set up to have less turn-in understeer, it also has been set up for some oversteer in slower speed corners. Beyond being fun, this should also help the car feel like it’s rotating around your hips, making it feel exciting and responsive through corners.
At higher speeds, though, like pretty much all FWD cars, it’s set up to be neutral and then have some understeer so that the back end doesn’t loop at high speeds which more frightening than fun.
And although we would never doubt Leuchter, who drove the GTI Clubsport S to a FWD record at the Nurburgring a few years ago, it is nice to actually see all of that happening. For all its excitement about how technological the Mk8 is, it’s encouraging to see that the GTI still relies on good mechanical engineering to make it exciting to drive first, and interesting to be in second.
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