What a way to close up a chapter then making a limited edition and making it a bit more hardcore.
Well, Volkswagen somehow just used the right spices on the last Golf 7 GTI model.
With only 300 (MK7) Golf GTI TCR produced, I recently had the opportunity to sample the second last of them. Number (299/300).
TCR: the catchy three letter word stands for Touring Car Racing and is inspired by the successful Touring Race Car.
Exterior
Nothing much has changed on this exterior of the car but to keep up with the touring car racing theme, the GTI TCR gets an aesthetic and functional upgrade with a wider rear-diffuser, front splitter, gloss black side-skirt, and a small rear roof spoiler.
Matte-black side mirrors, Honeycomb, and TCR decals on the side, with the and 19-inch “Reifnitz” matte-black alloy-wheels rather than the standard 18-inch wheels with performance brake discs.
The TCR is only available in 3 colours (Tornado Red, Pure Grey and Pure White)
Interior
Classy and sporty driver focused interior. pretty similar to the standard Golf 7 GTI but this time standing out with a red accents and a couple of interesting trim inserts like the red racing stripe in the middle of the Multi-function leather wrapped steering wheel with red stitching.
Piano black, chrome and alcantara trim inserts on the centre console and shifter boot, alcantara with red stitching trims on the side door panels and throughout the whole cabin.
The red accent and stitching definitely gives TCR’s interior a more appealing look.
It also receives a standard panoramic sunroof, Dynamic Chassis Control, and very stylish and comfortable alcantara tartan style seats, being one of the most interesting things about the interior of the TCR.
TCR owners will be given special edition merchandise as well as a certificate of ownership with their respective TCR limited edition number as featured on the plaque located on the passenger side of the dashboard.
Power and Performance
The Golf 7 GTI TCR is powered by the same EA888 2.0L Turbocharged petrol engine from the standard GTI, but this time the same engine is tweaked to push an output power of 213kW and 380Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed DTC (Dual Clutch transmission). Sprinting from 0-100km/h in just 5.6 sec and clocking a top speed of 264 km/h.
The Drive
How does the TCR feels like to drive?
Well, the TCR is fun. Just like a Standard GTI but on steroids. More responsive and faster, the TCR feels just a little racier with a stiffened suspension and lowered ride height by 20mm.
The stiffened suspension and lower ride height create just the perfect balance to keep the car very stable while cornering at speed and keeping a very minimum or even barely noticeable body roll.
The TCR does a very good job sending all the power through the front wheels and just perfectly balanced through the (LSD) limited slip differential.
Here are a couple of things that you might not be so happy to know about the TCR:
It does not come with features such as:
- Keyless entry
- Push start button (yes it uses the old turn in key start)
- Reversing camera
- power adjustable seats.
The Verdict
Costing R63 900 more than the standard Golf 7 GTI and about R58 400 less than the bigger brother Golf 7 R. The TCR is just as practical as the others but is more designed for those who wish to have fun and probably take it for a spin at the local racetrack on the weekend. And yes it is worth getting especially being a limited edition.
Pricing
The TCR is priced at R669 000.
The price includes a 3 year/120 000km warranty, 5 year/ 90 000km Volkswagen Service Plan and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty with a Service interval of 15 000km.
