Better handling??

without being biased which car has the better handling;

A mk1 Golf

or a

Mk2 Golf?

Just wondered as me and a mate was having abit of a debate about it the other day, I obviouslt stook up for the mk1 and with him having a mk2 he went for that.

Can anyone settle it once and for all??

mk1 with arb. mk2 was heavier though the corners and sat on slighty softer springs.

sorry, meant to put this in the Mk1 Golf chat…DOH

anyone want to move it?

Moved  :wink:

That was reyt quick, cheers.

mk1 all the way, the mk2 sat on rails.... but those rails did not go round corners.

no problem

and definately Mk1 for better handling (in standard forms) as it's simply lighter  :wink:

Dunno really, early mk2`s were pretty good to be fair, later mk2` are even better, apart from the weight i dont think the mk1 really has any major advantages over the later cars

Scirroco`s are very good too, and a Corrado is seriously the best handling standard VW i have ever driven!

Topoftherange said

and a Corrado is seriously the best handling standard VW i have ever driven!

got to agree with you there, even though the VR is pretty front heavy, it still handle's like it's on rails

and I bet front heavy is better than being back heavy isn't it?

Just how I imagine the mk2 to be..

a good mk2 gti handles very well, just not as chuckable as a good mk1 gti. in no way does that suggest the mk2 handles badly though. yes the raddo is a great chassis, but it wouldn't keep with a mk1 on really twisty stuff.

wooders said

a good mk2 gti handles very well, just not as chuckable as a good mk1 gti. in no way does that suggest the mk2 handles badly though. yes the raddo is a great chassis, but it wouldn't keep with a mk1 on really twisty stuff.

thats what i said…

ok its not what i said but its certainly what i meant and better written

i know

MK1_Arron said

and I bet front heavy is better than being back heavy isn't it?

Just how I imagine the mk2 to be..

Its not as simple as that, basically (simplification) you're looking to achieve an ever-so-slightly greater slip angle at the rear than the front, to promote an oversteer in the cornering behaviour. Slip angle is a product of many factors, for example:

- Suspension geometry
- Spring stiffness
- Anti-roll bar stiffness
- Tyre sidewall stiffness
- Tyre deflection at various loads
- Tyre pressures
- Load on tyre, eg static weight, centripedal force, acceleration/braking forces

Also you want a gradual transition from understeer to oversteer as cornering force increases, otherwise you'll 'snap-oversteer' the car and crash in the middle of the corner, beyond a certain speed!

paul, im giving you a badge.

it reads,

'I am a genious'.

Wear it with pride my friend.

EDIT;

About the badge…
It's a virtual badge, wear it virtually.

wooders said

a good mk2 gti handles very well, just not as chuckable as a good mk1 gti. in no way does that suggest the mk2 handles badly though. yes the raddo is a great chassis, but it wouldn't keep with a mk1 on really twisty stuff.

I beg to differ my dearest wooders  seriously, drive a standard Corrado then a mk1 of any sort on standard set up you will be amazed! hell i will even bring my G60 so you can prove it to yourself there is no oversteer, no understeer it just powers through whatever you chuck at it and never feels like its gonna let go!

I suspect that its handling is totally down to the body height, wheel base length, and the passive rear steering due to the way the rear beam on a rado is mounted, oh and the fact it only has 0.32 drag in its aero dynamics campared to a housebrick mk1

Mk1 for sure, IMO anyways...

 but to be fair most mk1`s wouldnt be able to see if they out handled a G60 rado or a VR6 mk3 as they would be no where near them to challenge or even see if it did

i owned a vr6 raddo at the same time as a (dare i say it) campaign. on the really twisty stuff, a raddo would not beat a mk1 gti. it's only handling we're talking about here, remember. the vr6 was an awsomely good car mind.

maybe the VR rado has a bit less poise than the 4 cylinder ones due to front end weight? the G60 certainly has different characteristics to any of the other dubs i have owned including my Rallye!

but then you just held onto the steering wheel as opposed to drove that it was totally mental especially on the H&R coilovers, it spat flames in nearly every gear and could light the wheels up in third gear when accelerating hard 8O