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In this week's Auto Express they have a picture of the new Polo GTi and I have to say it looks fantastic! Out early January. Couldn't find a picture on the net but found the next bet thing - Polo Cup - which looks very similar but just imagine identical wheels to the Golf and the red trim around the front mesh grille. From Auto Express.... "The supermini is set to take on a similar style to its big brother, and will benefit from the full GTI treatment. VW's trademark grille is given a black finish, while the supermini gets a similar wheel design to the Golf. However, the Polo will be far less The VW will be equipped with the company's tried-and-tested 1.8-litre turbocharged powerplant, which delivers 148bhp to the front wheels. Available in three-door form only, the range-topping GTI gets stiffened sports suspension to improve handling, while the steering is also likely to be revised to give greater feedback and control. Prices for the flagship have yet to be confirmed, but the Polo GTI won't match the Corsa's bargain tag. Buyers of the smallest VW hot hatch should expect to pay around £15,500, although they're likely to get lots of standard". I'd expect similar 0-60 as the Lupo GTi and a top speed approaching 140mph. border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" class="linked-image" />

Feck me this is good stuff! Scares the life out of me - it all looks rather 'medical' - like the guts of the car are all hanging out over the street ready for the big op! Mucho impressed matey!

In order of ownership...... 1977 VW Golf 1.1L - Cost £450 1980 Ford Escort 1.1L - Cost £1100 1984 Opel Ascona 1.6S - Cost £2,250 1985 VW Jetta 1.8GL - Cost £500 Brand new VW Polo (1999) 1.4L - Cost £9K 6 month old VW Polo 1.4 16V SE (2002) - Cost £9K 6 Month old VW Lupo Gti (2002) - Cost £10k

Cheers. The world of GTi ownership is usually bloody fantastic - as everyone knows it's the dealers who let the show down generally!

Can someone out there please clear something up for me! Is there any way of replacing the brake light unit in the spoiler or does the whole spoiler need replacing? I thought the whole thing needed replaced and this is what I was told by the dealer. I waited 3 weeks for a replacement spoiler, gave the car back and when it was returned they said they only replaced the brake unit?? Either way, the light has gone again - 2 weeks it lasted!

Stopped off at the local Seat garage at the weekend - wanted to have a close look at the Lean Cupra R and see if any bargains could be had. No cheap Cupra's but one very cheap Octavia VRS - 03 plate in Black with 17K miles for £9,995! Still can't part with the mad loop though....

What Car have the top speed of the W8 down as 155mph! £12K is a steal.

Has anyone driven the Passat W8? Now they are a weird and completely mental beast! Should be able to pick one up for £20K as the depreciation is abysmal. I've only ever seen 2 - both at a dealer.

I've not driven either the R32 or GTi yet but I intend to!

I agreed, plenty of choice if you want a 3 or 4 year old barnstormer like the M5 or RS4 but personally I would prefer to spend that kind of money on a car about `8-12` months old, with a warranty.

To be honest for £20k there's not an awful not out there that I personally would be interested in. Scoobies and Evo's are not my cup of tea and 2 seater sports cars are hopelessly impractical. The TT is getting on a bit and as common as muck. The 350Z and RX8 are nice but just don't hit the spot for me. Would be tempted with a Leon Cupra R but then I think I'll wait for the new version to hit the showrooms. The new Megane 225 which has been finely honed for a better driving experience looks a good bet too - but then it's French.

There is something special about the R32 though, exclusivity, quality, performance, subtle styling etc. My best mate works at Nissan and he gets all sorts of inside industry information and gossip. He's just `e-mailed` me as follows...... "I know this will sound ridiculous but from what I’ve seen from inside the industry I absolutely promise you that the R32 will be better built from better quality materials than the new GTI. Every time a new model is released the principle concern is how can we make this car cheaper to produce than the last one. The industry has a ridiculous marketing standard called “Perceived Quality” this is whether people “feel” it is a quality product and often bears no relation to whether it actually is a quality product or not. So the new Golf have to be made from cheaper materials – it is simply a fact of life". I love the new GTi, especially the DSG box but personally the R32 is more special and seriously worth considering. I always like the Audi S3 but compared to the R32 there's only one choice for me.

At my local stealer there is a R32 ex demo for £20,995 - looks gorgeous and that V6 engine is pure music to the ears. But, you can buy a brand new Golf Gti for £22,000. Again, looks stunning especially in anthracite. Which would you have??

I agree - based on what we know, the interior quality/plastics of the Leon won't be as good quailty wise as the Golf GTi and in my book that means an awful lot. I think Seat will have a job on to beat the ride and handling of the Golf this time too - whether it's the bog standard verison or tasty hot versions.

From reports in this weeks motoring press it would seem that this prototype is in fact what the actual production car will look like - albeit with a few cosmetic tweeks, so the windows should remain - it would look too much like the Altea with larger windows. Cupra to have same turbo FSI engine and DSG as the Golf GTi - should be a touch cheaper too!

Bloomin gorgeous..................... border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" class="linked-image" />

Mine were £40 a wheel and were done in Kinross about 30mins drive north of Edinburgh. Well worth doing - but get them done properly!

Bit miffed about this! I have a stag do that weekend so won't even be in Scotland. Good luck.

Interesting repsonse! A lot of you are talking about piping or trim type material that you can push/clip on to the grille. Have had a look at the grille and to be honest I think this would be pretty difficult to do bespoke. Cheapest and easiest way of doing it would be to just paint the narrow edge section of the grille with some top notch professional paint. I don't think it would be as obvious as the photo though.

Is it possible to chip/modify the 1.7 SDI unit for the Loop to provide more acceleration? Thanks.

Not too sure myself? border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" class="linked-image" />

The rear windscreen washer is a common problem and I believe a latent defect - I took mine in a while ago and they informed me that VW had developed a new fitting which prevents the fault. Just to let you know - my rear washer will be getting replaced AGAIN on Thursday.........this being the new fitting that prevents the fault! Tut, tut.

Can anyone post a drawing/detail/photo of the GTi engine which identifies the cambox seal? It would be good to see what the hell is going on down there before I take it back in on Thursday! Don't suppose there will be many pics out there.

I think this is the reg plate of a very tidy looking TDI in Newcastle a few weeks ago?

That's good to hear - getting the timing belt done under warranty is a total bonus then! Is that the Star Performance in Fife mate?