VW Golf GTD from Abt, Digitec in the driving report

A about a little more pressure from the bottom and a bit of a bite at the top would make all those customers happy who have decided against the gasoline engine and for the diesel because of the fuel consumption. Can tuning help you?

The MTM Golf GTD storms off almost like a VW Golf GTI

The 170 PS engine from VW (350 Nm) is already a kind of factory tuning - the modified version of the 140 PS common rail with a displacement of two liters. The fact that VW has turned the power screw can be seen in the diesel's characteristics: below 2,000 rpm, its Borg-Warner turbocharger reacts listlessly to full throttle commands, which converts a spontaneous go-around into a leisurely roll away. The MTM Golf GTD is different: For our driving report, it storms almost like a VW Golf GTI, growls away from deep inside the intake tract and distributes its thrust over a significantly wider rev range.

The tuned VW Golf GTD produce between 190 PS and 205 PS

This is what you would expect from a power diesel. It's just a shame that his euphoria subsides at high speeds. Just like the production version, it looks tight here. Better to pull the right steering wheel paddle of the dual clutch transmission (1,875 euros) early on and surf the torque wave in the next of the six gears. Then it surges again powerfully - much earlier than with the competitors, which is why the MTM Golf GTD can be moved at a lower speed and more economically than this for our driving report. Like Abt and Digi-Tec, MTM leaves it with so-called chip tuning for the VW Golf GTD. Only the data of the engine management are changed, especially the boost pressure and the injection quantity are increased. The yield varies between 190 PS and 390 Nm for Abt over 200 PS and 400 Nm for Digi-Tec up to 205 PS and 380 Nm for MTM.

All tuned VW Golf GTD outperform the production model

As expected, all three tuned vehicles surpass the performance of the series-production VW Golf GTD that is running for comparison - the Abt Golf GTD and the Digi-Tec Golf GTD even accelerate from standstill by one second better to 100 km /h, the MTM Golf GTD still by eight tenths. During the simulated overtaking process, you outclass the series version and get going with much more pressure. But the MTM sets standards in the traditional domain of high-torque diesel. It zooms in on ours from 60 to 100 km /hDriving report in fourth gear in an incredible 4.6 seconds, from 80 to 120 km /h in sixth it only takes four seconds longer. This is clearly noticeable when overtaking in everyday life and is not a value that only impresses on paper.

Abt and Digi-Tec Golf GTD: Similar to supercharged gasoline engines

Abt and Digi-Tec make the diesel almost jubilate and almost turn to the 5,000 mark. They feel similar to supercharged gasoline engines, but do not yet give rise to enthusiasm like a VW Golf GTI. Digi-Tec obviously wants to achieve this with a very sporty spring-damper combination and installs a coilover suspension that is tuned to be bone dry. On the motorway, the body and passengers are constantly in motion, hobbling in unison. That feels a bit like tuning from days gone by, when sportiness was equated with hardness. On the other hand, the Digi-Tec Gold GTD shows talent on the 2.2 kilometer long Luk race track near Baden-Baden. In our driving report, he takes a second off the series Golf GTD (1.15.2 min) with adaptive dampers, is even easier to drive, always remains tame, neutral and easy to calculate.

A sports suspension it doesn't have to be tough for the VW Golf GTD

Anyone who expected a sharper rear emphasis in the design is mistaken. The Abt comes with standard springs and dampers, leaving the optimization with larger and wider tires and chip tuning - and a generously dimensioned front brake. The fact that it looks limp below 2,000 rpm, just like the production version, only bothers when pulling through, but not on the slopes. Here it is more the ease of revving the Abt-VW Golf GTD that inspires. Its self-steering character is similar to that of its series counterpart, the rear reacts compliantly to load changes, especially when you use the poisonous appealing brake to help. However, the wide Dunlops do not alleviate the understeer when driving cleanly; high slip angles reduce cornering speed and lap time: 1:14.9 min. MTM, on the other hand, shows that a sports suspension doesn't have to be tough.

The MTM VW Golf GTD drives the competition over the ears

On the contrary: it responds very sensitively to short bumps in particular, despite the shorter springs, and can only be bumped from long bumps in the road stimulate. Overall, however, the comfort is still suitable for long distances, even in conjunction with the 19-inch wheels. A sign that sport springs can actually harmonize with standard shock absorbers. However, the lowering reinforces a phenomenon that was already noticed during the test of the series VW Golf GTD: When turning sharply into tight bends, the right front tire brushes against the plastic lining of the wheel arch. This noise is irritating on the racetrack, but does not have a negative impact on driving behavior. Once again, the MTM Golf GTD is in a tuning comparison with theLap times, the pace in our driving report, drives competition and series around the ears - the stopwatch shows 1:13.1 min at the end. Best time.

None of the tuned GTDs can match the VW Golf GTI

Despite the sloppiness with the lack of clearance, the MTM Golf GTD comes out best in the end. It pulls through tremendously, laps the racetrack with motivation, requires the least fuel of all three tuned versions, and the modifications are cheap. So in the end there is a real power diesel. The MTM VW Golf GTD has developed further in the direction of the VW Golf GTI - but even as an MTM it has not yet reached it.