MK5 Golf GTI

All Things Mk5 => Mk5 General Area => Topic started by: lazy on January 31, 2026, 02:06:34 pm

Title: MK5 Used For Racing Instead of MK6
Post by: lazy on January 31, 2026, 02:06:34 pm

I've been listening to The Radiator Arms podcast, and in one of the episodes ( I can't remember which episode to put the link in) one of the hosts mentioned in passing that his son was a professional racing driver. He said one of the race series he was in was VW Golfs and they were MK 5's with MK 6 front end body panels on, because the MK 6 had just come out and VW wanted them to look like the newly released car, but the MK 5's rear suspension was better in some way but he didn't know the details. As I mentioned earlier it was just said in passing and that was that, but I'm curious if anyone knows what is actually different.

Title: Re: MK5 Used For Racing Instead of MK6
Post by: Hypertuned on January 31, 2026, 02:24:26 pm

Both models use an independent rear suspension (IRS) setup with a multi-link design, with most of the parts being interchangeable. The only difference I know of is the anti-roll bar is thicker on the MK6, which in racing gives better turn in.

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Title: Re: MK5 Used For Racing Instead of MK6
Post by: lazy on January 31, 2026, 04:20:06 pm

That's strange I wonder why they went through the trouble of swapping the front ends. Perhaps it's one of those strange things we'll never get to know the reason.