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BHPian Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Mumbai
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| 2013 Volkswagen Polo 1.6L GT TDI - An enthusiast's delight (Quantum Remap + Downpipe + Bilstein B6s) It’s a tryst of what was to become, over half a decade filled with moments of pain, misery and troublesome ownership of a car of German decent. At first glance this statement may sound quite preposterous given that one would immediately think of Germany as the land of engineering prowess. German people too, are distinctive in their character as perfectionists. It is unmistakeably the mecca of the automotive world and in its cradle lay the pilgrimage that is the Nordesclife. Well no, my car isn’t one of those hardcore track monsters that are meticulously developed around the ring. Atleast that’s not how it was meant to be right out of the box. It is an erstwhile (dare I say, half-arsed) attempt at a hot hatchback for the niche Indian market by the maker of the people’s car. Auf deutsch – Volkswagen. The 2013 Polo GT TDI (1.6L) was then subsequently tinkered by me (and a couple of FNGs) – your run of the mill excited enthusiast who is overexposed to all content automotive on YouTube and ofcourse, Team-BHP. “I know better than Volkswagen”, “These machines are over-engineered” , “More power baby!” are the thoughts I started to have 3 years into owning my first ever German car. This is where it all started. My life as a petrolhead. Well I suppose, the use of that word is not strictly appropriate as the car in question actually has an oil burner under the hood. All factors considered, given my annual mileage requirements it only made sense for me to favour TDI over TSi. The car odometer currently reads ~88,000 kms. I guess we could settle with the American – “Gearhead” in this instance. PS: Manual, Oo yes please! ![]() Big shout out to friendly moderator Gannu, who has been of great help over PMs whenever I needed his guidance. His ownership report is, at this point is the Holy Bible, Bhagvad Gita and the Holy Quran all rolled into one for any GT TDI owner. Although that thread may have you believe it is a reliable car, my experience has been quite the contrary (no one to blame but myself). I have to admit, I do subject my car through a bit of tough love. You won’t find me caressing each and every nut & bolt. My routine services do tend to run back and forth a couple of weeks. My rationalization for this unacceptable to some(read: lazy) kind of behaviour is that noticeable drivetrain smoothness post a slightly overdue service is quite a sweet experience. In matters of reliability, my car wasn’t really going to be a class topper in stock form as is. More like one of the backbench brats on whom even the teachers just give up on by the end of semester 1. A decision was then made to chin up to whatever may be the repercussions of remapping a VW – one that had done quite an arduous 60,000 kms. My daily drive is around about a 100 kms – in and out of the city to our factories. The idea was to get more hands on with the whole car and throw a bunch of parts at it – be it wear & tear or performance. My cousin brother Kunal, a fellow petrolhead, warned me of the perils that lay ahead – “This is a slippery slope you are treading down, son!”, “Set a horsepower limit!” , “More importantly set a budget!”. Now it could be concluded that only a handful cars that get this level of attention from enthusiasts. The GT TDI seemed like a great starting point for me to get a taste of owning and living with a tuned/modified car. A 4-pot 1.6L TDI which in stock form put out a healthy 104bhp @ 4400 rpm and a considerably large 250 Nm of torque between 1500-2500 rpm. The most important thing to note about this engine is the nature of its power delivery. I have also driven the 1.5 TDI which replaced this engine. Although on paper the specs look pretty much identical (a teeny bit more HP), that motor has a much rather more grown-up kind of linear power delivery. By contrast, in the 1.6 TDI, there is this great big torquey surge that is felt at around 1500 rpm. Cross ~2,000 rpm – turbos fully spooled now and the surge becomes this force that pushes you back to the seat. It is as addictive as that cigarette, a smoker would crave to light up every once in a while. I have to clarify, this kind of peaky power delivery is something that is attributed to older diesel engines . After the initial exciting surge, the power tends to taper off and you are left with wanting more at the top end. The engine will revv relatively freely until the redline, but not much is achieved going past 4,000rpm. Moving past all the grins and laughs the car gave me in stock form, I couldn’t help but notice that the car tends to feel like it is a lot faster than it actually is. This is also accentuated by the fact that despite having a very capable chassis, the stock tyres, brakes and suspension are simply not upto the task of making this a true hot hatchback. One visit to Quantum Tuning UK’s website told me with their ECU Remap I was looking at a power bump up to 145bhp @ 4,000 rpm & 307 Nm @ 2,000 rpm. These figures are almost D1 segment sedan spec in something that weighs just a little bit over a tonne – We’re talking about a real pocket rocket. Excited with this proposition, I went to see Akshay @ Redline Autohaus. Who had successfully incepted the idea in my mind over a few of our previous outings, stating something along the lines of – “Bring your Polo to me, we’ll make it banging!” The road map to making my Polo GT TDI a wee bit special was set, and we concluded on what we need (based on the budget, obviously):
Till this date, I feel that a BBK (big break kit) is highly essential. And this is something that has been on my wish list for a while now. The stock brakes do not have adequate bite nor stopping power and with the increased power output, I find myself relying on engine braking a lot more than one is normally accustomed to. The downshifts on the slick box just adds to the whole experience. Better brakes would most definitely be more confidence inspiring and the idea of later braking would, in the real world make the car significantly faster. That said, the car as it sits now is really quite special. Twist the key, it starts with this rather deep grumble (thank you, downpipe) followed by a fair bit of diesel clatter. It’s unmistakeably a diesel engine sound, yet one which has a sinister undertone. I quite like the sound on cold starts, I’ll try uploading a video for you guys to check it out. The decat downpipe really helps with the airflow and the car is surprisingly revv happy for a diesel. Listen closely and you can hear the soft airflow whirs and whines on lift off, it’s quite a unique aural experience albeit a bit muted (a custom exhaust too, perhaps? ![]() Once past 2,000 rpm, that peaky power delivery stock nature is turned up to eleven. Edging on feeling brutal even, its an all consuming force. You find yourself grinning wide every single time while you ride that mammoth torque wave in something the size of a shoe. A bit of perspective, the 2019 Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI CR (M/T) makes 320 Nm @ 1,750 rpm as opposed to this humble hatchback making 307 Nm @ 2,000 rpm. It pulls like a train between 2k-3k rpm. You’ll see ridiculous in-gear acceleration. 80-120 kmph on the highway is f-a-s-t. Revv it further to 4k rpm, the peak horsepower will bring you to 160 kmph without breaking a sweat. Progress from here on out gets slow and personally, I just chicken out given the brakes are really not up to the task of getting me out of trouble at that speed. This thing is a monster where it matters. 80-120 kmph. I see no public roads in Mumbai, save for a couple that could possibly sustain any speeds higher than that. Although I do not advocate high speed driving on our roads with zero lane discipline. Every once in a while, I do get instigated by “enthusiasts” who go down the “bought not built” road and often end up in a 3-series or a C-Class. The agility of this thing needs to be felt to be believed. I will take a closing gap in a heartbeat given 100 kmph in 5th gear comes out at ~2000 rpm. A light tap on the pedal at this point brings about all that turbo and torque madness – I’m ready to make all hell break loose, but will he cut it so close in his prized possession? Unlikely. It’s left many a boy racer red-faced and will continue to do so – this in my opinion is the beauty of the hot hatch. Anti-establishment in a way that says not all fun-to-drive/fast cars have a snooty badge and an enormous price tag. The Bilsteins make light work of bad roads (read: all roads in the city right now). Don’t be mistaken, the ride is stiff, there is no doubt about it. However, with the stiffness comes lack of body roll and rebound. Clearing speed breakers on these is a very different experience. There is no rear-end vertical rebound wiggle on the offset. The word I’d like to describe the ride in this car is mature. Very distinctive, large D1 segment saloon level of damping. Post 60 kmph, these shocks are so focused on giving you more grip that they often punch past small potholes, bumps and the likes. The feeling is akin to flattening out of the road surface with a reassuring (sometimes, loud) thud. Initially, the car was running its second set of tyres – Yokohama S-drives (same profile). Although, a great set of tyres in terms of grip, especially in the wet, they had become very noisy and a tad bit hard towards the end of their life. I wasn’t happy with the way it was riding and I had it sent back to Akshay at least 2-3 times to ensure correct alignment of the new suspension and tyres both. That’s when we thought its best to upgrade the tyres as well. The Continental MC5’s made a world of a difference to the ride quality with not quite so much of an effect on handling. I’d say in terms of outright grip, the S-drives did a better job. But add road/wind noise and comfort to the mix, the Conti’s are the way to go. High-speed ride and handling are of a very tall order, as one expects out of Bilstein. Once you are aware of the physical limitations of the car, you can very well judge its size to chuck it into corners or weave through our unmannerly traffic flows on the highway at a fast pace. Roll is virtually inexistent. Turn-in too quick, it breaks into a very predictable and controllable understeer. You can get it to misbehave on lift off with a sweet slide too. Although the car now has the power to break traction, I wouldn’t recommend this as it does not come with ESC/TC, things can get really lairy if you don’t know what you are doing. Another thing that has significantly improved is steering weight and feel. This has been the achilleas heel on the Polo GT twins. First, with the switch from 185 / 60 section to lower profile 205 / 55 tyres and that coupled with the change of dampers really brought the steering weight back. The feel has marginally improved but again, it’s not Abarth Punto good, but its far away from what it felt like stock. Caveat Emptor: I know I have said “budget” a lot in this post but believe me nothing can prepare you for what is the real cost of all this joy and exhilaration. It tends to be both financial and physical. Running a more aggressive map comes at the hefty price of accelerated wear on engine internals. The first one on its way out was the water pump, auxiliary pump followed by a cracked coolant tank followed by radiator fan failure. A front axle refurbishment along with replacement of all suspension ancillaries (mounts, control arms, bump stocks). Then there is also preventive stuff like timing belt change. It would be wise to budget this stuff right from the get go. Money aside, there have been instances where I have had to stop on the side of the road just for the engine to cool off or top it up with water. It is a bit weird living the automotive lifestyle from the 80’s, we have come a long way in terms of daily reliability in modern cars. No one expects issues like overheating or the A/C not working. I have had legit steam sessions in this car on a few occasions. There are days when the car is behaving like an absolute peach and the road is open. These are the days you tend to live for. Utterly satisfying feeling for us lot, I must tell you. Mechanical Sympathy: A very important thing that this car has taught me is to know when to take it easy, and when to push it. You really don’t want to be adding to a list of wear/tear parts to order. What didn’t help is the lack of a temperature gauge. I finally understood what GTO was on about when he expressed his disappointment in modern cars omitting a read out for this fundamentally important metric. It would have saved me multiple hard shoulder encounters. Putting your foot down in sub-optimal environments just doesn’t feel right. You’d rather choose your moments wisely. I guess I need to invest in a good OBD based device and keep a watchful eye on boost pressure, oil temp. & engine temp. Tuner veterans on the forum kindly chime in on this one, I’d love to gain more insight. Sleeper > Flash: As you can see in the pictures, a decision was made to wrap the car in Matte Metallic Blue wrap, with the roof, wing mirrors and wheels in black. Its jolly good looking, be that as it may but sometimes it gets a bit much with all those boy racers poking you with a stick to misbehave. It attracts unnecessary attention from the rozzers who will pull you up on violation of the RTO rule of “changing colour of the car requires permission.” The funny thing is, I also have had an instance where I have gotten – “Chaan distey tujhi gaadi!” For readers outside of Maharashtra that would mean “Your car looks great!” Hell, he started giving suggestions for loopholes in the black tints law and how I could possibly circumvent it. Really depends how you approach the situation. The money spent in cosmetic mods could easily have funded my BBK and then some. In retrospect maybe that is what I should have done. I blame it to be quarter life crisis. The wrap was one way to go about things in a rather youthful fashion. The next one is going to be a sleeper for sure. Yes, there is a next one. It is already part of the stable. All I can say at this point is – My mum needed a daily runabout car, really pleased with what I came up with on the used market. In true Team-BHP tradition, I’d like to do a smaller yet significant things list:
Last edited by n:CorE : 3rd October 2019 at 17:25. |
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Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: 2013 Volkswagen Polo 1.6L GT TDI - An enthusiast's delight (Quantum Remap + Downpipe + Bilstein Nice write up n:CorE. Loved reading the post. When it comes to modifications, for us gearheads, the sky is the limit. There is no stopping you once you start down the part. But as you have explained, modifications come with its own set of problems. You just need to learn to adapt and enjoy the car when it shines. Looking forward to see what other changes you make to the car. Also, curious to know which car is the next one? And what have you planned for it? |
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The following 3 BHPians Thank ChiragM for this useful post: | blackbeast, n:CorE, VTec_KickedInYo |
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Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Chennai
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| Re: 2013 Volkswagen Polo 1.6L GT TDI - An enthusiast's delight (Quantum Remap + Downpipe + Bilstein Damn, Good Stuff man!.. I'm so tempted to get my 1.6 TDi Vento remapped. I had one with a mild tune, sold it and now not satisfied with the current one being stock. Those sexy looking stainless steel pipes are pushing me towards an all-out remap since the car isnt used much. One question: With custom exhaust, how's the drive over long distances.. Does the 'fun' growl become a pain/irritation? |
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| Re: 2013 Volkswagen Polo 1.6L GT TDI - An enthusiast's delight (Quantum Remap + Downpipe + Bilstein I’m not sure if it’s the number or the engines that are made to be 1.6, they’re always remarkable ones: Polo 1.6 TDI S-Cross 1.6 Creta 1.6 These cars have a lot of potential and scope to perform better with a remap and completely change with a few more mechanical mods. Your car looks absolutely dashing ![]() |
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The following BHPian Thanks gururajrv for this useful post: | n:CorE |
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| Re: 2013 Volkswagen Polo 1.6L GT TDI - An enthusiast's delight (Quantum Remap + Downpipe + Bilstein Who had made the downpipe? Looks quite good. |
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Team-BHP Support ![]() ![]() Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Madras
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| Re: 2013 Volkswagen Polo 1.6L GT TDI - An enthusiast's delight (Quantum Remap + Downpipe + Bilstein Dude, what a thread! Amazing write-up, straight from the heart. Loved reading it. ![]() The metallic blue wrap looks slick! She's a looker and will definitely draw some attention on the road. Quote:
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As for the BBK, while cruising on the highways, I usually set the cruise control at 100 kmph (used to set it at 120 kmph before). Best of both worlds that way - average speed and FE. At those speeds, the stock brakes work just fine. That said, I might switch to the BBK when I intend to swap the stock discs out. I am still on the stock discs and the second set of pads. Quote:
Once again, awesome write-up man! And thank you so much for mentioning about my ownership thread there somewhere. ![]() | ||||
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The following 3 BHPians Thank Gannu_1 for this useful post: | digitalnirvana, gauravanekar, n:CorE |
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BHPian Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: 2013 Volkswagen Polo 1.6L GT TDI - An enthusiast's delight (Quantum Remap + Downpipe + Bilstein Thank you for all the love guys! It was great to see a PM from Big Boss himself to tell me its up on the Team-BHP homepage! (also, hot threads) Super super stoked! Quote:
Fast forward to 04:14 in this video where, Matt "Joey" LeBlanc tries to explain the whole idea behind making the car, your own. And how modifications kinda make sense despite the perils. braaj's CR177 turbo swapped Polo 1.6 GT TDI makes a whopping 190bhp from this exact same motor. Gannu's GT TDI is a 1 of 1 example in the country in terms of spec. These cars are unique in their identity and are on the tip of my tongue for a reason. They have inspired me to indulge in my obsessions. The next one, haha I'd like to keep a certain element of surpise here so at this point, all I can reveal is I really wanted to experience a RWD and figure out for myself as to why it is the undisputed drivetrain layout of choice for the rest of our tribe! Quote:
The 1.5 TDI may not give you the same output post Stage 2 Remap. I remember having a chat with the guy from Quantum about this, he reported 130bhp for that motor, slightly less max torque too. Again, its best to check with your tuner/FNG about the exact figures. Quote:
There is something about 1.6L displacement engines. The much loved hot hatch of yesterday, the Palio GTX was also 1.6, the bonkers Chevrolet SRV - again, 1.6. My love affair with 1.6's is far from over infact it is happening all over again with what is technically my mum's new ride. @ChiragM, there! I gave you two clues as to what could be coming next. That's about all this page of the thread gets. ![]() The downpipe has been sourced by Redline Autohaus, Mumbai. The fabrication I am led to believe, is by a specialist workshop based in Bangalore. It was a top quality job, I am very pleased with its performance. Quote:
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I am not aware of any specific efforts made at my tuners end. But as far as as I know, a stage 2 ecu remap has written code that is aware of the absence of the cat, maybe it also takes care of the light that would tell us if there is anything wrong. I have had no other lights flash on my dash post remap+downpipe that are out of the ordinary (one mentioned above). Thank you for your ownership report. This one wouldn't have been here if it weren't for that! Last edited by n:CorE : 7th October 2019 at 01:01. | |||||||||
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BHPian ![]() Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Chennai
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| Re: 2013 Volkswagen Polo 1.6L GT TDI - An enthusiast's delight (Quantum Remap + Downpipe + Bilstein Excellent thread, Voted 5 stars. I guess the opening picture conveys the essence - hot hatch that is used without regret. I like how you have covered the caveats in detail, will help to keep an eye on my 1.5 TDi which is currently remapped! My car is also black and I can very well understand the need for a wrap ![]() |
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The following BHPian Thanks TN13Sleeper for this useful post: | n:CorE |
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BHPian Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: 2013 Volkswagen Polo 1.6L GT TDI - An enthusiast's delight (Quantum Remap + Downpipe + Bilstein Hey guys, Decided to put her up on sale, have a lot on my plate right now. There is the mystery car that I teased at the end of this thread, and another "sport" sedan has just come home as well. Those stories shall unfold in due course. For now, anyone interested in owning this pocket rocket can visit the link below and get in touch with me! https://classifieds.team-bhp.com/buy...or-sale/64598/ Cheers! |
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BHPian Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: 2013 Volkswagen Polo 1.6L GT TDI - An enthusiast's delight (Quantum Remap + Downpipe + Bilstein Hey guys, This car has been now sold for a while now. She has found a home in the Gods/modifier's own country, Kerala. The wrap has been done away with and the exterior facia is now reverted to stock from what I have been told. It took me two years to come out and share my other mystery car. Apologies for the delay. The hot hatch saga continues, please do check it out! 2013 BMW (F20) 116i | 230 BHP + 330 Nm* in a true (READ:RWD) Hot Hatchback. (2013 BMW (F20) 116i | 230 BHP + 330 Nm in a true (READ:RWD) Hot Hatchback) Mods, request you to lock this thread, as the car in question is sold. |
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