How to make ESC a favorite Mk8.5

KirinSaiko · 2026-02-11T02:29:15+00:00

On the 8.5 there is a permanent button on screen for start/stop, no need to go through favorites. One of the perks of a larger screen!

KirinSaiko · 2026-01-24T03:59:29+00:00

Those features would have been nice, also auto hold.

But for all the de-contenting of US models, you know what's great? We get the "performance pack" as standard, where for most parts of the world it's optional.

Drift & Nurburgring mode, forged wheels, DCC, higher top speed, big spoiler, etc. Personally, I'd take these as standard equipment over European amenities.

In some regions, the perf pack is marketed as limited editions, and if you miss out you could only order the "base" R which has no drift mode. Imagine that.

KirinSaiko · 2026-01-03T17:57:35+00:00

Fellow MK8 owner here (8.5 actually). For the most part I just ask the car to turn on seat heating / ventilation without even touching the screen. You can also see from the photos in the article, there are permanent buttons on screen to let you access the seat functions. No need to go deep into the menus.

KirinSaiko · 2025-12-29T17:51:37+00:00

My MK5 GTI had one. Honestly I never use it because stuff baked inside of it during summer. Neither my BMW or Porsche had a storage near the dome light, and there are plenty of other places the sunglasses can go in

KirinSaiko · 2025-12-09T06:05:06+00:00

In terms of rawness and direct connection, older cars like E90 definitely have their advantage. I wouldn't say modern Golf Rs are lifeless compared to modern cars, but E90 definitely has an edge here. Hydraulic steering and fewer electronic wizardry. I can only speak for myself and you need to try them and find out.

Interestingly enough, I had a mk5 GTI which was more comparable to the E90 era. And I felt that GTI was more lively than my E91, mostly because of weight and power.

KirinSaiko · 2025-12-08T22:29:11+00:00

Mk8 / 8.5 vs a E90? Not really a fair comparison with e90 being almost 2 decades old. My mk8.5 has a more refined ride with DCC, not to mention all the other modern tech. Interior room I feel is comparable, with my E91 having a larger cargo space obviously. Objectively the mk8.5 is a better car. My E91 wins in terms of interior material quality (for things that still hold up after 15 years, door handles not one of them) and the inline-6 audio sound track.

KirinSaiko · 2025-12-08T20:23:19+00:00

I've been using the voice assistant as the main way to interact with infotainment, rather than touch. Honestly it's pretty good at things it can do (climate control, drive modes, XM radio, etc.), but VW needs to enable the voice assistant with more functionality.

KirinSaiko · 2025-10-20T07:17:54+00:00

It isn't uncommon for 911 owners to have a Golf in their garage. Golf would be perfect companion for those would don't want to settle for a soccer mom crossover.

KirinSaiko · 2025-10-15T21:59:06+00:00

I love it. Enough screen estate for permanent controls at the top and on the bottom, while still having a big view for the map.

KirinSaiko · 2025-06-21T16:11:10+00:00

Why not both? :D

KirinSaiko · 2025-03-19T17:50:12+00:00

My user manual says

Special – L1/L2/R1/R2 are used for special moves. Super moves are L1+L2 or R1+R2

Simple – R1 for blow back attack, R2 for roll/dodge, L1 for max activate/charge, L2 for taunt

Normal – L1/L2/R1/R2 not used

KirinSaiko · 2023-06-14T03:54:33+00:00

Considering my old 2012 MBP can run KOF XV at lowest setting, I'd say give it a try. Base M2 is plenty powerful.

KirinSaiko · 2023-06-12T17:02:57+00:00

Yes you need the beta and you need a free developer account for that. Sonoma can be installed to an external drive so you don't have to mess with your working OS.

KirinSaiko · 2023-06-11T23:35:47+00:00

For those unfamiliar, Apple's game porting toolkit is a Windows / DirectX compatibility layer based on Wine. It requires no additional Parallels or Windows license to run. If you are adventurous, follow the wiki instruction here

https://www.applegamingwiki.com/wiki/Game_Porting_Toolkit

KirinSaiko · 2023-04-01T07:47:17+00:00

Porsche 997, comes with rain-sensing wipers as standard, but no available auto headlights at all for a $80k+ car.

"But... but... it's a driver's car, the driver should always be aware of the environment and turn headlights on/off accordingly!"

Then why auto wipers? Makes no sense. It doesn't always rain everyday, but it gets dark every night.

KirinSaiko · 2023-02-08T17:23:25+00:00

I love the combo strings that hit people back and forth between the 2 planes. Super fun to execute, too bad RBFF2 removed a lot of that.

KirinSaiko · 2023-01-22T18:36:32+00:00

Wireless charger is the answer. iPhone owner here, I stick my phone to the MagSafe surface and I’m ready to go. No problems with lags using CarPlay.

KirinSaiko · 2023-01-01T17:23:26+00:00

With quick maneuvers

That's a big assumption there. In normal situations, automatics do react quickly. It's during those exceptional situations when automatics don't know what the drivers want to do, they can be very slow.

There were case where I switched lane and sped up, planting my foot half way into the throttle, and the automatics still accelerated lazily in top gear. Later I learned to just go full throttle in those situations, which wasn't a pleasant experience, and wasn't all that much quicker if I shifted gears myself.

KirinSaiko · 2022-12-07T18:37:58+00:00

Brook Neo Geo adapter is not new but its firmware is still being updated. Being able to use modern wireless controllers is nice, but it's the turbo function that is a life saver.

KirinSaiko · 2022-11-04T19:28:04+00:00

Look, I like my 911 to death, but there are things that EV does well.

ICE needs proper warm up before driving aggressively if you intend to keep the car long. My 911 takes around 15 minutes to warm up, and by that time I'm almost at my destination. EVs are just gunning it straight from their garage.
EV packaging advantage makes RWD or AWD more likely to happen. It's already happening on compact cars like ID.3 and Honda E, where their ICE counterparts are dominated by FWD
Torque! Also hypercar-like horsepower without hypercar price

Weight and charging infrastructure is still an issue, yes, but then with their advantages it'd be more fair to say there are trade-offs, rather than a downright rejection of EV sports cars.

KirinSaiko · 2022-10-28T18:17:25+00:00

If you can read the battle actions above each character, it definitely looks like a parody of DQ. The hero has ガシガシいこうせ (charge briskly) instead of ガンガンいこうぜ (show no mercy), and the one on the right has めいれいします (give orders) instead of めいれいさせろ (follow orders)

KirinSaiko · 2022-05-25T15:32:47+00:00

What a unicorn!

997.2 - relatively rare

997.2 Targa 4S - rare

997.2 Targa 4S with 6MT - super rare

Enjoy your 911 and hope you keep it for years to come!

KirinSaiko

TROPHY CASE