Racingline VWR Subframe Mount - Transverse VW Mk7 GTI / Audi A3 2014+ Models

The Racingline Uprated Lower Engine Mount may not seem the most exciting modification for your Golf 7 or MQB-platform car, but really is one of the most impressive improvements that you can make. By tightening up the location of the engine and gearbox, you will instantly feel the difference the first time you pull away.

To harness your power increases, and transfer that power to the road or track where you need it, the Racingline Uprated Lower Engine Mount and Torque Link will give a much more solid drive, and crucially give additional durability to your car.  The replacement Racingline Uprated Lower Engine Mount is available for the 2.0 TSI Golf 7 GTI and R, plus the other 2.0 TSI MQB-platform cars such as Audi A3/S3 8V and the Seat Leon Cupra 280.

VWR’s Uprated Lower Engine Mount is a CNC-machined, fully engineered replacement unit which comes includes a replacement torque link designed to decrease engine and transmission movement to ensure clean transfer of power to the road. By tightening up movement in the drivetrain, you will instantly feel the difference the first time you pull away after fitment.  All Racingline mounts are designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK.

We have to admit, the Racingline Uprated Lower Engine Mount is not one of the most exciting or visual modifications that you can make to your car.  But for those in the know, they are truly one of the most worthwhile upgrades for anyone who appreciates the driving dynamics of their car.  Almost everyone who tries these mounts on a car wants them.

Torque Link

For the first time for a Racingline Lower Engine Mount, this new MQB Lower Mount now includes a billet aluminium Torque Link (often known as the dog bone link).   Unlike the factory aluminium torque link fitted to last generation A5-platform Mk5/6 cars, the Golf 7 MQB platform now use a pressed steel item.  Our testing showed this pressed steel part to lack the stiffness needed for an uprated or hard-driven car.

The added stiffness of the Racingline Torque Link has allowed us to reduce the durometer (stiffness) rating of the polymer used, meaning less compromise on NVH. Our Racingline Torque Link starts life a billet of T6000 Ali which is fully CNC machined into the finished piece to give the strength, stiffness and durability that we require. All our Racingline Lower Engine Mounts MQB include this Torque Link as part of the kit.

What's Wrong With Factory Engine Mounts?

The simple answer is ‘nothing’ – for a standard car, driven in regular fashion, on the road, that is.  However, ask more from your car through power increases or hard driving, and the factory mounts quickly fall short.

The whole engine and gearbox (the drivetrain) is located in just three places.  The two upper mounts – one at the end of the engine, another at the end of the gearbox – both support the entire weight of the engine/gearbox, plus a third Lower Subframe Mount underneath the engine to prevent too much fore-aft movement (often called the pendulum or subframe mount).

The standard car uses very compliant rubber in these mounts to give a soft take-up of power and isolate the cabin from drivetrain noise.  For a daily-driven standard car, these bushings do a great job of keeping cabin vibration to a minimum, and cushion the effect of bad gear changes or clumsy throttle applications from ‘normal’ drivers. But when you ask more of these mounts, whether through higher power or harder driving, the movement in the mounts becomes very noticeable.

This gives a slightly loose feeling to the drivetrain when coming on and off-throttle, and an increased chance of wheel-hop under hard acceleration as the whole engine and ‘box assembly judders – sometimes violently, particularly with wheelspin. If your car produces high power, or has covered quite a few miles, or is driven hard, then the softness of the standard rubber lower mount allows more and more fore/aft movement as you come on and off the power.

What Difference Does It Make?

The Racingline Uprated Lower Engine Mount stiffens the whole location of the drivetrain greatly to give a much tighter, sharper feeling to your car.   Of course, a bit more noise from the drivetrain comes into the cabin, but most keen drivers love the sense that they are more ‘connected’ to their car, and the gentle ‘growl’ that the mount conveys.

After much development and testing with many different designs and durometer (hardness) ratings, we have finalised the specification with a rating which retains some movement within the mounts, and filters much of the drivetrain’s vibration, yet very significantly reduces the fore/aft movement within the mount.

Some people make the mistake of labelling extremely harsh and noisy engine mounts as being suitable for road use, but in doing so they significantly sacrifice the driving experience without increasing performance.  Equally, some aftermarket ‘push in’ bushes crudely fill the voids in the original factory mounts which are really only suitable for standard cars and regular road use.  By contrast, the Racingline unit is a completely redesigned replacement mount assembly and torque link, engineered from scratch to deliver the strength and control that you require.

The Racingline Uprated Lower Engine Mount incorporates a cutout to provide clearance on 4Motion cars around the anti-roll bar.  This cutout also allows fitment of an uprated anti-roll bar (standard or aftermarket) with proper clearance. With the Torque Link and an uprated replacement bolt included, the kit is complete and ready for fitment.

Please note: We do not recommend installing this mounts on TDI vehicles that are going to be daily driven. This is due to the increased vibrations generated by the diesel engine.

Please Note: Any aftermarket motor mount / trans mount / dogbone mount that is firmer than the OEM mount can increase noise and/or vibration to some level above the stock mount.