And adventure I did, all over Toronto and on the 401 and connecting highways, spreading the blood red love of style and the whine
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| And adventure I did, all over Toronto and on the 401 and connecting highways, spreading the blood red love of style and the whine of the turbo around the city for anyone who was quick enough to catch a glimpse. (Photo: Maki Ikushima, Canadian Auto Press) |
of the turbo around the city for anyone who was quick enough to catch a glimpse or hear the scream. It's a car that I took out late in the evening just for the sake of driving around, and particularly on the highways, because that's where it's right at home. It might not be an Autobahn champ, but on the 100 km/h limited highways here in NA, its light curb weight (you laugh, but the 2.0T's 1,409 kilos makes it lighter than the 1,465 kg 2.5) and beyond zippy engine (zippity? zippedy-doo-dah?) put the grin on my face and the power to the wheels whenever and wherever I wanted it, which was pretty much everywhere and all the time. While I will have more to say about the wheels and tires later,
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| My 2.0T tester was equipped with VW's top-tier DSG sequential manual transmission. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
out on the highway they did the trick and kept me safe, secure and suitably thrilled.
Part of the fun equation was the automatic transmission. An auto tranny, fun? Before you start thinking what a loser I am, yeah, I'd take the standard 6-speed if offered, but this 2.0T had VW's top-tier DSG sequential manual transmission. The only thing missing was the paddle shifters, which would have suited this engine and my driving style just fine. For paddle shifters you have to make the jump to Audi and its A3, and I'm still hoping they will be part of the package once the 2.0T arrives in Canada dressed up in GLI trim, which gets a snarly black honeycomb grille instead of the chrome dress uniform, plus fatter wheels with low-profile tires and lowered sport suspension.
