2005 Volkswagen GTI VR6 Road Test

Born to Run

It all started way back in the same summer when NASA released the famous Face on Mars photo, taken by Viking 1, and Racing Champion

By sticking to the simple formula of light weight and big horsepower, it's no wonder the Volkswagen GTI has been a roaring success for the past 30 years. (Photo: Volkswagen of America)

Niki Lauda ended his F1 driving career at the German Grand Prix. With just 5,000 cars produced in two colors, silver and red, the Volkswagen GTI was born, forever changing peoples' perceptions of automotive performance. 2006 marks the 30th anniversary of the diminutive sport hatch, and during those three decades more than 1.5 million of the specially tuned little cars have rolled off production lines.

To say the GTI has been an unqualified success is an understatement, but when you consider it's simple formula -- light weight with big horsepower -- it isn't too surprising that the fun-to-drive 3-door has been a showroom stopper.

The 2005 model comes available with two engines, including a tidy 1.8-liter four-cylinder turbo producing 180 horses, and the legendary narrow-angle VR6, a lightweight 2.8-liter six-banger pumping out 200 ponies. The 1.8T is mated to a manual five-speed, while the VR6 comes with a manual six-speed. A five-speed

The 2005 model comes available with two engines, including a tidy 1.8-liter four-cylinder turbo producing 180 horses. (Photo: Volkswagen of America)

automatic with Tiptronic manual shift mode is an option with the smaller engine.

My tester featured the VR6, and as you'd expect the power-to-weight ratio gives this compact contender knockout ability. The GTI's larger four-door stablemate, the Jetta, is a rocket with this engine, so when the six-cylinder is strapped inside the hatchback, the ride is nothing short of wild.

Still, the fine balance and engineering of the suspension, the short and wide wheelbase and the meaty 17-inch wheels help to convey a solid and stable sense of handling. The 1.8T comes standard with 16-inch boots, with 17-inchers optional.