GTI, what more can I add?The
Volkswagen GTI is one of those fabled nameplates that have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success over the last three decades. In fact, Volkswagen found so much success with the GTI that other manufactures simply used the three magical letters for their own personal use. One of the most famous is the Peugeot 205 GTi that gained a considerable amount of fame in the group B era of the WRC championship. Another is Citroën and their 80s BX and CX cars.
In the late 70s, cars had had lost much of their appeal. Volkswagen saw an opportunity to combine a small, lightweight car with a slightly more powerful engine. This way,
fuel consumption would remain very reasonable but the fun-factor would climb exponentially. Well, it obviously worked. By 1985, the MKII GTI surfaced with a little more weight and with more power. When 1993 rolled in, the MKIII GTI had gained a fair amount of baby-fat and in the process, a potent VR6 6-cylinder engine was added to the menu to carry the extra load. 1999 was the next time that the GTI (MKIV) was to show a new face. In the course of this generation, a
turbocharged 1.8L engine made its entry and realigned the car with a potent compact powerplant.
Finally, for the 2007 model years, Volkswagen presents North Americans with its latest iteration of the original pocket-rocket. Physically, the car is "very euro". The front end of the Golf, GTI and Jetta are identical save for the use of the corporate grill which is oddly absent on the Golf, chromed on the Jetta and blacked-out on the Jetta GLI and GTI. Where the Jetta looses out in favour of the GTI is in the rear-end treatment. Although the taillights share a similar shape, the way they blend into the hatch and rear fenders of the GTI simply makes them look right.
Using the chassis of the Passat and Jetta, the Golf and GTI assured of being built on one of the stiffest platforms available in this category and price range. On top of this, the panel assembly is impressively tight and the paint application is smooth and even. The final product is a clean and
cohesive looking automobile. OK, I can longer contain myself; I think the car is gorgeous.
The interior is typical Volkswagen craftsmanship. The materials used are of top quality and the fit and finish is very good. The seats are incredibly supportive and are easily adjusted to find the perfect driving position. The Interlagos cloth seats are grippy, more so than the leather covered bucket, not to mention that I think they also look great. The steering wheel, with its flat bottom, is an absolute work of art. The dash layout is functional and the look is very elegant.
Now for the interesting stuff. The heart of the GTI is a turbocharged 16-valve 2.0L inline 4-cylinder. Shared with the Passat and Jetta, its output is of 200 hp at 5 100 rpm and 207 lb/ft of torque at 1 800 rpm. The standard transmission is a 6-speed manual and the option is a 6-speed direct shift gearbox (DSG). This sequential 'box is so sophisticated and quick-shifting that it actually trims .3 seconds off the 0-100 km/h sprint (6.9 vs. 7.2) according to Volkswagen. Steering is electro-mechanical with variable assist. Brakes consist of 4-wheel discs and the suspension is fully independent.
