FRANKFURT, Germany—History tells us that 1976 was, as every year is, tumultuous, heart warming and exciting. That year, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X, a pair of coal mine explosions killed 26 in Kentucky, the Toronto Blue Jays were created, North and South Vietnam united to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Viking 1 lander successfully landed on Mars.
Two other momentous events took place that year: I was born, as was the Volkswagen GTI.
Although it is hard to top the birth of your humble servant, I must concede that the GTI has had a larger impact on the auto business I so love than I have, at least up until this moment. A third one, for those that might like to know, was Porsche throwing a turbocharger in the 911 for the first time. Noteworthy I reckon.
The GTI is perhaps one of the most emulated, revered and appreciated cars of the previous generation; in other words, from the past 30 years. It and the Golf/Rabbit single-handedly shaped the compact-car segment, one of the most important categories of automobiles in the world.
Fast forward through six generations of GTI and we find ourselves facing what could be considered by modern VW GTI enthusiasts as the greatest one ever. Old-school Volkswagen fans will always revert to the original MK1s and MK2s as being the real deals, however by the looks of it and on paper, this GTI cannot and will not be overlooked or ignored.
The “new” car certainly looks like a GTI, but Volkswagen is not one to miss an opportunity to insert subtle little details here and there on the car's body. Blacked-out mirror caps, front grille and headlight/taillight clusters as well as Golf R side skirts make a world of a difference, as do the wheels. My pick falls on the optional 19” 5-spoke Glendales, which are the bomb when in motion. The basic Watkins Glen 18” alloys are BBS-like, which would normally work for me, but when 19s are to be had, they can rarely be beat.
Cabin dressing remains mostly untouched; strategically-placed Edition 35 logos do find their way on the front seats and door sills. The gearshift sports the famous golf ball knob, and parts of the door panels have a special Black Array-type finish. My faves are the sport seats which are like the optional leather ones we get in Canada; the side bolsters are more prominent and they hold you snugly in place. The “Jacky” plaid pattern is also to my liking and belongs in an anniversary car which winks back to a time when plaid was really in.
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| 2011 Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 35 (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com) |
Two other momentous events took place that year: I was born, as was the Volkswagen GTI.
Although it is hard to top the birth of your humble servant, I must concede that the GTI has had a larger impact on the auto business I so love than I have, at least up until this moment. A third one, for those that might like to know, was Porsche throwing a turbocharger in the 911 for the first time. Noteworthy I reckon.
The GTI is perhaps one of the most emulated, revered and appreciated cars of the previous generation; in other words, from the past 30 years. It and the Golf/Rabbit single-handedly shaped the compact-car segment, one of the most important categories of automobiles in the world.
Fast forward through six generations of GTI and we find ourselves facing what could be considered by modern VW GTI enthusiasts as the greatest one ever. Old-school Volkswagen fans will always revert to the original MK1s and MK2s as being the real deals, however by the looks of it and on paper, this GTI cannot and will not be overlooked or ignored.
The “new” car certainly looks like a GTI, but Volkswagen is not one to miss an opportunity to insert subtle little details here and there on the car's body. Blacked-out mirror caps, front grille and headlight/taillight clusters as well as Golf R side skirts make a world of a difference, as do the wheels. My pick falls on the optional 19” 5-spoke Glendales, which are the bomb when in motion. The basic Watkins Glen 18” alloys are BBS-like, which would normally work for me, but when 19s are to be had, they can rarely be beat.
Cabin dressing remains mostly untouched; strategically-placed Edition 35 logos do find their way on the front seats and door sills. The gearshift sports the famous golf ball knob, and parts of the door panels have a special Black Array-type finish. My faves are the sport seats which are like the optional leather ones we get in Canada; the side bolsters are more prominent and they hold you snugly in place. The “Jacky” plaid pattern is also to my liking and belongs in an anniversary car which winks back to a time when plaid was really in.
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| 1976 Volkswagen Golf GTI (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com) |