2000 Volkswagen Golf GTI 1.8T - Staying True to GTI Priorities
Every generation has its icons. There are movie stars, business magnates, sports personalities and, lest we forget, cars. In the Thirties it was the Silver Arrows - the Auto Union and Daimler-Benz GP racers had a virtual strangle hold on their competition. The Sixties had the Ferrari GTO in Europe and the Pontiac GTO, among others, in North America - both wonderful performance cars with very different missions. The Seventies and Eighties saw the hot-hatch segment take hold - led by the venerable VW GTI.
The GTI was first introduced in Canada in 1979, and waited four more years to enter the U.S. in 1983. It was quick to raise eyebrows, especially among the 'speed is directly related to displacement' crowd, which most North Americans belonged to. The larger the bore and the shorter the stroke, the more power you had. The more cylinders you had, attached to the ultimate in radical cams, the greater amount of pure unadulterated power. Of course, there is nothing wrong with these ideals, as long as we have a never ending supply of cheap fuel, but those who remember the long lines at gas stations during the late 70's know this is not realistic.
Today, with fuel prices on the rise once again, the 1.8-liter turbo engine, which is the same little jewel found in the base Audi A4, seems like a prudent choice over the lusty and thirsty VR6. Unlike most 'wise and prudent' decisions, the 1.8T is an easy choice for the enthusiast. At only 150-hp, compared with the VR6 at 176, it would seem as if the numbers don't calibrate to this assumption. Yet, this little tornado feels like it's putting out a great deal more than the spec sheet tells you.