Vw Gti! - Team-BHP

amit · 20th March 2006, 08:26

It's said great people don't do different things. They just do things differently. This statement probably applies perfectly to the engineers at VolksWagen. Small cities and narrow roads necessiasiated the design of a small car that would have 5 doors with luggage carrying ability. A car that ordinary people with families would buy. These cars came to called family hatcbacks and it wouldn't be a overstatement if I said that the VolksWagen Golf was and is among the best hatchbacks ever produced. But these hatches were always boring to drive. It was almost like family hatch and fun to drive could never go together. So if anyone wanted a fun to drive car, he would have to buy a second car that would invariably be either a sedan or if he had lots of money a proper sports car. This is when the good guys at VW decided to make a car that would retain the family hatchback look and design but would still be a blast to drive. They decided to make a derivative of the best selling Golf and then VolksWagen introduced the world to a new type of car that came to be called The Hot Hatch!

The GTI was produced in June 1976 and was avaliable in silver and red only. This 110hp GTI with a top speed of 182 kmph went to conquer the market and became the founder of the GTI class. VW decided that only 5,000 units of the GTI would be produced. Upto the Mark IV GTI, VW ended up producing over 1.5 Million units! The GTI badging is a phenomenon. Over 93.2 percent of Europeans and 98.5 percent of Germans associate them with the Golf. GTI=Golf=Volkswagen.

Unfortunately, VW lost focus mid-way through the GTI's life. The essence of the GTI was lost when VW launched the Mark IV version. Experts called the car the worst GTI ever made. The car was a dud. Top Gear reviewed the car and said the GTI was slower from 0-100 kmph then a Skoda Octavia TDi! Neither did the car have that enthusiastic engine nor did it have the taut handling that had come to characterise the GTI. Lesser cars that were actually insipirations from the GTI actually poked fun at the car on the roads. The MK IV was just a shadow of the legendary GTI. It had the badge, thats all it had. BUT, VW knew they had blundered. They listened to the flak their baby got from everyone. They saw how the GTI was left for dead by lesser cars and they werent going to let the GTI die.

It's Back!

That ladies and gentlemen is the new MK V GTI. VW have struck back and how! Lucky me because I have driven the latest GTI and boy does it rock!

The car is beautiful to look at with the right touch of sporty features. I just love the clean lines of the new GTI and that typical Germanic clean rear is just awesome. The black honey comb grille with red stripes and GTI badging and those fog lights is a work of art. The spoiler at the back with twin tail pipes and the VW logo in the center that doubles up as the hatch release lock are so typical European touches. The car comes standard with 17" wheels (18" is a CAD 900 option) and of course you can see the red calipers which incidentally finish off that sporty GTI look.

The interior's have the right balance of sportiness, luxury and comfort and conviniance features. The two things that I absolutely love about the GTI's interiors are the seats and the flattened out at the bottom steering. Get in the car, sit on those lovely seats with the worlds best side bolsters and you are right there. Perfectly seated with every control falling right into your hands so that all you, the driver does, is enjoy driving this car.

The car starts off at CAD 29,375 Plus frieght and taxes (approx Rs. 11.20 lakhs) but at that price you get apart from what I have described above, single zone semi-automatic climatic air conditioning, Premium 10 speaker AM/FM in-dash 6 Cd system, heated front seats, power heated mirrors, heated windshield washer nozzles, cruise control, steering mounted stereo controls with MFI, 4 Wheel disc brakes with ABS and EBD, ESP, 6 airbags and bi-xenon head lights! But forget all that because I say the price is a steal simply for that awesome 2.0 L Turbo FSI engine!.

This 2.0L TFSI engine won the best engine in the 1.8 to 2.0L category in the engine of the year awards last year beating the Corolla's 1.8L VVT-i engine. 200 BHp with a flat torque of 207 lb.ft (280Nm) from 1800 to 4700rpm makes the car extremely tractable. The torque is just relentless and it just keeps flowing at any speed and in any gear. This engine is a beautiful balance of power, torque and gearing. You never feel like the car is out of breath. And hell there is absolutely no turbo lag! The refinement of the engine is what amazed me. Absoutley silent and a little audible and high rpm's and you have to see and expereince how free revving that TFSI engine is. And this is driving with the 91 octane fuel. I believe the engine does it's best with 95 Octane fuel. I can only imagine what it will be with that fuel! The closest I have come to driving the MK IV GTI is driving the Jetta 1.8T. And believe me when I say this, the Mk V GTI will easily have the last gen car for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The all independant suspension is a absoulte gem. Tauter then the set up in the Jetta, the sport tuned suspension gives the car the agility and the enthusiasm to take corners. Twist the sharp electo mechnaical power steering and the car darts into corners taking them like a fish takes to water. The car is a point and shoot car. Just give a twist of the steering and the car will dart right where you want it go. Amazing man. On the smooth 401, the car felt rock steady at all speeds and it just didn't feel like I was going fast until I saw the speedometer and it was showing 170kmph and at that speed the engine just felt like it was waking up! It still had so much of go left in it, just a tap and the car shoots through traffic. To top all this, Vw even have got the exhaust sound spot on giving that right amount of sporty growl. You can prepare yourself for this car but it will still amaze you. Many experts call it the best GTI ever. The GTI is not A car. It's a legend, it's a piece of automotive history. When you buy a GTI, you don't buy a car, you buy history. And I have driven this piece of history. It makes me feel priveliged to have had the chance to drive THE GTI.

And yea, those of you waiting for the Octaiva/ Laura RS. You guys don't know what you are in for! You have been warned!

major · 20th March 2006, 09:32

Amit

Nice review, Its a beautiful car.

Cheers ....Major

devarshi84 · 20th March 2006, 10:21

before I saw the car it was just another hot hatch for me.

but this car has the potential and looks to take on other performance cars.

lets see what fate has been written for this car.

I personally give this car all thumbs up.

devarshi84 · 21st March 2006, 21:10

Btw Amit you must have driven the honda civic Si too.

can you give a comparo between the GTI and the civic SI?

highwayblaze · 21st March 2006, 22:19

Neat Review brother,
I've driven the Mark V and U betcha its a bomb. The tiny 2.0Litre i hot with that turbo. Low boost makes is easy for driving in traffic and the gear shift is as smooth , sharp and inplace.
I own a Mark 4 GTI myself. But mines not a turbo charged instead its a VR6 with a 2.8Litre. Somehow I find the 2.0T on the mark V more able and much more potent

. Havent got a chance to drive the DSG version though. But i'm still happy the 6-speed is what I'd get instead of the DSG.
Good Review.
Good Luck

Mpower · 21st March 2006, 23:00

wasnt there a mark 4 with 3.2 VR6+DSG+4motion ?? what was that called?

bigman · 22nd March 2006, 00:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mpower

wasnt there a mark 4 with 3.2 VR6+DSG+4motion ?? what was that called?

That would be the Golf R32. An old school friend ordered two of these and managed to sell one before delivery for a nice profit. He kept the other one for a few months before selling it.

highwayblaze · 22nd March 2006, 02:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mpower

wasnt there a mark 4 with 3.2 VR6+DSG+4motion ?? what was that called?

Yea Bigman's right. Problem is only 5000thousand are imported in the US. Same is with this year. Dealers start asking for too much money for this car then. Well its a great car but definitely not worth 33K or watever. Rather buy an EVO or STi. This year there's a speculation over a 4 door version of the R32. Infact there's also speculation over R32 or R36, seems VW has a 3.6Litre for this car. Eventually its gonna be either one of them(3 or 5 door) and (3.2 or 3.6) and yes there's another categorization the DSG or the 6-speed. They said they cannot bring both in coz of some US laws that might bump up the cost of each car by a grand. Mostly i'm guessing it'll be the DSG since its become like a signature thing for VW. Btw bigman, how much did your friend buy and sell it for ? I mean how much did he make on the car?

highwayblaze · 22nd March 2006, 02:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mpower

wasnt there a mark 4 with 3.2 VR6+DSG+4motion ?? what was that called?

btw the mark 4 was not a DSG, it was six speed manual.

bigman · 22nd March 2006, 03:19

highwayblaze,

This was a few years ago but I think he made 2 thousand pounds on the car. Not sure if he lost anything on the one he kept for a few months.

Mpower · 22nd March 2006, 03:32

the 3.6 VR6 is the same engine that debued in the new Passat...285 bhp approx.

S@~+#0$# · 22nd March 2006, 04:48

Neat review bro, the new GTi looks awesome. Especially liked the front grill with the red lining and the wheels.

amit · 22nd March 2006, 08:02

Quote:

Btw Amit you must have driven the honda civic Si too.

No I haven't driven the current Si.

Quote:

can you give a comparo between the GTI and the civic SI?

There are a lot of people comparing the two cars and one of my prospective customers said that Car and bike or some magazine did a comparo between these two and was of the opinion that the GTI is a better car then a civic Si by a far margin. Haven't read the article myself though.

I was planning on clicking more pictures but thanks to the canadian winter, my camera froze after these pics and refused to start for the next 10 hours! The car looks amazing and pictures don't do justice to this beautiful machine. Maybe I will click more pics this weekend.

devarshi84 · 22nd March 2006, 22:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by amit

No I haven't driven the current Si.

There are a lot of people comparing the two cars and one of my prospective customers said that Car and bike or some magazine did a comparo between these two and was of the opinion that the GTI is a better car then a civic Si by a far margin. Haven't read the article myself though.

I was planning on clicking more pictures but thanks to the canadian winter, my camera froze after these pics and refused to start for the next 10 hours! The car looks amazing and pictures don't do justice to this beautiful machine. Maybe I will click more pics this weekend.

and what have the customers been debating about when they come to have a look at the GTI?

20th March 2006, 08:26	#1 (permalink)
amit Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 2,072	Vw Gti! It's said great people don't do different things. They just do things differently. This statement probably applies perfectly to the engineers at VolksWagen. Small cities and narrow roads necessiasiated the design of a small car that would have 5 doors with luggage carrying ability. A car that ordinary people with families would buy. These cars came to called family hatcbacks and it wouldn't be a overstatement if I said that the VolksWagen Golf was and is among the best hatchbacks ever produced. But these hatches were always boring to drive. It was almost like family hatch and fun to drive could never go together. So if anyone wanted a fun to drive car, he would have to buy a second car that would invariably be either a sedan or if he had lots of money a proper sports car. This is when the good guys at VW decided to make a car that would retain the family hatchback look and design but would still be a blast to drive. They decided to make a derivative of the best selling Golf and then VolksWagen introduced the world to a new type of car that came to be called The Hot Hatch! The GTI was produced in June 1976 and was avaliable in silver and red only. This 110hp GTI with a top speed of 182 kmph went to conquer the market and became the founder of the GTI class. VW decided that only 5,000 units of the GTI would be produced. Upto the Mark IV GTI, VW ended up producing over 1.5 Million units! The GTI badging is a phenomenon. Over 93.2 percent of Europeans and 98.5 percent of Germans associate them with the Golf. GTI=Golf=Volkswagen. Unfortunately, VW lost focus mid-way through the GTI's life. The essence of the GTI was lost when VW launched the Mark IV version. Experts called the car the worst GTI ever made. The car was a dud. Top Gear reviewed the car and said the GTI was slower from 0-100 kmph then a Skoda Octavia TDi! Neither did the car have that enthusiastic engine nor did it have the taut handling that had come to characterise the GTI. Lesser cars that were actually insipirations from the GTI actually poked fun at the car on the roads. The MK IV was just a shadow of the legendary GTI. It had the badge, thats all it had. BUT, VW knew they had blundered. They listened to the flak their baby got from everyone. They saw how the GTI was left for dead by lesser cars and they werent going to let the GTI die. It's Back! That ladies and gentlemen is the new MK V GTI. VW have struck back and how! Lucky me because I have driven the latest GTI and boy does it rock! The car is beautiful to look at with the right touch of sporty features. I just love the clean lines of the new GTI and that typical Germanic clean rear is just awesome. The black honey comb grille with red stripes and GTI badging and those fog lights is a work of art. The spoiler at the back with twin tail pipes and the VW logo in the center that doubles up as the hatch release lock are so typical European touches. The car comes standard with 17" wheels (18" is a CAD 900 option) and of course you can see the red calipers which incidentally finish off that sporty GTI look. The interior's have the right balance of sportiness, luxury and comfort and conviniance features. The two things that I absolutely love about the GTI's interiors are the seats and the flattened out at the bottom steering. Get in the car, sit on those lovely seats with the worlds best side bolsters and you are right there. Perfectly seated with every control falling right into your hands so that all you, the driver does, is enjoy driving this car. The car starts off at CAD 29,375 Plus frieght and taxes (approx Rs. 11.20 lakhs) but at that price you get apart from what I have described above, single zone semi-automatic climatic air conditioning, Premium 10 speaker AM/FM in-dash 6 Cd system, heated front seats, power heated mirrors, heated windshield washer nozzles, cruise control, steering mounted stereo controls with MFI, 4 Wheel disc brakes with ABS and EBD, ESP, 6 airbags and bi-xenon head lights! But forget all that because I say the price is a steal simply for that awesome 2.0 L Turbo FSI engine!. This 2.0L TFSI engine won the best engine in the 1.8 to 2.0L category in the engine of the year awards last year beating the Corolla's 1.8L VVT-i engine. 200 BHp with a flat torque of 207 lb.ft (280Nm) from 1800 to 4700rpm makes the car extremely tractable. The torque is just relentless and it just keeps flowing at any speed and in any gear. This engine is a beautiful balance of power, torque and gearing. You never feel like the car is out of breath. And hell there is absolutely no turbo lag! The refinement of the engine is what amazed me. Absoutley silent and a little audible and high rpm's and you have to see and expereince how free revving that TFSI engine is. And this is driving with the 91 octane fuel. I believe the engine does it's best with 95 Octane fuel. I can only imagine what it will be with that fuel! The closest I have come to driving the MK IV GTI is driving the Jetta 1.8T. And believe me when I say this, the Mk V GTI will easily have the last gen car for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The all independant suspension is a absoulte gem. Tauter then the set up in the Jetta, the sport tuned suspension gives the car the agility and the enthusiasm to take corners. Twist the sharp electo mechnaical power steering and the car darts into corners taking them like a fish takes to water. The car is a point and shoot car. Just give a twist of the steering and the car will dart right where you want it go. Amazing man. On the smooth 401, the car felt rock steady at all speeds and it just didn't feel like I was going fast until I saw the speedometer and it was showing 170kmph and at that speed the engine just felt like it was waking up! It still had so much of go left in it, just a tap and the car shoots through traffic. To top all this, Vw even have got the exhaust sound spot on giving that right amount of sporty growl. You can prepare yourself for this car but it will still amaze you. Many experts call it the best GTI ever. The GTI is not A car. It's a legend, it's a piece of automotive history. When you buy a GTI, you don't buy a car, you buy history. And I have driven this piece of history. It makes me feel priveliged to have had the chance to drive THE GTI. And yea, those of you waiting for the Octaiva/ Laura RS. You guys don't know what you are in for! You have been warned! Last edited by amit : 20th March 2006 at 08:31.

20th March 2006, 09:32	#2 (permalink)
major BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: mumbai Posts: 53	Amit Nice review, Its a beautiful car. Cheers ....Major __________________ Good is no longer Good, when BETTER is expected..

20th March 2006, 10:21	#3 (permalink)
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 2,997 View My Garage	before I saw the car it was just another hot hatch for me. but this car has the potential and looks to take on other performance cars. lets see what fate has been written for this car. I personally give this car all thumbs up. __________________ boyracer.blogspot.com

21st March 2006, 21:10	#4 (permalink)
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 2,997 View My Garage	Btw Amit you must have driven the honda civic Si too. can you give a comparo between the GTI and the civic SI? __________________ boyracer.blogspot.com

21st March 2006, 22:19	#5 (permalink)
highwayblaze BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Chicago/Mumbai/Pune Posts: 761 View My Garage	Neat Review brother, I've driven the Mark V and U betcha its a bomb. The tiny 2.0Litre i hot with that turbo. Low boost makes is easy for driving in traffic and the gear shift is as smooth , sharp and inplace. I own a Mark 4 GTI myself. But mines not a turbo charged instead its a VR6 with a 2.8Litre. Somehow I find the 2.0T on the mark V more able and much more potent . Havent got a chance to drive the DSG version though. But i'm still happy the 6-speed is what I'd get instead of the DSG. Good Review. Good Luck __________________ Chill Pill Blaze

21st March 2006, 23:00	#6 (permalink)
Mpower Team-BHP Moderator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chicago/B'lore Posts: 3,629 View My Garage	wasnt there a mark 4 with 3.2 VR6+DSG+4motion ?? what was that called? __________________ The difference between the men and the boys....................is the speed of their toys.

22nd March 2006, 03:19	#10 (permalink)
bigman BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NA Posts: 500	highwayblaze, This was a few years ago but I think he made 2 thousand pounds on the car. Not sure if he lost anything on the one he kept for a few months. Last edited by bigman : 22nd March 2006 at 03:20.

22nd March 2006, 03:32	#11 (permalink)
Mpower Team-BHP Moderator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chicago/B'lore Posts: 3,629 View My Garage	the 3.6 VR6 is the same engine that debued in the new Passat...285 bhp approx. __________________ The difference between the men and the boys....................is the speed of their toys.

22nd March 2006, 04:48	#12 (permalink)
S@~+#0$# BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 413 View My Garage	Neat review bro, the new GTi looks awesome. Especially liked the front grill with the red lining and the wheels. __________________ Cheers Santhosh U'll never lead in someone else's tracks. Cut your own!

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