![]() ![]() ![]() The Golf Gti: Seven Generations Of Fun. SHARE. The Golf Gti: Seven Generations Of Fun As we roll through our little Volkswagen Group celebration here on Speedhunters, it was only fitting that we take a look back at one of the most iconic and influential automobiles that Volkswagen has produced: the Golf GTI. For seven generations and close to four decades now the GTI has been delivering affordable thrills to car enthusiasts across the world, and has secured itself a place as one of history’s great performance cars. The legend of the GTI began at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1. Volkswagen decided to debut a hotted- up version of its front- wheel drive Golf compact car. By this time the Golf had already been on sale in Europe for about a year, and was well on its way to following in the steps of the Beetle, which it had been designed to replace as a car for the masses. What the GTI did was take the basic architecture of the Mk I Golf and raid the parts bin to make something that was both fun, efficient and usable. The Mk I GTI came equipped with a 1. K- Jetronic mechanical fuel injection system. The Mk I made 1. 10ps, which doesn’t sound like much by today’s standards, but was a very impressive number for the mid- 1. Better yet, the the car weighed less than 1,8. CAR magazine's independent long-term test of the VW Golf GTI. We live with Volkswagen's Golf GTI hot hatch to see how it performs. Full expert review here. WelcomeThis is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. 2016 Golf 4-Door 1.8T SEL with Lighting Package shown. 2017 Golf features may vary. VW and Audi TDI forum, and Chevy Cruze diesel forum. Volkswagen (German pronunciation: Volkswagen demonstrates the future of digital personalization at ces 2017 jan 5, 2017. But even more importantly, the Golf GTI broke ground in being the world’s first true hot hatch. The car brought the performance and fun factor of traditional sports car without sacrificing any of the practicality that made the basic Golf so popular. It was also easy on fuel, which was especially important considering the climate of the decade. The GTI was a car that felt just as at home on a winding back road as it did commuting to work, or heading out on a family shopping trip. Because of its relatively affordable price, the Mk I GTI became an extremely popular car across the world, including in the United States where it debuted in 1. Rabbit GTI. Based on the success of the first generation of the GTI, it’s not surprising that Volkswagen took more of an evolutionary step when it came time to introduce the second generation. It was an approach that would continue in the decades to come, with few major changes between generations. The Mk II car was still immediately recognizable as a Golf GTI, but one that had been modernized for the times. The car took the formula established with the Mk I and went for a series of improvements inside and out. The engine line- up grew to include 1. The seller of today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Rabbit pickup says he doesn’t need your money. Why he’s then advertising the truck is beyond me, but he does say. Rich history. Just traded in my 2013 TDI for a 2016 GTI with manual tranny + performance pack. The only option I didn't check was the adaptive suspension. L and 2. 0. L 1. 6- valve engines, and there was even a version of the car offered with the supercharged G6. Volkswagen Corrado. Inside, the Mk II GTI’s cockpit was a lesson in German simplicity, and along with the addition of more potent powerplants is a big reason why the Mk II has remained a big favorite of VW enthusiasts to this day. While the Mk II GTI was met with strong sales and plenty of praise from the automotive press, it was also facing increased competition from other European models, as well as those from Japan. The newfound competition was something that VW certainly took into consideration when it came time for the third generation GTI. That variant arrived in 1. VW’s best- selling car. As with the Mk II, VW stuck with a more evolutionary approach for the Mk III GTI. The engines from the Mk II largely carried over. The big powerplant quickly won over enthusiasts with its smooth powerband and distinct exhaust note, even if it was more thirsty than the four- cylinder offerings. While the third generation car didn’t quite arrive to the same fanfare as its predecessors, it’s more recently picked up a strong enthusiast following, particularly when it comes to those VR6- powered models. The fourth generation of the Golf appeared in 1. Mk IV GTI brought with it a number of changes. For starters, the looks of the car were taken more upscale, with less distinction between the GTI models and the normal Golf. ![]() The Mk IV GTI also saw a number of different engine options, including diesel powerplants for the European market and in the US market the return of the VR6 in the high end GTI GLX trim. Also making its appearance in the Mk IV GTI was the new 2. L turbo motor, which made 1. It was an efficient and powerful engine that would signal the shape of GTIs to come. In 2. 00. 2, to commemorate the 2. GTI, Volkswagen introduced a special edition of the car with unique bumpers, wheels, interior treatment and other details to set it apart from the standard GTI. In the US market, a similar version was known as the GTI 3. Edition. In 2. 00. VW would also release a special edition to mark the 2. GTI in the US. In September, 2. GTI debuted in Paris. From a styling standpoint, the new GTI was a big step forward from the Mk IV. The car featured a distinct front end which brought back the red trim seen on the Mk I, as well as the plaid seats that also defined the early GTIs. But the changes were much more than skin deep. Mechanically, the Mk V GTI was an entirely different car than its predecessor and it represented one of the most dramatic changes in the history of the car. Powering the Mk V GTI was just one engine – a new 2. If so desired, the motor could be mated to VW’s new widely acclaimed DSG dual- clutch transmission. The result was a GTI that was both faster and more refined than ever. The changes to the car paid off, as the Mk V reignited excitement for the GTI around the world and helped return to the car to its former glory. It’s not surprising then when the new Mk VI GTI arrived in 2. Mk V. The sixth generation of the GTI continued where the Mk V left off, bringing more refinements to the interior, exterior, and powertrain while still relying on the old car’s architecture. The evolutionary approach paid off once again, with the Mk VI GTI taking all of the same accolades that were placed on the Mk V. As I elaborated on during the update on my own Mk VI GTI daily driver, the car served as perfect blend of the GTI’s original ideals while being updated for the times. The seventh and most recent chapter in the GTI story began last year with the introduction of the Mk VII GTI. While the car doesn’t look terribly different from the Mk VI, it’s based on the all new MQB platform, which also underpins a number of other VW Audi Group models. Although slightly larger than previous cars, thanks to its new platform the GTI is actually lighter than before. The proven 2. 0. L TSI engine remains in use, although it now produces more power than before with an optional performance pack bringing even more fun to the equation. Once again, VW has seemed to create the perfect balance of performance, comfort, and usability with the Mk VII. I’m still anxiously awaiting the car’s American arrival so I can have my chance to jump behind the wheel. So there you have it, almost 4. GTI history. In many ways the car has changed completely over its seven iterations, but in other ways it’s very much remained the same. It’s still the original hot hatch, and a global icon that never seems to stop improving. Mike Garrett. Instagram : speedhunters. Volkswagen - Wikipedia. Volkswagen (German pronunciation. It is the flagship marque of the Volkswagen Group, the largest automaker by worldwide sales in 2. As a result, only one German out of 5. Seeking a potential new market, some car makers began independent . Josef Ganz developed the Standard Superior (going as far as advertising it as the . In Germany, the company Hanomag mass- produced the 2/1. PS . Ferdinand Porsche, a well- known designer for high- end vehicles and race cars, had been trying for years to get a manufacturer interested in a small car suitable for a family. He felt the small cars at the time were just stripped down big cars. Instead he built a car he called the . He wanted all German citizens to have access to cars. Thus, Hitler chose to sponsor an all- new, state- owned factory using Ferdinand Porsche's design (with some of Hitler's design constraints, including an air- cooled engine so nothing could freeze). The intention was that ordinary Germans would buy the car by means of a savings scheme (. However, the entire project was financially unsound, and only the Nazi party made it possible to provide funding. The car already had its distinctive round shape and air- cooled, flat- four, rear- mounted engine. The VW car was just one of many Kd. F programs, which included things such as tours and outings. The prefix Volks— (. On May 2. 8, 1. 93. Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mb. H (. More than a year later, on September 1. Volkswagenwerk Gmb. H. It was one of the first cars designed with the aid of a wind tunnel—a method used for German aircraft design since the early 1. The car designs were put through rigorous tests, and achieved a record- breaking million miles of testing before being deemed finished. The construction of the new factory started in May 1. None were actually delivered to any holder of the completed saving stamp books, though one Type 1 Cabriolet was presented to Hitler on 2. April 1. 94. 4 (his 5. As was common with much of the production in Nazi Germany during the war, slave labor was utilized in the Volkswagen plant, e. The company would admit in 1. German historians estimated that 8. Volkswagen's wartime workforce was slave labor. A lawsuit was filed in 1. In April 1. 94. 5, Kd. F- Stadt and its heavily bombed factory were captured by the Americans, and subsequently handed over to the British, within whose occupation zone the town and factory fell. The factories were placed under the control of Oldham- born Hirst, by then a civilian Military Governor with the occupying forces. At first, one plan was to use it for military vehicle maintenance, and possibly dismantle and ship it to Britain. Since it had been used for military production, (though not of Kd. F- Wagens) and had been in Hirst's words, a . Hirst had it repainted green and demonstrated it to British Army headquarters. Short of light transport, in September 1. British Army was persuaded to place a vital order for 2. However, production facilities had been massively disrupted, there was a refugee crisis at and around the factory and some parts (such as carburetors) were unavailable. With striking humanity and great engineering and management ingenuity, Hirst and his German assistant Heinrich Nordhoff (who went on to run the Wolfsburg facility after Military Government ended in 1. Hirst, for example, used his fine engineering experience to arrange the manufacture of carburetors, the original producers being effectively 'lost' in the Russian zone. Some British Service personnel were allowed to take their Beetles back to the United Kingdom when they were demobilised. The defeated German staff, he said, were initially sullen and unresponsive, having been conditioned by many years of Nazism and they were sometimes unresponsive to orders. At Nordhoff's suggestion, he sent back to England for his officer's uniform and from then on, had no difficulty in having his instructions followed. Hirst can be seen photographed at Wolfsburg in his uniform, although he was not actually a soldier at the time but a civilian member of the Military Government. The title of 'Major' was sometimes used by someone who had left the Army as a courtesy title. In fact, Hirst chose not to do so. These rules set German car production at a maximum of 1. Owing to roof and window damage, production had to stop when it rained, and the company had to barter new vehicles for steel for production. It was still unclear what was to become of the factory. It was offered to representatives from the American, Australian, British, and French motor industries. Famously, all rejected it. After an inspection of the plant, Sir William Rootes, head of the British Rootes Group, told Hirst the project would fail within two years, and that the car . If you think you're going to build cars in this place, you're a bloody fool, young man. In March 1. 94. 8, the British offered the Volkswagen company to Ford, free of charge. Henry Ford II, the son of Edsel Ford, traveled to West Germany for discussions. Heinz Nordhoff was also present, and Ernest Breech, chairman of the board for Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford II looked to Ernest Breech for his opinion, and Breech said, . Ford, I don't think what we're being offered here is worth a dime! In 1. 94. 9, Major Hirst left the company—now re- formed as a trust controlled by the West German government and government of the State of Lower Saxony. Apart from the introduction of the Volkswagen Type 2commercial vehicle (van, pick- up and camper), and the VW Karmann Ghia sports car, Nordhoff pursued the one- model policy until shortly before his death in 1. Volkswagens were first exhibited and sold in the United States in 1. America that first year. On entry to the U. S. Volkswagen of America was formed in April 1. United States. Production of the Type 1 Volkswagen Beetle increased dramatically over the years, the total reaching one million in 1. The UK's first official Volkswagen Importer, Colborne Garages of Ripley, Surrey, started with parts for the models brought home by soldiers returning from Germany. The order consisted of 1. C, a black, green, and sandcolor (3) 1. GS, a chestnut brown and two azure blue, (2) 2. A- M5. 1 in red, (1)2. A in blue, (1) 2. A in blue, (1) 2. A beige color, and one ambulance. Volkswagens were seen in Canada for the first time at the Canadian National Exhibition in August 1. The first shipment for Volkswagen Canada reached Toronto in early December 1. To this, a 6. 0,0. In 1. 97. 6, mass arrests occurred and some VW employees were tortured. In 1. 97. 9, Brazilian VW workers traveled to Wolfsburg to inform the CEO in person. In 2. 01. 5, activists and former VW employees in Brazil spoke out in public accused the company. In fall 2. 01. 6, VW commissioned an expet review of the situation due end of 2. On 1. 7 February 1. Beetle was sold. Volkswagen could now claim the world production record for the most- produced, single make of car in history. By 1. 97. 3, total production was over 1. To commemorate its passing the Ford Model T's record sales mark and its victories in the Baja 1. Mexican races from 1. Volkswagen produced its first limited- edition Beetle. It was marketed as the . It featured unique . Dealer- installed options for this limited- edition Superbeetle included the following: white stripes running the length of the rocker- panel, a special shifter knob, bumper overriders, tapered exhaust tips, fake walnut inserts in the dashboard (behind the steering wheel and the glovebox cover) as well as Bosch fog lights mounted on the front bumper. By 1. 96. 3, the Type 1 came with a 1. By 1. 96. 5 the Type 1 had a 1. The air- cooled engine lost favor in the USA market with the advent of non- leaded gasoline and smog controls. These air- cooled engines were commonly tuned to be fuel rich in order to control engine over- heating, and this led to excessive carbon monoxide emissions. VW Production equipment was eventually moved to Mexico where vehicle emissions were not regulated. Beetles were popular on the USA West Coast where the limited- capacity cabin heating was less inconvenient. Beetles were popularized on the USA West Coast as beach buggies and dune buggies. VW expanded its product line in 1. Type 3 models (Karmann Ghia, Notchback, Fastback, and Variant) based on the new Type 3 mechanical underpinnings. The name 'Squareback' was used in the U. S. A for the Variant. In 1. 96. 9 the larger Type 4 (4. These differed substantially from previous vehicles, with the notable introduction of monocoque/unibody construction, the option of a fully automatic transmission, electronic fuel injection, and a sturdier powerplant. Volkswagen added a . The Type 1. 31 differed from the standard Beetle in its use of a Mac. Pherson strut front suspension instead of the usual torsion bars. The Super Beetle featured a new hooded, padded dash and curved windshield (from 1. Rack and pinion steering replaced recirculating ball steering gears in model year 1. The front of the car was stretched 2 inches (5. In 1. 97. 3, Volkswagen introduced the military- themed Type 1. The military version was produced for the NATO- era German Army during the Cold War years of 1. Thing version only sold for two years, 1. The former company owned the historic Audi brand, which had disappeared after the Second World War. VW ultimately merged Auto Union and NSU to create the modern Audi company, and would go on to develop it as its luxury vehiclemarque. The purchase of Auto Union and NSU was a pivotal point in Volkswagen's history, as both companies yielded the technological expertise that proved necessary for VW to survive when demand for its air- cooled models went into decline. By late 1. 97. 2, Volkswagen had decided to cancel the nearly finished typ 2. Beetle, and to focus on front- wheel- drive, water- cooled cars. Rudolf Leiding, recently made head of Volkswagen, cited noise, heat, and servicing problems with the mid- engine layout, as well as the difficulty of making it a station wagon.
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