Volkswagen Golf
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The Volkswagen Golf is a compact car / small family car manufactured by Volkswagen. The Golf is Volkswagen's best-selling badge in history, with more than 24 million built as of 2005[1]. Considering that the only thing successive generations of the Volkswagen Golf have in common is the name and a vague similarity, its claim to "the best selling car of all-time worldwide" is dubious at best. That title remains firmly with its brother, the Beetle.
Most production of the Golf has been in the 3-door hatchback style. 5-door hatchback, station wagon (estate/Variant) and convertible (Cabrio) variants have also been available, as well as a sedan (saloon) car based on the Golf (see Volkswagen Jetta). They have existed everywhere between basic personal cars and high-performance sports coupés.
History
The Golf is a historically important automobile, as it has been in continuous production from 1974 to the present day. It is an early example of a hot hatch. The Golf was also a crucial model for Volkswagen itself; by the early 1970s, the company was in serious financial trouble. Beetle sales were in terminal decline, and car buyers increasingly turned away from Volkswagen's air-cooled, rear-engined models. The Type 3 and Type 4 failed to attract any interest, whilst the NSU-developed K70 was an unmitigated disaster. The savior of the German car giant came in the form of Auto Union, which owned the famous Audi brand. Volkswagen had acquired the Ingolstadt Company in 1964 from Daimler-Benz, and crucially gained access to Audi's expertise in water-cooled engines and front wheel drive which were needed to produce a new generation of Volkswagens. The Golf was the central product of this new strategy.
Mk I (1974–present)
The first Golf began production in 1974. Marketed in the United States and Canada from 1975 to 1984 as the Volkswagen Rabbit and in Mexico as the Volkswagen Caribe, it featured the water-cooled, front wheel drive design pioneered by the Citroën Traction Avant with the addition of a hatchback pioneered by the Renault 4. The Golf was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1975.
While the Golf was not the first design with this layout (earlier examples being the Austin Maxi in the late 1960s and the Fiat 128 3P of the early 1970s), it was very successful, especially since it married these features with Volkswagen's reputation for solid build-quality and reliable engineering.
The Golf was designed by Italian automobile architect / designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, of the ItalDesign design studio. A version of this original Golf model, known as the Volkswagen CitiGolf, is still produced in South Africa as an entry level car.
The GTI version, launched in Europe 1976 and the US in 1983, created a whole new type of car, the hot hatch, and was widely copied by all other manufacturers since. It was one of the first small cars to adopt fuel injection for its sports version, which raised power output of the 1588 cc engine to 110 PS (81 kW/108 hp). In 2004, Sports Car International announced the GTI Mk I as the 3rd best car of the 1980s. In the United States, the Mk1 Golf GTI was known as the Rabbit GTI. For background to the development of the GTI, read, "The People's Porsche", an undergraduate dissertation.
There was a minor facelift in 1980, which saw the adoption of larger rear lamp clusters (more in line with Guigiaro's original concepts), larger bumpers, and a new dashboard with a more modern-looking instrument display.
The convertible version, named the Cabriolet, was sold from 1980 to 1993 (a convertible version of the Golf II was not made, so the Mk1 cabrio with slight modification was produced until the introduction of the Mk III cabrio). It had a reinforced body, transverse roll bar, and a high level of trim. The A1 Volkswagen convertible is of unibody construction built entirely at the factory of Karmann, from stamping to final assembly; Volkswagen supplied the engine, suspension, interior, etc. for Karmann to install. The vinyl tops were insulated and manually operated, with a glass rear window.
As of 2006, Volkswagen of South Africa still manufactures two first generation Golfs, the four-door "Citi" Golf and the "Pickup".
Mk II (1983–1992)
The second-generation Golf was launched in 1983 (launched in North America in 1985) and featured a larger bodyshell and a wider range of engine options, including a GTD (In euro markets, using the 1.6 'umwelt' diesel engine), a DOHC 1781cc (1.8) 16-valve version of the straight-four GTI (as well as the tried and tested 1781cc (1.8) 8v GTI), the supercharged 8v "G60" with 2wd and 4wd options, and a racing homologated variant of this, the "Rallye".
A very limited edition hand-built Golf II variant exists, including all of the best features available at the time. Designed and built by the Volkswagen Motorsport division, only 72 of these "G60 Limited" models exist; featuring a unique number and plaque, the G60 supercharger was combined with the 16-valve GTI engine, mated to a sports transmission and Syncro four wheel drive mechanism. All of these special edition models came in black, with four doors (except two in three door), a plain two-headlight grille (not the usual GTI four headlights) and a unique blue grille detail (not red, as the GTI) and motorsport badges. It is rumored that two models were produced with air conditioning. In 1989, these cars cost in the region of £25,000 each and were primarily sold to VAG executives and management, although a few exist in Britain as of 2005. These cars produced 212bhp, making them the most powerful VW Golfs ever produced, until the introduction of the MKIV Golf R32 in 2003.
There was also a version called Golf Country, designed for light off-road driving. It had more suspension travel, four-wheel drive, bullbars (generally over a single headlight grill), a skidplate for protecting the engine area, and a spare wheel mounted externally on the back. In Europe it was offered with the acclaimed 112bhp 1.8 8v petrol engine, and in smaller numbers, the 75 hp 1.6 GTD turbo diesel engine. The Golf Country was particularly popular in Alpine regions in central Europe.
During the life of the Golf II, there were a number of external style revisions. The most notable was the introduction of so called "Big Bumpers", which were introduced between 1989 and 1990 in the European market. Other notable changes to the looks of the Golf II include the removal of quarterlight windows in the front doors, in favour of single piece glass circa 1987. Also the introduction of larger grill slats circa 1987.
The GTI was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1985, as well as VWVortex's "Best Golf of all time". The MkII GTI failed to make the same waves as the MkI, and failed to win back the Golf GTI's fanbase which had adopted the Peugeot 205 GTI.
As with the Mk1, there was a "warm hatch" version known as the Golf Driver. Introduced in 1988, it featured the GTI's exterior styling, namely the twin front headlamps, and wheelarch spoilers but with a standard 1.6 L engine. For the last year of production, the Driver was given a carburetted version of the GTI's 1781cc engine.
Mk III (1991–1998)
The third-generation Golf was launched in November of 1991, although it did not appear in North America until 1993. The third-generation Golf was elected Car of the Year in 1992. For the first time a station wagon derivative was produced. The GTI variants (especially with the straight-four 4 cylinder engine) are considered to be the poorest of the performance Golfs, with significantly increased weight, but with minimal power increases. A "best of breed" VR6 variant exists which was available in a well regarded "Highline" trim; this 2.8 L VR6 engine gave a significant boost in power to 174 PS (128 kW/172 hp) for the Mk.III, a car weighing only about 1285 kg (2836 lb). Compare that to the Mk.II GTI that weighed 285 kg (629 lb) less but had only 139 PS (102 kW/137 hp) and a much smaller engine to tune (1.8 L). The convertible version was called the Cabrio.
A 16-valve version of the third-generation Golf GTI was introduced in 1993. This model was greeted with a muted sense of disenchantment with the motoring press. The engine was the same enlarged to 2.0 L, with power now reaching 150 PS (110 kW/148 hp). While underpowered compared to the VR6, it was still relatively popular with driving enthusiasts in Europe (North America didn't get the GTI version proper, but had the name applied to the VR6 engine). Once again the Golf Driver version took its place as the official GTI-look-alike but with a more humble single-point injected 1.8 L engine.
The Golf MkIII was also the predecessor of the diesel craze that swept through Europe in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Volkswagen introduced the pump-injector system in the Golf TDI in 1996. At 110 PS (81 kW/108 hp) for a 1.9 L engine, it wasn't the first diesel engine installed in a road car to achieve over 50 hp/L, but it showed the public that diesel engines could be powered without losing their fuel efficiency, while also retaining massive amounts of low-end torque, in the TDI's case, 235 N·m (173 lbf·ft) at 1900 rpm.
During the 1990s, Volkswagen sponsored three high-profile rock bands' European tours, and issued a special-edition Golf, with distinctive exterior markings, for each: the Golf Pink Floyd Edition (1994), the Golf Rolling Stones Edition (1995), and the Golf Bon Jovi Edition (1996).
In 1996 Volkswagen produced a limited 1000 special-edition 3-door '20th Anniversary' GTI's. These had the usual GTI specification but a came with checkered GTI logo'd Recaro sport seats, red seat belts, half-chrome golf ball gear knob, red stitching on the steering wheel and on the handbrake gatter and silver dialed instruments. The red theme continued externally with a red striping on the bumpers and red brake calipers, the wheels were 16" split rim BBS alloys, visually similar to the 15" that were found on VR6 model. Brush stainless steel rear twin tailpipes on the exhaust and smoked front fog and indicator lamps to match the rear lamps. 3 optional extras were made available; electric sunroof, air conditioning and metallic black paintwork. Insurance was based on the standard GTI which made this version a very desirable model. The edition was sold in only 6 colour schemes and the 1000 number figures that were produced was as follows; 600 8 valve models, 150 16 valve models and 250 TDI models. The diesel model was only produce for the European market and wasn't sold in the UK. Together with the 'colour concept' version that was produced during the final months before the production of the Mk.IV version, the 20th Anniversary model will probably be seen as the one of the rarest MK.III models.
Mk III editions
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Pink Floyd -
Close-up of Pink Floyd lettering on Variant -
Rolling Stones -
New Orleans -
Europe -
Bon Jovi -
Avenue -
Movie -
Joker -
Savoy -
Special
Mk IV (1997-2005)
Launched in 1997 the Golf IV was the latest version of Volkswagen iconic model, and it became the biggest selling car in Europe at one point. It was a deliberate attempt to take the Golf further upmarket, with a high-quality interior and higher equipment levels. Overall the level of maturity of the design and its target audience were also evident — the humorous plays on the game of golf which resulted in special edition models of the three earlier generations being called "Golf Ryder", "Golf Driver", not to mention the GTI's "golf ball" gearlever knob were dropped.
Design and engineering
As with the Mk 4 Passat the year before the Golf Mk IV was a very significant car in its class. As with its big brother not only was it the first step of VW moving its products upmarket to plug a gap between the mainstream machines and the premium cars, with SEAT and Skoda taking over as the "mainstream" brands, it also brought in a new level of interior quality and sophistication never seen before from a mainstream brand in the class. In fact, the quality of the Golf was on a par with its sister Audi A3 from the year before. Although costing slightly more than its rivals, the price difference showed when it came to luxury and upmarket feel. Rivals launched beforehand now appeared cheap, while famously Ford engineers and designers were so far advanced with the yet-to-be-launched Mk I Focus they were unable to react to the Golf and could only make minor changes to the Focus' interior which Ford initially felt would be ahead of rivals.
However, the advent of the Mk IV Golf meant that many mainstream rivals in the class had to raise their game with interior quality to the point where there are now virtually no differences in quality levels between some mainstream and premium cars in the class. Only the budget brands in the class have not raised their game, but this is reflected in their prices. More telling though is that the quality of the Mk IV was not repeated 100% in its replacement.
Styling wise the latest model remained faithful to the Golf concept but included some of the new styling themes first seen on the Mk IV Passat. The overall effect was considered to be far more pleasing than the previous model
However, the upgrade of the vehicle's interior materials and exterior details appeared to have been done at the expense of the vehicle's chassis which was average. Although the ride and handling was inferior to that of the Mk IV Vauxhall Astra/Mk II Opel Astra the average dynamics were reasonably well concealed in daily driving, though, and the car's reputation was unscathed until the Ford Focus was launched a year later. The chassis ability of the Ford was to have a profound effect on the Mk IV Golf's replacement.
As with the Golf II, a convertible version of the Golf IV was never made, although the Golf III Cabrio was facelifted to give it the frontal styling of the Golf IV hatchbacks.
Volkswagen Bora/Mk IV Volkswagen Jetta
A saloon version of the Mk IV Golf was spawned and, as with previous incarnations of the Golf, it had its own identity and this time was called the Volkswagen Bora although the name Jetta remained in North America. Unlike its predecessors though the Bora/Jetta featured unique rear doors, front wings and bonnet in addition to it's predecessor's unique grille and lights. The front doors were the only panels shared with the Golf. The interior though was identical to the Golf, featuring none of the very minor styling changes found on its predecessor.
The Golf IV was made in Germany, South Africa, Slovakia, Brazil, Mexico and Belgium. The Golf IV was also made in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Vogošća (near Sarajevo) in TAS, where Mk.I and Mk.II models were also made. This Bosnian Mk.IV was for local market only. Engine choices included 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.3, 2.8 and 3.2 L gasoline engines, and a 1.9 L diesel, with power ranging from 68 to 150 PS (50 to 110 kW). A choice of three and five-door hatchbacks or a five-door station wagon was available. Note that the European Golf wagon is shorter than the American Jetta wagon.
This model was introduced to North America in mid 1999. Available engines for the Golf at its introduction to the American market were a 2.0 L gasoline and a 1.9 L turbocharged diesel TDI. A 1.8 L turbocharged gas engine was introduced in 2000, along with the 12-valve 2.8 L VR6. The 2.0 L gasoline was the base engine in the sportier GTI only as a 1999.5 model. For 2000, Volkswagen opted for the relatively new 1.8 L turbocharged gasoline engine as a base engine for the GTI. The top of the line GLX model was equipped with Volkswagen's signature, torquey 2.8 L VR6 which put out an impressive 174 hp. The VR6 engine was unique to the Volkswagen brand due to it's narrow 15-degree angle camshaft design. The benefit of this design is a lighter engine that helps out with the handling characteristics of a front-wheel drive car. In 2003, Volkswagen introduced a 24-valve version of it's VR6 engine. This engine had the same torque characteristics of the older 12-valve version except with an extra 26 hp. This engine featured the first 6-speed manual available in the MK IV platform. The 1.8T and VR6 models continued until 2005 when the MK IV platform came to an end.
GTI 337 edition (2002)
The GTI 337 was officially introduced at the New York Auto Show and made it to dealers by late May 2002. The price of the GTI 337 was $22,225 in the U.S. and $32,900 in Canada. Only 1,500 units are being produced for the American market with an additional 250 specifically for Canada and it only came in Reflex Silver.
"The 337 name comes from the code name for the Golf model back in the early 1970s," said Frank Maguire, vice president in charge of sales and marketing at Volkswagen of America, Inc. "The GTI is the sport version of the Golf and since we didn't begin selling the GTI here until 1983, the name 337 seemed like a nice way to recognize the history of this vehicle and make it meaningful to our most enthusiastic drivers. This is a very unique car for the Volkswagen lover."
Starting with a 180 hp 1.8T GTI GLS, the following extra equipment and changes have been made:
18" BBS RC Wheels with 225/40-ZR18 High-Performance Summer Tires | Greatly improved sport suspension — 1" lower overall ride height | Votex body kit with front valance, side skirts, rear hatch wing and rear valance with 3" chromed exhaust tip | 315 mm (12.4") diameter vented front and 256 mm (10") rear vented brakes with red powder coated calipers | All-new six-speed MQ350 transmission | Recaro front seats in special "LeMans" red and black cloth with custom GTI embroidery | Brushed aluminum interior trim accents | Red stitching on steering wheel, shift boot, handbrake knob and seats | Special golf ball shift knob | Aluminum pedals with rubber inserts | Stainless steel exhaust with mild sound tuning | Red trimmed floor mats | Special exterior retro GTI badging | Monsoon sound system (U.S. only) | and more
20th anniversary edition (2003)
Due to the popularity of a commemorative 25th anniversary edition GTI produced in Europe in 2001 (GTI 337 edition in North America), Volkswagen of America produced 4,200 so-branded '20th Anniversary Edition' GTIs and 4000 were shipped to the United States and 200 to Canada. This event, in 2003 marked the 20th anniversary of the GTI's first introduction to the US, then called the Rabbit. Several special features distinguish this new GTI from the rest of the pack.
On the outside, the 20th came with throwback red-lettered 'GTI' logos on the left front and right rear. The rear was also accompanied by a vintage-look chrome rabbit. Blackened headlights and dark-tinted tail lights added a distinctive look, while Votex front, rear, and side skirts along with a hatch spoiler and special edition 18" OZ Aristo alloy wheels complete the exterior transformation. These models were produced only in three colors: Imola Yellow, Jazz Blue and Black Magic Pearl. Distribution of production was 50% Black magic pearl, 25% Jazz Blue and 25% Imola Yellow.
Inside, a few accents were noticeable. Unlike other models, there were no 'options' available. The only true option was ESP, Volkswagen's stability control feature. All 20ths had a sunroof, black leathered with silver stitching steering wheel, shifter boot and emergency brake handle, and sporty black cloth Recaro bucket seats with silver stitching accents and a red 'GTI' emblem embroidered in the middle of the back rest. Aluminum trim came standard, complete with a numbered nameplate above the center console identifying the exact production number (US production only) of the vehicle and a black headliner. This edition also came with a special golf ball shifter knob. Volkswagen's premier 8-speaker Monsoon(tm) stereo system was also standard.
Mechanically speaking, this was the average GTI 1.8T GLS with a few exceptions. A 6-speed manual MQ350 transmission marked the most notable departure from the norm, and upgraded suspension stiffened up the ride and lowered the car approximately 40 mm (uprated springs and shocks, increased sway bar diameters, and revised bushings in the rear). Upgraded disc brakes front (12.3" vented rotors) and rear (10.3" vented rotors) helped bring things to a stop, while red powder-coated calipers added a bit of flair to the package.
Golf R32 (2003-2004)
In 2003 Volkswagen produced the Golf R32 in Europe. Again, due to unexpected popularity, Volkswagen (through Volkswagen of America) decided to sell the car in North America (except Canada) as the 2004 Volkswagen R32. Billed as the pinnacle of the Golf IV platform, the R32 included every performance, safety, and luxury feature VW had to offer including the all new 3.2 L VR6 engine producing 240hp, AWD, a new 6-speed manual transmission, independent rear suspension, automatic climate control, sport seats from Koenig, 18" OZ Aristo wheels, ESP, massive (334 mm) brakes, sunroof, and model specific bodywork.
In spite of outwardly appearing very similar to the 20th Anniversary GTI, the R32 shared the vast majority of its major components with the 3.2 L Audi TT. Five thousand cars were produced and intended to be sold over a 2-year period. Each car was sold just 13 months later.
This was a venture put out by Volkswagen which was considered to be a corporate gamble. Volkswagen surprisingly sold all 5,000 R32s in America with little marketing and advertisements.
The Golf R32's competitors (at the time of production) were the Subaru Impreza WRX STi and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII, although, unlike these cars, the R32 was not run by Volkswagen in rally competitions, and lacked the playstation appeal and ultimate status as those cars.
The R32 remains the quickest car Volkswagen has imported to the U.S. Capable of 60 mph in only 5.8 seconds, and clearing the 1/4 mile in only 14.1 (@99.2 mph), it edges out its sportiest sibling (the Phaeton W12 - 420 PS) by a tenth of a second by the 1320 foot mark.
Mk V (2003-present)
The fifth generation Golf was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October of 2003 and went on sale in Europe one month later. It was not released in the United States until January of 2006, however, and then only in GTI form through Spring 2006. For the presentation of the new Golf, Wolfsburg was renamed to Golfsburg for a week. Before the North American launch of the Golf (expected in early summer of 2006), Volkswagen announced on April 12, 2006, that they have decided to change the name of the Golf and return the Rabbit nameplate to the lineup.
Design and engineering
While the interior quality of the previous model startled rivals and led most of them to up their game in revised/replacement models, the astonishing chassis and all round ability of the Mk I Ford Focus startled Volkswagen (and indeed other rivals). In order to counter criticisms of the average dynamics of the previous model, it is widely reputed that Volkswagen "poached" from Ford the engineering team who designed the multi-link 'control blade' rear suspension system of the Ford Focus, widely regarded as the class benchmark for ride and handling. Indeed, the rear suspension of Golf V (a modified wishbone arrangement) bears an uncanny resemblance to that of the Focus.
The suspension changes, along with careful tuning of the chassis, led to the Mk V Golf delivering road manners which challenged the Ford Focus, and although the chassis ability was only just short of the Focus', the overall ability of the rest of the car led to the Mk V Golf being the best car in its class until the Mk 2 Ford Focus arrived in 2004.
The bulletproof interior quality of the previous generation appears to have been lost, and although still of a very high standard the Golf no longer matches its in-house rival, the Audi A3. Many believe the reason for this step back in quality, also seen in the Mk V Passat of 2005, is to allow daylight between the marketing and price positioning of Audi and Volkswagen products. The previous generation Volkswagens were on a par with their Audi cousins.
Engines
Options for engines and transmissions vary from country to country, but the Golf is available in 4-cylinder and turbo direct injection diesel-engined models in most places, with transmission options that include manual, automatic, Tiptronic, and direct shift gearbox. US and Canadian-spec Rabbits will use the same 150hp five-cylinder gasoline engine that powers the Jetta and New Beetle in these markets. North American transmission choices will include a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic with Tiptronic. All of the Golf's engines, including the VR6, have the engine mounting points in the same place, making it possible to remove one engine and replace it with another while making few other modifications to the car.
Mk V Jetta
A saloon version of the Mk V Golf was spawned in 2004 and, as with previous incarnations of the Golf, it maintained its own identity, a practice long abandoned by most rivals. While the Jetta name has always remained in North America the name made a welcome return to Europe, Volkswagen choosing to abandon the Bora handle.
As with its predecessor the saloon featured unique front wings and rear doors, but this time round the front doors were also unique meaning that the only external panel shared with the Golf was the bonnet. As with all Golf saloons, the Jetta featured a unique grille which is only shared with Golf R32 (although the GLi variant has the Golf GTi's front end). Unlike all previous saloon variants though the front lights were shared with the Golf.
As with the previous Jetta/Bora Volkswagen is again trying to market the car as a rival to mainstream cars from the class above, such as the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall/Opel/Holden/ChevroletVectra and leaving the Passat to compete against the premium marques. The smaller Jetta though is still a Golf saloon whose true rivals are the Ford Focus, Vauxhall/Opel/Holden Astra etc.
Variants
In December 2004, Volkswagen announced the Golf Plus variant of the Golf V. It is taller than the "regular" Golf but shorter than the Touran, the MPV version of the Golf. The Plus would replace the Variant station wagon in the Golf lineup, although the Variant might be released.
There will be no convertible version of the Golf V, as the Eos coupé-convertible (to be introduced in Spring 2006) will be marketed as a separate model, and does not share any body panels with another Volkswagen model — although it is based on the Jetta/Golf platform.
Performance models
The Golf V GTI is hailed as a return to form for the creator of the genre. The production Golf GTI was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January, 2006 and the 3-door GTI appeared at United States dealerships beginning later that month. The 5-door version is expected to arrive around the same time as the standard Golf (Rabbit) sometime in summer 2006. The GTI features a 200hp 2.0T FSI (Fuel Stratified Injection) engine, a turbocharger and DSG(direct-shift gearbox).
The U.S. version of the Golf V GTI is virtually identical to the German car with the exception of a few details. Cosmetically you'll find orange side marker lights in the sides of the front bumper (U.S. requirement), the 17" wheel from the Jetta GLI (the 18" wheel is the same as the German-market car) and a 15mm higher ride height to ensure a five-star side-impact crash rating in the United States. Otherwise the outside of the car remains true to the European version with that distinctive black snout, standard high intensity discharge (HID)headlamps, honeycomb mesh grill inserts, black bodykit piece, etc. — very little was changed overall. A four door version was also announced for the summer of 2006 for the first time ever in the U.S.
In late September, the R32 will be sold in Europe. It features a 3.2 L V6 FSI engine with 250 hp (184 kW) and reaches a top speed of 250 km/h. Going from 0 to 100 km/h will take a brisk 6.5 s, reduced to 6.2 s with the direct-shift gearbox. As with the previous R32; there is permanent 4MOTION all wheel drive through 18" Zolder 20-spoke alloy wheels. Stopping the R32 comes in the form of blue-painted brake calipers with 345 mm discs at the front and 310 mm disks at the rear.
In September 2005, the Golf V GT was announced, which featured a 1.4 L engine in a new and impressive Twin-Charger configuration. This new TSI engine is based on the recent FSI, but with a pair of chargers forcing the induction of the air. The chargers are a single supercharger that disengages after a specified rev-range, at which point charging of the air is handled by a single turbocharger. This system could benefit from both of the efficiency of the supercharger in the lower rev ranges, with the longevity of the turbocharger when in full flight.
The American ad campaign for the GTI features "your fast" (a small demon in your car urging you to speed up, seen in not just VWs but also in other cars) with the tagline "Make friends with your fast". However, recently those ads were dropped as too odd and were replaced with a series of ads starring Peter Stormare as a "German engineer" hired to "un-pimp ze auto" by taking tuner cars and smashing them, giving their owners a GTI instead. The slogan is "Pre-tuned by German engineers", however Stomare's lines of "VDub: representing Deutschland, baby" and "V-Dub: German, engineering, in da house!", delivered with a stilted German accent and coupled with a "VDub" hand motion, that have popularized the ads.
Recent trends
1. Increasingly, vr6 and 1.8t engine from the MKIV models are being installed in MKII GTIs. For this modification, the 1.8t engine is the more popular choice, because it is easier and less expensive to upgrade the 1.8t engine than the vr6.[citation needed]
2. The most common upgrades for the 1.8t and 2.0t Engine is "chipping" (computer tuning). Since these engines have an electronically controlled wastegate for the turbo, one can control the boost pressure to the engine by installing an upgraded chip. For example, for a mere $500 dollars for a chip and another $1,500 required for intake and exhaust upgrades, the 180hp model GTI is commonly boosted to over 200WHP.[citation needed]
3. For the vr6 Engine, there are not as many options except for building a stronger engine block to sustain a supercharger or turbo kit, which costs thousands of dollars. Upgrades to the exhaust, intake, and computer chip typically yield negligible results.[citation needed]
External links
- VW Golf – Official site
- VWvortex — One of the largest Volkswagen communities on the internet.
- VWTraderOnline - Volkswagen Classified Website
- Golf Mk-5 Enthusiast Site – Enthusiast Site with forums, pictures, videos and wallpapers just on the 5th gen Golf
- http://www.tdiclub.com — A website dedicated to the VW TDI engine
- AutoGuideWiki.com
- Used VW Golf information
- Frankfurt Auto Show Pictures of the GT with TSI
- More regarding the Golf V GT with TSI
- GolfGTI.co.uk — Information and discussion about all versions of the Golf.
- The GTI VR6 Wiki – info, how-tos, etc. on the Mk 3 and Mk 4 Golf-based GTI VR6 (was the GTI VR6 "library")
- The MkV GTI Wiki – info, how-tos, etc. on the Mk 5 GTI
- The American R32 Registry - aims to account for all 5,000 R32s sold in United States
- Volkwagen R32 FAQ
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