Motoring
GOLF GTi
W
By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann
ho hasn’t had a GTi? Well, those of you with your hands down have missed a lark. It was the first affordable hot hatch we could get hands on that did 0-60mph in 9 seconds. There was also an excellent wheeze whereby it was cheaper to buy it from Germany in RHD, go collect it and get a tour of the factory for less than you could buy it in the UK. We did it in our thousands before they slammed that loophole shut.
lights like a startled greyhound and will last a lifetime - or more likely see you out if you look after it.
The GTi was groundbreaking in many respects and therefore it was with great trepidation that l took delivery of the first one l have driven for over 20 years.
As standard, the GTi gets a strong turbocharged 2.0 litre petrol engine but you can add VW’s performance pack which boosts power and adds performance-orientated features such as a front differential. It’s an expensive option though, so l might just stick with the standard car given it’s so capable. A twin-clutch automatic is also available but again, unless you’re dead determined, l’d go for the six-speed manual.
This Mk 7 version is punchy and powerful with a chassis that’s smooth in everyday mode and grips like a leech in the corners. And it’s German, so that bullet proof quality leeks through every pore. It hasn’t changed, in the main, since launch in 1974. It rides flat and smooth, departs the
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It ain’t cheap but then quality never is. Its competition would be the Megane Sport, Astra VXR, Ford Focus ST and BMW135i and you would need to be certified if you went for the Renault or Vauxhall. The BMW is a different type of car and the Ford, although very good, doesn’t quite carry the badge cache so, in short, it’s in a class of its own. The Focus RS would give it a run for its money.