Wheels-volkswagen-Golf-GTI

• HISTORY • ENGINEERING • DESIGN • MkVI FIRST DRIVE •

PLUS: GTI FAST FACTS

GOLF GTISIX GENERATIONS OF THE HOT HATCH

32-PAGE VW GOLF GTI SPECIAL EDITION

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The new Golf GTI. Performance everyday.An intelligent car never stops learning. The new German built 155kW Golf GTI has evolved with new styling and innovative technology

such as XDL– Extended Electronic Differential Lock. XDL isn’t just another acronym, it works with other acronyms like EDS, ESP and

EBD to do a lot of thinking while you’re busy driving. So when you’re smiling through your favourite corner, XDL is talking to the other

acronyms, while applying pressure to the inside wheel to give you more grip and less understeer. 33 years ago we invented the hot hatch

and now it’s even better. To discover what performance is like everyday, visit your local dealer for a test drive or www.golfgti.com.au

V G A 3 4 9 7 _ WH L _ 2 8 1 0 _ L P . p d f P a g e 1 6 / 1 0 / 0 9 , 5 : 3 7 P M

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www.golfgti.com.au

www.golfgti.com.au

Das Auto.

VGA3497/WHL/2810

V G A 3 4 9 7 _ WH L _ 2 8 1 0 _ R P . p d f P a g e 2 6 / 1 0 / 0 9 , 5 : 3 9 P M

www.golfgti.com.au

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John CareyChris GableLisa WhightJesse TaylorSteve McCarthyMatthew O’Malley (02) 9263 9731

Ged BulmerAndrew CookMichael KoslowskiPhil Scott Ian Law

project editor

copy editor

project art director

road-tester

digital imaging

advertising manager

WHeels editor

men’s lifestyle national sales manager

publisher, men’s lifestyle

publishing director

pbl media chief executive officer

Published by ACP Magazines Ltd, ABN 18 053 273 546, 54-58 Park Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2001. © 2007. All rights reserved. Printed by Webstar Printing – a division of Blue Star Print Group Australia Pty Limited, ABN 58 000 205 210, Unit 1, 83

Derby Street, Silverwater, NSW 2128. Cover printed by Energi Print, 2-4 Emily St, Murrumbeena, VIC 3163, phone (03) 9563 2428.

wheelswww.wheelsmag.com.au

THE JOY OF VI16

6 8 24


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ruly great ideas often seem obvious in hindsight, and

that’s the way it was with Volkswagen’s Golf GTI. It was

clear, in the mid-1970s, that the company’s replacement

for the Beetle was going to be a quicker, better handling

car. But the company’s leadership didn’t see any reason

to build a truly fast version of the Golf.

luckily, there were a handful of people inside

Volkswagen with different ideas. At first working in secret, the

small band of conspirators came up with what we know today as

the hot hatch. Even when they first revealed their project to a

senior executive, to be told they were crazy, they didn’t give up. A

second attempt was successful and the rest, as they say, is history.

It’s now close to 35 years since that first GTI was revealed one

September day in Frankfurt. While it was obvious almost from

the beginning that the GTI was destined for star status, those

that followed didn’t always live up to the promise implicit in the

simple, three-letter badge.

After the inspired original and the improved second generation,

the by-then teenaged GTI went through a difficult phase. The third

and fourth GTIs, for example, were not great cars.

Most of these events bypassed Australia. We never saw the first

or third generations, were given a gelded version of the second,

and by the time the fourth arrived, Volkswagen’s hot hatch was

being outclassed and undercut by the competition. That changed

with the fifth. It was a great car, priced right, and Wheels said so.

Suddenly, 30 years after the original’s unveiling, GTI mania at last

broke out in Australia.

It may have restored the reputation of the badge, but, as with all

cars, the GTI MkV’s time is up. There’s a new, more powerful GTI

MkVI sitting on the launch pad that seems certain to build on the

reputation of its predecessor.

This magazine analyses the newcomer, and its technology, at the

same time as looking backwards over the long history of what now

seems like a very obvious idea indeed.

JOHN CAREY

Features

28

Project editor22

6 hatching a planIt came out of left field, blew some big names into the weeds and drew a swarm of hot-hatch imitators

8 generation nextBigger, curvier and even better-handling, GTI MkII gained 16 valves, a supercharger and a rare sibling 10 Six aBoVe parA bigger engine and turbo-diesel made MkIII an innovator, while its V6 stablemate packed extra wallop

12 the weighting gameRefinement with a 1.8-litre turbo king-hit made GTI MkIV a winner

14 numBer fiVe aliVeIts predecessor upped the ante; MkV delivered the goods. And how!

16 the joy of ViWe get behind the wheel of the impressive and desirable new GTI

22 under the SkinThe sixth-gen GTI introduces a techno-feast par excellence

26 appearance moneyIts new look means GTI MkVI pays homage to the glorious original 28 gti: geek and trainSpotter infoThought you knew the GTI inside-out? We’ve got news for you...












6 www.wheelsmag.com.au

O MANY tales, accurate and otherwise, came to surround

the genesis of the Golf GTI that almost 30 years after the

original hot hatch was first revealed, Volkswagen decided

it was time to set the record straight. The chosen occasion

was, appropriately, the 2004 European launch of the fifth-

generation GTI, a model that marked a welcome return to

the revered badge’s core values.

The GTI was the idea of a handful of engineers,

supported by a pair of visionaries from Volkswagen’s marketing

and public relations departments. Embarrassed by the success of

an early 1970s ‘sporty’ version of the Beetle (its credentials were

very skimpy), test engineer Alfons Löwenberg wrote a memo to

a few colleagues on March 18, 1973. He proposed development

of a big-engined, performance version of Volkswagen’s new car,

codenamed EA 337. This was, of course, the Golf, which would go

into production the following year.

Front-wheel drive and with a transverse, front-mounted, liquid-

cooled in-line, four-cylinder engine, the hatchback penned by

Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Italdesign studio was pretty much the

opposite of the Beetle in every respect.

At a secret meeting, fuelled by beer and sausages, the gang

of GTI conspirators hatched a plan to build a prototype, based

on a Scirocco, which shared the Golf’s platform. It took more

than one attempt, but in 1975 they finally persuaded the

Volkswagen development chief to approve the program. At last

the Sportgolf was go.

That Volkswagen wanted something special for the Frankfurt

motor show in September that year added instant impetus

to the program. Six prototypes were constructed and the design

department began work on the project. They made the show

deadline. Reasonably priced and with a claimed 0-100km/h time of

9.0sec, the GTI was an instant hit, and production began in 1976.

1976 – 1983 GOLFGTI

Conceived covertly over beer and bratwurst by an in-house coterie of enthusiasts, the explosive gen-one GTI spawned a potent bloodline and a swarm of hot-hatch imitators

Hatching a plan

MkII: GENERATION NEXT

MkV: NUMBER FIVE ALIVE

MkIV: THE WEIGHTING GAME

MkIII: SIX ABOVE PAR

MkI: HATCHING A PLAN



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Concorde makes its first commercial flight, London to Bahrain

TV and radio advertising of cigarettes and tobacco is banned in Australia

Apple computers is founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak

Queen Elizabeth II sends the first royal email

The Sex Pistols play their first gig

1 2 3 4 5

Hatching a plan There was nothing else like it, and the GTI quickly earned a

stellar reputation on the back of rapturous road tests. Even in

places the MkI was never sold, like Australia, the car gained

legend status thanks to overseas reports like that in the

September 1982 issue of Wheels.

At the time, the most outstanding attribute of the GTI was its

sheer speed. True, that first GTI engine doesn’t look anything

special today. The Audi-developed 1.6-litre was a simple single-

cam eight-valver, its only exotic (for the time) touch Bosch fuel

injection. But its 81kW could punch the GTI down an autobahn

at 180km/h, mixing it with Porsches, Ferraris and others costing

many times its 13,850 deutschmark pricetag (around $12K).

Yet the GTI was also supremely agile and entertaining on a

challenging twisty road, thanks to its lightness – it weighed less

than 900kg – and the expert set-up of its strut front and torsion-

beam rear suspensions.

By the end of its eight-year lifespan the first GTI had inspired

the sincerest form of flattery: imitation. Although other brands

hurried to create their own interpretations, the Volkswagen was

the original and, in the minds of many, the best.

Engine1.6-litre in-line 4, sohc, 8v

Max power 81kW @ 6100rpm

Max torque 140Nm @ 5000rpm

Weight820kg

Power to weight99kW/tonne

Length/width/height 3705/1630/1395mm

Wheelbase 2400mm

Top speed 182km/h (claimed)

0-100km/h 9.0sec (claimed)

The first thing that impresses you about the GTI is the sheer

power of the engine

Gavin Green, Wheels,September 1982

[[

1976

8 www.wheelsmag.com.au

1984 – 1991 GOLFGTI

Bigger, curvier and more potent – in its European home market, at least – GTI MkII further refined the line while boasting a boosted belter and the ultra-rare, AWD G60 Limited

LTHOuGH HISTORY records that the second-

generation Golf GTI was launched in 1984, the real

deal didn’t surface until two years later. That’s when

the 16V first appeared. Engines were always at the

centre of the MkII story throughout its seven-year life.

But we’ll come back to that, because we’re getting

ahead of ourselves…

Designed in Volkswagen’s own studios, the bigger

second-gen Golf rounded the sharp creases of the Giugiaro-penned

original while retaining its proportions. Significantly longer and

wider, and rather more than 100kg heavier than the later versions of

the previous generation, the second-gen Golf went into production

in 1983. That same year, at the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung

– better known to most of us as the Frankfurt motor show – VW

previewed the new GTI.

When it launched the following year, the GTI MkII had

the same single-cam, eight-valve 1.8-litre engine and five-speed

manual transmission as the last of the first-gen GTIs. It wasn’t

a situation that lasted long. In 1986 Volkswagen introduced the

first GTI with four valves per cylinder. The 16V was the first

production GTI with more than 100kW, at least in non-catalytic

converter form. While the non-cat version was good for 102kW, the

Generation next








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Paul Hogan throws another shrimp on the barbie

Cold Chisel breaks up and Barnesy goes solo

Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA is released

It’s safe, secure,

stable, and feels better the harder you drive it

Angus MacKenzie, Wheels, October 1989

[[

Engine1.8-litre in-line 4, sohc, 8v

Max power77kW @ 5400rpm


Weight1019kg

Power to weight 76kW/tonne


Wheelbase2475mm

Top speed183km/h (claimed)

0-100km/h11.8sec (Wheels test)

1 2 3

addition of the exhaust-cleaner reduced max power to 95kW.

With some governments mandating the switch to unleaded

fuel and cleaner emissions, while others waited, it was a time

of GTI haves and have-nots. Australia, sadly, fell into the latter

category. The Volkswagen importer at the time, Ateco, brought

an eight-valve GTI five-door to Australia for evaluation in 1989

(it was also road-tested by Wheels). There were hints that the 16V

might be the version selected for importation, but when shipments

of the five-door GTI began in 1990 it had an eight-valve engine

with a reduced compression ratio and only 77kW. Apparently

VW headquarters in Wolfsburg had decided it was too hard to

build small numbers of right-hand-drive GTI 16Vs with a catalytic

converter just for Australia.

So Australian-spec MkIIs had handling that screamed for

more power. On smooth roads, where the Volkswagen’s ultra-taut

suspension was right at home, the steering, handling and grip were

very impressive. But the GTI’s obvious dynamic prowess made the

equally obvious lack of kilowatts all the more galling. Especially as

interesting developments unfolded on the other side of the world.

The big news in Europe in 1990 was the introduction of the first

boosted GTI. With its belt-driven supercharger – the Germans called

it G-lader, a reference to the ‘G’-like shape of the compressor’s

pumpy parts, lader being Deutsch for charger – the 1.8-litre engine

of the GTI G60 punched out 118kW.

Then, to make matters for Australian GTI enthusiasts even

more unbearable, came one of the rarest GTIs ever produced.

Only 71 examples of the G60 Limited were ever built, but the

154kW output of the supercharged 16-valve four in this all-wheel-

drive rarity would not be exceeded by any production Golf for more

than a decade. Its claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.5sec was a world

away from the 11.8sec Wheels achieved in an Australian-spec

MkII in a 1990 road test.

Still, as cars like the GTI G60 and G60 Limited proved,

Volkswagen hadn’t forgotten how to make Golfs go…

1984

1 0 www.wheelsmag.com.au

1991 – 1997 GOLFGTI

After a slow start, the third-gen GTI landed an improved 16-valve 2.0-litre and, more controversially, a turbo-diesel. But it was the V6-engined 2.8-litre VR6 that changed the game

Six above parOR THE first time, in 1991, Volkswagen launched the GTI

in the same year as the mainstream Golf line-up. While the

basic versions were good enough to earn the hatchback the

1992 European Car of the Year award, the early third-gen

GTI was nothing to get excited about. Although built on the

same wheelbase as its predecessor, the Golf III had grown

again, and packed on even more kilos.

A comparison of the first three generations makes

the GTI’s lost focus obvious. In 1976 the trim, 1.6-litre MkI did

0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds flat. The 16-valve 1.8 of the heavier MkII

barely maintained performance, and by 1991, having reverted to

an eight-valve engine, that time was out to 9.9 seconds.

It wasn’t until 1993, and the adoption of a 110kW 16-valve

2.0-litre four for the GTI, that a measure of credibility was

restored. With a claimed 8.1-second 0-100km/h time and a

215km/h top speed, the improved version of the GTI at least

represented some advance over the original.

No third-gen GTIs were exported in any volume to Australia, but

the same 85kW 2.0-litre engine of early Euro GTIs was installed

in the Australian-spec GL. What was clearly expected was that

customers looking for a performance Golf should turn to the much

quicker, 128kW VR6 instead. In the uSA they went a step further,

and the GTI badge was applied to cars powered by Volkswagen’s

interesting, narrow-angle 2.8-litre V6 engine.

But while the VR6 was quick, it lacked the handling satisfaction

that was just as much a part of the GTI legend as simple, straight-

line performance. Keen drivers weren’t fooled.

Volkswagen obviously wasn’t paying quite enough attention to

the hallowed hot-hatch badge that was one of its most valuable

assets. A hint of what was on their minds came in 1996 when a

turbocharged diesel wearing the three capital letters was launched.

Like the original, two decades earlier, the GTI TDI’s maximum








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Michael Schumacher makes his Formula One debut at the Belgian Grand Prix

Nirvana’s Nevermind launches the grunge era

Paul Keating replaces Bob Hawke as Prime Minister of Australia

The World Wide Web project is announced

21 3 4

power output was 81kW. Although the fat torque curve of the

boosted diesel helped overcome the inertia of the equally fat

third-gen Golf, this wasn’t a combination that delivered the brand

of thrilling performance enthusiasts equated with the GTI badge.

The car’s claimed 0-100km/h time, for example, was a leisurely

11.0 seconds. Still, the GTI TDI did hint that more perceptive car

makers were beginning to see performance potential in economical

compression-ignition engines.

Back in 1991, the year the third-gen Golf and GTI had debuted,

the price of a litre of fuel had skyrocketed all over the world.

Thanks, of course, to the first Gulf War. No wonder that Volkswagen

was paying more attention to fuel efficiency than usual through

the middle part of the decade.

Engine2.0-litre in-line 4, dohc, 16v

Max power 110kW @ 6000rpm


Weight1032kg



Wheelbase 2475mm

Top speed 215km/h (claimed)

0-100km/h 8.1sec (claimed)

There will be those who like

VW’s sleeper

approach to the VR6

Peter Robinson, Wheels, November 1991

[[

1991


1998 – 2003 GOLFGTI

F THE third-generation Golf had begun to show unmistakeable

signs of middle-age spread, the 1997 fourth-generation settled

into weighty maturity. There were several factors at work

here. Tougher mandatory safety standards around the world

seemingly could only be satisfied with ever more metal. The

car had grown in every direction. Customers were demanding

more safety, silence and stuff in their cars. And Volkswagen

had decided to push this latest version of its best-seller

upmarket. While the new Golf had its strong points – the

quality of the car’s interior was outstanding, for example – in the

case of the GTI the weight increase couldn’t be ignored.

When it arrived in 1998, the fourth-generation GTI sent

journalists scrambling for their calculators. In round figures, the

new GTI was 50 percent heavier than the original from 1976. This

wouldn’t have been such an issue had GTI power outputs increased

in step with Golf weight. But they hadn’t…

Its engine, a low-boost turbo 1.8-litre four with a 20-valve

cylinder head, delivered 110kW. This was no advance on the

maximum output of the non-turbo 2.0-litre 16-valve engine from

the previous generation. And it was only around 35 percent more

than the 81kW of the first GTI.

The fourth-generation Golf was developed alongside the first-

generation Audi A3 and the cars were built on the same platform.

With the GTI the ties were especially tight; the 1.8-litre turbo was,

as its five-valves-per-cylinder head indicated, an Audi design.

Although platform sharing with a more expensive model benefited

the Golf GTI’s general air of refinement, there was no chance of

it also being described as excitingly fast. Peter Robinson, Wheels’

Europe Editor at the time, drove the GTI at launch and called it a

“…super-refined, super-smooth and mature hot hatch”.

But it was the handling that sealed the fourth-gen GTI’s

reputation. Moderate understeer and more roll than expected is

Newly returned to the Australian market, the late-’90s MkIV carried an air of ongoing refinement. But it was the 25th Anniversary 1.8-litre turbo version that did more to win back the GTI faithful

The weighting game








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Appreciate it’s not a trad GTI and you

could love VW’s

latestPeter Robinson, Wheels,

October 1997

[[

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not the stuff of which legends are made. “Not a naturally talented

driver’s car,” was Robinson’s concise summary. When, in 1999 the

fourth-generation became the first GTI to be sold in Australia since

the slow-poke eight-valve version of the second-gen nine years

earlier, the reaction was subdued. It didn’t help that it also wore

a hefty $44,000 pricetag.

Tellingly, the basic chassis tech of the Golf GTI had not changed

much as the car’s size, weight and power had all grown over the

decades. While the strut front suspension wasn’t a problem, by

the late 1990s the Volkswagen’s simple torsion-beam rear end was

beginning to look – and feel – out of its depth.

There’s little doubt that the fourth-generation vies with the third

as the low point in the GTI story. But Volkswagen obviously had

heard the pleas of those who cared. For the GTI’s 25th anniversary,

in 2001, the company regained some cred with the launch of a

limited edition (at first) 132kW 1.8-litre turbo in Europe.

This most desirable of MkIVs never made it to Australia, but

three years later it would become obvious it had influenced

Volkswagen’s plans for the fifth-generation GTI which did…

Engine 1.8-litre in-line 4, dohc,

20v, turboMax power

110kW @ 5700rpmMax torque

210Nm @ 1750–4600rpmWeight 1306kg


Length/width/height4149/1735/1439mm

Wheelbase2511mm


0-100km/h8.4sec (Wheels test)

1998

Internet search engine Google is founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin

Viagra is approved by the US FDA

2 3Bill Clinton denies having sex with Monica Lewinsky. Then lights a cigar…

1







2004 – 2009 GOLFGTI

The 2.0-litre turbocharged MkV was a spectacular return to form, wowing road-testers and inciting a showroom stampede from the legions of long-suffering GTI faithful

Number five aliveROM THE moment of the fifth-generation Golf GTI’s

launch, in the European autumn of 2004, its significance

was recognised. Here was the GTI to salvage, at last,

the credibility of the famous badge. It advanced and

modernised the notion of what a hot-hatch could and

should be on every front. No GTI since the 1976 original

created such a fuss.

Volkswagen had obviously taken notice of the

response to the 132kW GTI 25th anniversary edition a few years

earlier. The fifth-generation’s engine was even more powerful

and more technically advanced. Its 2.0-litre turbocharged four

featured power-boosting direct fuel-injection to punch out a

maximum of 147kW.

And it was teamed with advanced transmissions. Almost

every GTI since the late first-generation cars had been offered

with a five-speed manual. When a conventional automatic was

available it invariably had fewer ratios. The MkV, instead, came

with six-speed manual or an automated six-speed dual-clutch

transmission dubbed DSG.

There was more; the Golf had also moved to a multi-link rear end

instead of a semi-independent torsion-beam, and the benefits of the

greater suspension sophistication were arguably most apparent in



www.golfgti.com.au


The GTI is a deeply

impressive, hugely

capable performer Nathan Ponchard, Wheels,

June 2005

[[

Engine2.0-litre in-line 4, dohc,

16v, turboMax power

147kW @ 5100–6000rpmMax torque

280Nm @ 1800–5000rpmWeight1336kg


Length/width/height4216/1759/1466mm

Wheelbase2578mm


0-100km/h7.2sec (claimed, manual), 7.6sec (Wheels test, DSG)

Tim

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Tasmanian babe Mary Donaldson weds Prince Fred, future king of Denmark, in Copenhagen

Long-time Australian skipper Steve Waugh retires from test cricket

Janet Jackson’s right breast makes a surprise appearance at the Super Bowl

1 2 3

2004

the lower, wider-tyred and firmer-riding GTI.

The interior continued with the high-quality presentation

and fine ergonomics that were one of the Golf IV’s greatest

strengths, but the MkV’s exterior was pointedly different from

the rest of the line-up. With its slightly longer nose and unique

grille design, the GTI made a point of standing apart from its

relatives in a way its anonymous predecessor – and every other

GTI, for that matter – never had.

It was love at first drive for road testers who’d watched,

frustrated, for decades, as Volkswagen had diluted the sharp

flavour of the GTI to near insipidity. “Volkswagen now admits to

violating the once-sacred GTI badge,” reported Peter Robinson

from the launch program in the south of France. Well, at least

this showed that some company executives understood what

the badge represented.

Needless to say, the 2005 arrival of the MkV in Australia

was eagerly anticipated. The wait was worth it. “Decades of

disappointment end here,” wrote Wheels tester Nathan Ponchard.

“It takes just five minutes of hard driving to discover that

Volkswagen’s all-new MkV Golf GTI is far beyond the mediocre

efforts of all its predecessors (never-sold-here, 1976 original

excepted). It’s the first Golf GTI sold in this country that goes

as hard as it looks and, more importantly, actually fulfils your

expectations of the badge.”

Although inevitably larger and heavier, the MkV had power

enough to thrill. The DSG quickly proved wonderfully responsive

to the touch of an enthusiastic driver. The car’s handling – back-

stopped by a full suite of electronic driver aids – was entertainingly

agile, yet ride comfort was not neglected.

Best of all, prices began at a reasonable $40,000. Soon there

was a months-long waiting list for the car. Yes, the Golf GTI was

most certainly back…


The joy of VI

First driveVW golf gTI MkVI

More mid-range punch, better fuel economy, trick diff and impeccable DNA all cement the sixth-gen GTI’s

status as the complete hot hatch




hen the MkV Golf GtI launched internationally at the end of 2004, it marked a dramatic return to form for the famous three-letter badge that Volkswagen invented in 1976. By the time the GtI arrived in Australia in May 2005, it had already become the darling of the motoring press. Waiting lists blew out past six months as local dealers were stampeded by punters flocking back to the pioneering hot hatch after it had spent, by VW’s own admission, a couple of generations in the dynamic wilderness.

In short, the new MkVI GtI has to live up to massive expectations both from the public and VW.

While it’s claimed to be a new car, the MkVI GtI is a Porsche 911-esque evolution of the MkV. the platform is an updated version of the DQ35 used in the MkV, but the only common exterior panel is the roof. Some journos on the car’s international launch in France thought the styling was too similar to the MkV, but the differences become apparent when the two are parked side by side (see page 19).

VW also claims that the VI is powered by a new engine, but again, it’s an evolution of the Volkswagen Audi Group’s eA888 tSI range of turbo four-cylinder engines. Swept capacity remains 1984cc (from a

Words Jesse Taylor




82.5mm bore and 92.8mm stroke), but internally the engine is more closely related to Audi’s A4 tFSI four-cylinder.

Power is up 8kW over the MkV to 155kW, on tap from 5300-6200rpm, but that’s still 14kW short of the limited-run Golf V Pirelli edition. however, Rolf trump, technical project director for Golf and GtI, is quick to defend the GtI as a complete package.

“It’s not all about power,” trump began, “we believe 210ps [155kW] is sufficient and 230-240ps [169-177kW] is essentially the limit for GtI.”

Curiously, trump then went on to outline plans for two hot models. “the official program is two cars,” he said. “there may be one at 230-240ps, then one at 270-280ps [199-206kW].” (See breakout on p20.)

Back to the MkVI GtI, and peak torque remains 280nm as per the V, but it’s now available over a spread 300 revs wider – 1700-5200rpm. Coupled to either the six-speed manual or optional DSG transmission (also a six-speeder), the mid-range torque

is an ever-present and welcome companion. On the sinuous mountain roads of the launch drive, it was virtually impossible to get caught in the wrong gear regardless of transmission.

Locally, 75 percent of GtIs are ordered with the DSG. On the move the transmission plucks gears adroitly, but still suffers from that great dual-clutch bugbear of abrupt throttle tip-in at low speeds. It’s also a bit doughy in normal mode, quickly selecting the highest available gear for the sake of economy. Drop the shifter into sport mode, though, and the ’box comes alive, holding gears on the run up the ratios, or instinctively giving you a downshift as you trail-brake into a corner. All the while, the engine delivers a stirring, rumbling note, with entertaining pops and bangs on upshifts.

For those not yet willing to join the DSG revolution, the manual features a quick and accurate shift, mated to a light clutch. It’d be my pick only because any low-speed hiccups are the driver’s.

the efficiency and fluidity of either gearbox, and

VW claims the GTI’s new XDL is an ‘extended electronic differential lock’ but the system uses the ESP to detect slip from the unloaded inside wheel, then applies the brakes to that wheel. VW reckons it makes the car feel like an all-wheel drive, but it’s not that distinct. However, the GTI does feel more stable through faster corners.

The braking hardware itself remains as per the MkV GTI (312mm ventilated front rotors, 286mm solid rears).

Locked brakes

On sinuous mountain

roads, it was almost impossible to grab the wrong gear

VW golf gTI MkVI




the storming mid-range punch are coupled to a 1360kg kerb weight (for the three-door manual model), resulting in a power-to-weight of 114kW/tonne (up from 110kW/tonne). Seat-of-the-pants impressions suggests this combo makes VW’s performance claims seem conservative. According to the brand, both models will now reach 100km/h from rest in 6.9 seconds – maintaining the status quo for the DSG but 0.3sec quicker for the manual.

While performance appears similar, fuel economy has made significant gains. According to Australia’s revised ADR81 standard, combined cycle consumption for the six-speed manual drops to 7.7L/100km (down 0.4L or nearly nine percent). the DSG version consumes 7.6L of 95 ROn per 100km, a drop of 0.5L/100km.

If VW is being conservative with its performance claims, it’s being cheeky calling the GtI’s XDL technology an “extended electronic differential lock”. It’s not a proper locking diff like that offered on the

Renaultsport Megane R26; instead, the diff remains open. torque-limiting of the spinning inside wheel is controlled by XDL, in conjunction with the eSP system, applying the brakes to that wheel. It’s not as effective or hardcore as the hardware fitted to the French fryer, but it does work, with a feeling of increased stability in faster corners. It also doesn’t feel ‘tight’ like some LSDs.

the optional adaptive chassis control (ACC) is another GtI first; though not to be confused with adaptive cruise control offered in european markets. Carried over, albeit in a performance-oriented guise, from the regular Golf MkVI, ACC offers three damper settings – comfort, normal and sport. On the smooth French roads of the drive program, sport mode was the pick, delivering terrific body control and just enough compliance for a car of this genre. the few rough bits of tarmac we encounted, however, suggested that sport may be too firm for Australia’s pimply roads.

Which is a shame, as sport mode also adjusts the steering weighting (comfort and normal feature the

Image consciousAt first glance, little appears changed on the MkVI Golf GTI, but bring it together with its immediate predecessor (below middle) and the

differences are stark. The front end now carries horizontal design themes, linking it to both the new Scirocco coupe and to the original 1976

GTI (below right.) This compares to the vertical, Audi-esque wombat nose of the Golf V GTI. Only the roof panel is common between the MkV and VI.

MkVI MkV MkI

17-inch alloys remain standard in oz with 18s on the options list




one steering setting). Without selecting sport, the steering is strangely lifeless and too light. even with sport mode on, you still crave more feel. VW insists that there were no changes to the steering, but four of the five Aussie journos present on the launch had similar reservations about the lack of weight and feedback.

Perhaps the difference can be explained by wheel size. All 14 test cars available at the launch were fitted with the optional 18-inch alloys, while all Golf GtI MkVs I’ve driven in Australia have been fitted with 17-inch alloys. Of the 14 cars, two were fitted with Bridgestone Potenza Re050 tyres (225/40R18) while the remainder rode on same-size Michelin Pilot exalto rubber.

It’d be ideal if you could separate damper and steering settings, allowing you to choose comfort or normal for the dampers and sport mode for the steering. As it stands, the lack of steering feel is the only chink in the GtI’s impressive armour, and we’ll reserve final judgement until Wheels drives an Aussie-spec car on local roads.

With 198kW and all-wheel drive the Golf R replaces the V6-powered R32 at the top of the range. The Golf R uses the GTI’s 2.0-litre turbo four, but with the wick seriously lit. It’ll nail 0-100km/h in 5.5seconds and is electronically limited to 250km/h.

Next round...

the interior has benefitted from the changes introduced by Golf VI, including loads of work on nVh. there’s a slightly redesigned steering wheel, and the tartan-trimmed sports seats (leather remains an option) are some of the best in the business, offering a terrific combo of support and comfort.

Unlike the staggered launch of MkV GtI, both three- and five-door models arrive on the same boat. Remarkably for the improvements wrought, VW Australia has kept pricing the same as the superseded MkV. the range kicks off at $38,990 for the three-door manual, with the five-door manual at $40,490 (plus government and dealer charges). Adaptive Chassis Control, DSG, 18-inch Detroit alloy wheels, leather trim, Park Assist, bi-xenon headlights and sat-nav remain the key options.

next to the likes of the Renaultsport Clio and Megane, Mazda 3 MPS and honda Civic type R, the sixth-gen Golf GtI may appear tame. But for most drivers, the GtI offers the best balance of driving thrills and useability. In short, it’s the one to own.

VW golf gTIwww.volkswagen.com.au

Body steel, 5 doors, 5 seatsDrivetrain front-engine

(east-west), front-driveEngine 1984cc four cylinder,

dohc, 16v, turboPower 155kW @ 5300-6200rpmTorque 280Nm @ 1700-5200rpm

Transmission 6-speed manual or 6-speed automated manual

Size l/w/h 4199/1785/1479mmWheelbase 2574mm

Weight 1360kg (3-door manual) 0-100km/h 6.9sec (claimed)

Price $38,990 (estimated)On sale Now

VW golf gTI MkVI







ast beats tHe HeaRt of the sixth-generation Golf

GtI – its second-gen, force-fed engine. the turbocharged

ea113 1984cc in-line four cylinder is, as its capacity

indicates, a development of the ea888 engine introduced

in the 2004 GtI MkV. With key numbers pointing in the

right direction – maximum power is increased, fuel consumption

reduced – the changes are obviously effective.

Its grey cast-iron cylinder block might make the ea113 appear

slightly unfashionable in an age when ‘all-aluminium’ is expected. but,

like its predecessor, it features sound basics – double overhead cams,

four valves per cylinder – and it is, importantly, equipped with direct fuel

injection. Relocating an engine’s fuel injectors from inlet manifold, where

they’re a slight impediment to airflow, to instead spray petrol directly

into the combustion chamber, where it cools and concentrates the fuel-air

charge, is a technology that’s not as widespread as it should be. Direct

injection is good for both power and efficiency.

Given the scale of the improvements in both departments, you’d

expect a long list of freshly engineered parts in the new GtI’s engine.

but the 8kW power jump to 155kW and 0.5L/100km fall in consumption

to a 7.7L/100km aDR81/02 combined-cycle result are apparently

explained by a handful of changes. there are new pistons and rings, a

new high-pressure fuel pump and a new mass airflow sensor, plus some

alterations to the engine’s oil and vacuum pumps.

Volkswagen doesn’t mention it, but a close comparison of GtI

MkV and VI specifications shows a reduction in the engine’s static

compression ratio (which doesn’t take into account the pressure added

by the turbocharger). the obvious reason for the drop from a 10.5:1 to

9.6:1 ratio is to permit more compression – boost if you prefer – to be

delivered by the turbo. this would account for both the need for new

lower compression pistons, and the power increase.

the GtI MkVI’s engine alterations are aimed at increasing the

precision of fuel delivery (fuel pump and mass airflow meter) or

reducing friction (oil pump and vacuum pump). both benefit fuel

efficiency. although the result is welcome, it’s likely that the improvement

stems largely from the need to make the engine meet the tougher

new euro V pollution emission standards. the GtI MkV’s engine was

euro IV compliant.

MkVI GOLFGTI

TECH HIGHLIGHTS

EXTERIOR/INTERIOR DESIGN

TECH HIGHLIGHTS

Under the skin

A more powerful yet thriftier engine, XDL diff lock and sharper chassis are just

some of the sixth-gen’s highlights

Original GTI’s 1.6-litre produced 81kW/140Nm

and returned 8.0L/100km. Thanks to DI and turbo tech, GTI MkVI’s 2.0-litre

gives 155kW/280Nm and 7.7L/100km

GRUNT


www.golfgti.com.au


Hose cHRoMe-tIppeD twin

tailpipes are not just for show. according

to Volkswagen engineers, the GtI VI’s dual

exhaust system is lighter than a single,

large-diameter pipe would have been.

LtHouGH caRRIeD over from the 2004 GtI

MkV, the optional double-clutch gearbox

of the GtI is still worthy of mention. It’s a

transmission that blurs the lines between

traditional manuals and automatics.

Its advantage is that it can deliver manual-equalling

acceleration and fuel efficiency, with only a small

penalty in refinement. explained simply, the GtI’s

DsG packs two separate three-speed manual gearboxes

into one handy housing. one covers the odd ratios,

the other the evens. each has its own motorcycle-like

wet, multiplate clutch to connect it to the engine.

supervised by a computer, this smart transmission is

able to pre-select the next gear you’ll need, because it’s

in the half of the box that’s not in use. When the gear

is needed – or the GtI driver taps a paddle shifter –

the computer opens one clutch and connects the other,

picking up the new ratio in the blink of an eye.

eW foR the GtI MkVI is XDL. although

Volkswagen labels it an ‘extended

electronic differential lock’, the company

also acknowledges it is a functional

extension of the esp electronic chassis

stability system. It does what old-fashioned mechanical

limited-slippers used to do, without the nasty side

effects and with greater scope for chassis tuning. Here’s

how it works. When, during cornering, the car’s g-force

sensors detect that the inside wheel is sufficiently

loaded to grip, just enough hydraulic pressure is

applied to its brake disc to optimise traction. the idea,

obviously, is to reduce untidy, power-on understeer.

XDL

SHIFT

PIPE DREAMS


MkVI GOLFGTI

TECH HIGHLIGHTS


TECH HIGHLIGHTS

harP handling is an equally important

part of the hot-hatch recipe as a powerful

and responsive engine. For the new GTI,

Volkswagen’s chassis engineers selected

springs and dampers of greater stiffness

than the regular Golf’s, and fitted a larger rear anti-roll

bar. Compared with a regular Golf, the GTI is 22mm

lower at the front and 15mm lower at the rear.

Trick XDL system uses ESP as an electronic diff ‘lock’ to reduce power understeer. Optional

adaptive chassis control offers ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Comfort’ modes;

sharpens steering

OLKSWaGEN is offering its new

adaptive chassis control system as

an option for MkVI GTI. It’s a variable

damper system that curbs pitching and

rolling motions of the body. There are driver-

selectable ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Comfort’ settings.

Choosing ‘Sport’ also modifies steering for extra

weight and improved feel.

hARDWARE sOFTWARE


www.golfgti.com.au

Opting for bi-xenon headlights brings

added benefit of ‘curve lighting’

improving vision when cornering at night.

IKE MaNy recent Euros, swivelling headlights are

available in the MkVI. Tick the bi-xenon option, and

you’ll also get what’s dubbed ‘curve lighting’. The

headlights can turn 13 degrees to the outside of the

corner, and seven degrees to the inside, to

better light your way to that elusive, after-midnight

corner apex.

www.wheelsmag.com.au 2 5

OLKSWaGEN’S Park assist technology

is an enhanced version of the original

system and offered as an option in the

GTI MkVI. The system leaves the driver

responsible for brake and throttle, but

takes care of all that pesky steering wheel stuff. This

improved version can park a GTI in a space that’s just

1.1 metres longer than the car. Earlier version needed a

1.4 metre margin.

CURVE LIGhTING

PARK AssIsT



ith the Gti MkVi, Volkswagen’s

designers deliberately set out to

connect the car more directly with

its most famous ancestor. the previous

generation had, for the first time in Gti

history, worn a distinctly different nose

from other Golfs. Not this time round…

“Cast in stone was the goal of evoking the

character of the first Gti a bit more,” says Klaus Bischoff, head of VW

design. “And that is why it was decided that – with the exception of the

aerodynamically important rear spoiler – the new Gti would not have a

single add-on, unlike the usual practice in this segment,” adds exterior

designer Marc Lichte.

So, while the new Gti’s entire bumper, grille and headlight internals

are all newly created for the MkVi, a pair of horizontal red lines border

the grille and hark back to the first Gti of 1976.

The design budget was well spent in a quest to better link the MkVI with its celebrated forebear

Appearance money

MkVI GOLFGTI

TECH HIGHLIGHTS


TECH HIGHLIGHTS

(RE)LIVIN’ IN THE ’70S


www.golfgti.com.au

IN TOUCH


eW-RetRO iS the theme inside Gti

MkVi, too. tartan-trim sports seats

(leather is optional) get integrated lumbar

support, adjusted via a lever on the side.

Also standard upfront is VW’s crash-

optimised head restraint system. Pedals are finished in

aluminium, and the air-con vents, lights switch, retro-

round instruments, gearknob and chunky, perforated-

leather steering wheel all get brushed chrome accents.

And there’s red stitching on that grippy, flat-bottomed

wheel, gearshift surround and leather-grip handbrake.

the instrument lighting continues the red theme, and

door trim inserts and the instruments surround

are high-gloss black-on-black.

GTI’s rear is unlike a

regular Golf’s, bringing a new-design bumper. There’s

a black diffuser between the twin chrome tailpipes,

and the roof-edge rear wing, while discreet, is also larger. Both help counter

high-speed, rear-end aero lift.

VW claims the new-look front is instantly

recognisable. Red grille bars echo those of original GTI. Lower intake is flanked by

three-tier ‘gills’ and upright foglights which make car

appear wider than it is


GTI[Geek & Trainspotter Info]

Everyone knows the original front-drive firebrand defined the hot-hatch genre. But some of the

curious factoids in our GTI geek file may surprise even hardcore fans

1AustrAliAns are among either the smartest or laziest current Golf Gti drivers in the world. Globally, 30 percent of customers choose the automated DsG gearbox option; in Australia the figure is more like 75 percent. While the six-speed transmission delivers performance and fuel consumption similar to that of the six-speed manual, plus perfect, throttle-blipping downshifts, it also relieves drivers of the burden of dealing with that pesky clutch pedal…

32 WHilE the goofy rabbit name was dropped for mainstream

second-gen Golf models in the usA, the Gti of the same time was confusingly designated simply Gti, not Golf Gti.

WEirDEst Gti ever built must be the driverless Gti 53+1. Developed in 2006 to aid chassis tuning, and for dynamic research and testing, this computer-controlled 147kW Gti had grille-mounted radar and laser sensors (pictured) and was named in honour of an earlier VW that could drive itself. (Herbie the love Bug wore racing number 53.) According to VW, 53+1 could match the lap times of professional drivers, and was an ace at the isO double lane-change manoeuvre.

www.golfgti.com.au

7VOlksWAGEn envisaged the first Gti as a limited edition and planned to build 5000. today, cumulative Gti sales around the world are creeping towards the two million mark.

2

WHO drives the Gti? Here’s VW’s statistical portrait of the typical owner, based on global data. Men (80 percent), mostly. More likely than not (60 percent), they’re married. Very likely (70 percent) to own another car as well as the Gti. Equally likely to have no children. Average age 39.

4

A Gti version of the rabbit — the cuddly name chosen for the Golf i (and revived for Golf V) in the usA — finally went into production at VW’s factory there in 1983, just as the Mkii was set to go into production in Europe. the car was an imposter; with a 1.8-litre engine set up for unleaded fuel, it had a paltry 67kW.

6

5tHErE are conflicting versions of what the ‘60’ stands for in the designation of the second-gen 118kW Gti G60. One claim is that it’s the depth of the pair of G-shaped scrolls at the heart of the engine’s belt-driven supercharger. the alternative story is that it’s the diameter of the little belt-driven supercharger’s air inlet. Either way, something inside the Gti G60’s G-lader measures 60mm.

GTI[Geek & Trainspotter Info]

DiD you know the check-pattern fabric of the new Gti’s seats has a name? since you asked, it’s ‘Jacky’. And, no, we don’t know why.

tHE genre-defining original Gti was such a fiesty performer its 9.0sec 0–100km/h sprint is still up there with today’s hot light hatches. the sohc 1.6’s 81kW is the equal of modern small atmo fours, while only the likes of the lotus Elise goes near the Mki’s trim 820kg fighting weight.

8

9

www.golfgti.com.au

13tHE original tyre specification selected for the first Gti in 1976 was bigger than the standard rubber of the 911 of the day. the plan was to give the hot Golf 205/60 tyres, at a time when Porsche fitted 185/70s to its iconic sports car. But cost-cutting during development saw the Gti’s wheel width reduced from 6.0 inches to 5.5in, shod with 175/70Hr13 tyres.

BOtH the one millionth Gti and 12 millionth Golf were built in november 1990.

Gti geeks around the world have created some weird and wonderful specials. the twin-engined first-gen Gti built by a south African nutter is a prime example. But the maddest and baddest Gti to ever come out of Volkswagen itself must be the W12-650. Built by VW in 2007 for the annual Gti get-together in Worthersee, Austria, this one-off two-seater featured a mid-mounted 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 (yes, the same engine as the Bentley Continental Gt) driving the rear wheels. the ‘650’ in its name is the max power output in Ps, and equates to 477kW. Performance claims were 0-100km/h in 3.7sec and a top speed of 325km/h.

tHE G-lader wasn’t a new invention, even in 1990. the original patent for this kind of air pump was apparently filed by a French inventor, léon Creux way back in 1905. it requires very precise machining, so had to wait until the 1980s to become a practicable proposition.

14

11 12sEPtEMBEr 11 is remembered as the date of … the 1975 Frankfurt motor show reveal of the very first Golf Gti, of course. it was red…

10

www.volkswagen.com.au www.wheelsmag.com.au




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