WOLFSBURG: It is often red, has checked seats and does not just have a sporty look – most people could tell you that much about the Golf GTI
A host of interesting stories and facts has accumulated over the past 45 years, and we have put these in print for you!
A GTI characteristic: it still relies on a robust, four-cylinder petrol engine to provide maximum driving pleasure. This started out in 1976 as a 110 PS injection engine, but now the new Golf GTI
unit has more than double the power – a mighty 245 PS!
The Golf 1 already went from 0 to 100kph in an impressive 9.2 seconds, while the needle on the speedometer stopped moving at 182kph. Back then, mid-range saloon cars struggled to hit the 160kph mark. Not only that: the new Golf GTI keeps pushing on until it reaches 250kph (electrically limited).
The combination of tyres and rims on a car represents the key connecting factor that ensures optimal transfer of drive performance to the road. This is particularly important for the current top of the range 300 PS GTI, the Golf GTI Clubsport, which is available with the innovative Vehicle Dynamics Manager and the new “Nürburgring” driving profile.
The optics are important too: almost 50 percent of the overall appearance for a car can be attributed to the rims. The GTI has had plenty over the decades.
Anton Konrad, then head of the press department at Volkswagen: “We were aiming for a sporty series Volkswagen with a bit of understatement. We planned to construct 5,000 of these cars that you could use to go shopping or drive on the racetrack.”
The sales department was not particularly optimistic ahead of the IAA 1975: “We won't even sell 500 of these GTIs.” And they would be proved right. Ultimately, it was not 500 Golf GTIs that were sold, but more than 2.3 million of them!
Star designer Giorgetto Giugiaro created the appearance of the Golf in Turin. Herbert Schäfer, design director at the time, installed the legendary red GTI trim strip in Wolfsburg, while the iconic checked design was produced by the first woman in the Volkswagen design department – Gunhild Liljequist.
Visiting London on a journey around Britain proved inspirational for her. Black was sporty enough, but she was looking for a second colour with a powerful, sophisticated effect – and settled on red. The golf ball design for the gear knob on the 4-speed transmission was also her idea. This still graces the 6-speed gearbox in the eighth-generation Golf GTI
You also have the option of ordering the car with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and shift-by-wire.
Ready to go: the Golf GTI now has a new multifunction sports steering wheel, with touch controls, perforated leather and GTI clasp.
The Golf 1 GTI already had a three-spoke steering wheel of similar style: fans affectionately dubbed it the “spittoon steering wheel” – as the Wolfsburg logo was located in a deep recess – and it remains a collectors’ item to this day.
A topless Golf 6 GTI: on the Golf GTI Cabrio, the electrohydraulic system opened the soft top in 9.5 seconds, requiring 11 seconds to close it at 30kph.
With the roof closed, it was possible to reach 237kph. In the months before it was discontinued, the GTI Cabrio was even officially referred to as the “most powerful open Volkswagen”!
Of course, the Porsche 918 Spyder or the Lamborghini Huracán Spyder were the most powerful cars that the group produced, but after production of the Golf R Cabrio ceased, the Golf GTI Cabrio was the fastest car without a roof to come out of Wolfsburg.
To quote the brochure: “Your personal trainer recommends 30 minutes of exercise every day. It’s lucky he didn’t tell you what to exercise with.” You had to be quick out of the blocks in 2012 to secure a Golf GTI adidas from the limited edition of 4,410.
You could then settle into one of the sports seats embroidered with the “adidas” logo, with those three famous “adidas” stripes running down the middle.
More progressive than ever: the current Golf - including the Golf GTI - is the first Volkswagen production vehicle to be equipped with Car2X communication. Other cars use a WLANp connection to warn you of impending danger, such as the end of a traffic jam or a hazardous area, in milliseconds.
The innovative Vehicle Dynamics Manager takes performance to the next level. It means that the Golf GTI is not just a sports car but also allows you to benefit from improved safety features. Side fact: a modern Volkswagen contains 10 times the amount of software you would find in an up-to-date mobile phone.
