Volkswagen Golf GTI
The reason is simple: 2001 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Golf GTI. It was first introduced to customers in 1976, and the Golf GTI, which weighed less than a ton (and much less than today), had a full 110 horsepower at the time. It became synonymous with the class of cars, meaning sportiness - the GTI class appeared.
The label later changed from a glut of Golf offerings to a marketing one, which meant at best a sportier chassis and more upscale equipment, but said little about the engine – after all, today the Golf is available not only in petrol but also in diesel. . engine. There is no doubt about its sportiness in this case too, mainly due to the huge torque, but the competition is capable of more and more horses.
Octavia RS, Leon Cupra, Clio Sport. . Yes, the Golf's 150 horsepower, be it the petrol or diesel version, is no longer something to brag about. Luckily, the twenty-fifth anniversary has come and things have moved on - although this time it's just an anniversary model, a special edition - really, just for home tuning.
It's obvious from the outside. Most notable are the 18-inch BBS wheels with 225/40 low-profile tires. Great for dry asphalt and summer temperatures, but unfortunately the test Golf hit the newsroom just as winter arrived with all its slippery consequences. And although in winter tires were usually at a loss because of their size. This is why the warning light, which indicates to the driver that the standard ESP system has helped him, comes on too often, and it also happened that even a completely average car was faster than the Golf GTI.
However, when we experienced a few more pleasant days with a drier road, things quickly turned upside down. At the time, the chassis turned out to be 10 millimeters lower than the standard GTI, stable in corners but still useful enough for every day. Large holes shake the cabin and passengers, but not enough that they need another car near the house.
The main culprit for a frequently lit ESP lamp is, of course, the engine. The 1-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which boasts five-valve technology and a turbocharger, is capable of producing 8 horsepower in the stock Golf GTI. A charge air cooler was added for the anniversary and the number rose to 150. The intervention had no negative consequences as the engine is still very flexible and at a good 180 rpm it pulls much more forcefully than its weaker counterpart. Therefore, in low gears, it is necessary to hold the steering wheel firmly enough, especially if the road under the wheels is uneven. The steering wheel is upholstered in perforated leather, as are the handbrake lever and gearshift boot. The seams are red, the same as 2.000 years ago in the first Golf GTI, and the head of the presentation lever is the same - reminiscent of a golf ball. Except that the lettering on it, indicating the position of the gear lever, is much more complicated, since the current GTi has six gears.
If you get into a special car, you will learn a lot more details. For example, aluminum side skirts with GTI lettering, center console, hook and dashboard on aluminum dashboard.
In addition to the rims and the belly noticeably approaching the ground, there are red brake calipers glowing from under the rims and, of course, a good exhaust for a good plumbing that has a suitable sound - a pleasant grunt at idle and below revs, a drum roll in the middle and enriched with the whistle of turbines , in the highest sporting drone. By the looks of it, a lot of time was devoted to the acoustics of this GTI's exhaust, and aside from the slightly tedious drumming of the exhaust at long distances (and at highway speeds), this intervention worked perfectly.
The Recar seats (with the already gaudily large lettering) are comfortable, hold the body well in the corners, and together with the height and depth-adjustable steering wheel ensure that the driver instantly finds a comfortable position - even if not more than 190 centimeters, because then the longitudinal movement ends.
Back seats? In such a car, rear space is a secondary thing. That VW thinks the same way is borne out by the fact that the anniversary GTI is only available in a three-door version.
Apart from the engine and chassis, the brakes are also excellent, and the braking distances measured during the test are mainly due to the cold temperatures and winter tires. The feel on the pedals is excellent (if you have wet feet, you need to be careful because the aluminum pedals slip too much despite the rubber caps), and even repeated braking at high speeds does not diminish their effectiveness. So the safety was well taken care of, including the use of airbags.
But it's not even that important; The important thing is that we can safely say that Volkswagen has once again caught up with the competition with this GTI – and evoked the spirit of the first Golf GTI. But if the new GTI were a few hundred pounds lighter. .
Dusan Lukic
Photo: Urosh Potocnik.
Volkswagen Golf GTI
Basic data
| Sales: | Porsche Slovenia |
|---|---|
| Base model price: | 25.481,49 € |
| Test model cost: | 26.159,13 € |
| Calculate the cost of auto insurance | |
| Power: | 132kW (180 KM) |
| Acceleration (0-100 km / h): | 7,9 with |
| Maximum speed: | 222 km / h |
| Mixed flow ECE: | 8,4l / 100km |
Technical information
| engine: | 4-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - petrol - transverse front mounted - bore and stroke 81,0 × 86,4 mm - 1781 cm3 - compression ratio 9,5:1 - maximum power (ECE) 132 kW (180 hp) .s.) at 5500 rpm - maximum torque (ECE) 235 Nm at 1950-5000 rpm - 2 camshafts in the head (timing belt) - 5 valves per cylinder - electronic multipoint injection and electronic ignition (Motronic ME 7.5 ) - Turbocharger exhaust, charge air overpressure 1,65 bar - Air cooler - Liquid cooled 8,0 l - Engine oil 4,5 l - Variable catalytic converter |
|---|---|
| Energy transfer: | the engine drives the front wheels - 6-speed manual transmission - gear ratio I. 3,360; II. 2,090 hours; III. 1,470 hours; IV. 1,150 hours; V. 0,930; VI. 0,760; reverse 3,120 - differential 3,940 - tires 225/40 R 18 W |
| Capacity: | top speed 222 km / h - acceleration 0-100 km / h 7,9 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 11,7 / 6,5 / 8,4 l / 100 km (unleaded gasoline, elementary school 95) |
| Transportation and suspension: | 3 doors, 5 seats - self-supporting body - front individual suspensions, spring legs, triangular transverse guides, stabilizer - rear axle shaft, longitudinal guides, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, stabilizer - two-wheel brakes, front disc (forced). cooling), rear disc, power steering, ABS, EBD - rack and pinion steering, power steering |
| Mass: | empty vehicle 1279 kg - permissible total weight 1750 kg - permissible trailer weight with brake 1300 kg, without brake 600 kg - permissible roof load 75 kg |
| External dimensions: | length 4149 mm - width 1735 mm - height 1444 mm - wheelbase 2511 mm - front track 1513 mm - rear 1494 mm - ride radius 10,9 |
| Inner dimensions: | length 1500 mm - width 1420/1410 mm - height 930-990 / 930 mm - longitudinal 860-1100 / 840-590 mm - fuel tank 55 l |
| Box: | normally 330-1184 liters |
Our measurements
| T = -1 ° C, p = 1035 mbar, rel. vl. = 83%, Meter reading: 3280 km, Tires: Dunlop SP, WinterSport M2 | |
| Acceleration 0-100km: | 8,1s |
|---|---|
| Flexibility 50-90km / h: | 5,8 (IV.) S |
| Flexibility 80-120km / h: | 8,2 (V.) / 7,5 (VI.) P |
| Maximum speed: | 223km / h (WE.) |
| Minimum consumption: | 9,7l / 100km |
| test consumption: | 12,4 l / 100km |
| Braking distance at 130 km / h: | 79,2m |
| Braking distance at 100 km / h: | 47,1m |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 3rd gear | 58dB |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 4rd gear | 58dB |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 5rd gear | 57dB |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 6rd gear | 57dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 3rd gear | 68dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 4rd gear | 65dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 5rd gear | 63dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 6rd gear | 63dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 4rd gear | 69dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 5rd gear | 68dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 6rd gear | 68dB |
| Test errors: | unmistakable |
evaluation
The 180 hp Golf GTi is a car that brings the Golf GTi name back to its roots. Another thing is that the Golf is much bigger and heavier than it was 25 years ago.
We praise and reproach
engine
chassis
seat
appearance
unsuitable winter tires
insufficient longitudinal seat offset
stuffed interior
