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| There's no mistaking what it is, but the all-new Golf GTI is totally fresh and better than ever. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press) |
The year is 1983, and Volkswagen is about the shake up the economy car world. For in that year, VW took a solid but pedestrian car, the Rabbit, and juiced it up with a higher horsepower engine, larger wheels and tires, and suspension and trim enhancements and called it the Rabbit GTI.
Do you remember photos of early GTIs on racetracks with the inside rear wheel lifted during hard cornering? I do, and was immediately attracted to the car because of its tossable, forgiving nature.
Credit VW with the so-called “hot hatch” movement spawned by the Rabbit GTI. Think Civic Si, Scion tC and assorted Subarus, Mitsubishis, and even some German iron in the form of the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series, and now out of production Mercedes-Benz C230 Coupe can trace their origins to a corporate whiteboard targeting the performance small car market.
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| Radical wheels might conflict with the tasteful rear styling. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press) |
So mark the original GTI Mk1 as a sales and marketing success for VW. Over the years, there have been several iterations of the car, each with additional levels of performance and refinement. Which brings us to model year 2010, and the all-new GTI.
The 2010 model features new bodywork and several interior upgrades. At the performance heart of the car lies a 2.0-litre, turbocharged, direct injection four, displacing 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. To place it in contrast, the original GTI came with an output that was punchy for 1983 but would be considered anemic today – 90 horsepower.
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| Fabulous interior won't have you missing your premium ride if you plan on moving down market for this ultra-fun hatch. (Photo: VW) |
Horsepower is channeled through a six-speed manual or very impressive dual-clutch “DSG” six-speed sequential manual transmission with paddle-shift manual shifting, which works like an automatic when left in Drive. Inspired by Formula One racing, the DSG tranny uses two computer controlled clutches to shift from gear to gear rapidly, with shifts coming in a lightning fast .01 seconds. With the DSG, you also get VW's version of “Launch Control.” Simply put your DSG in “sport mode,” turn off the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), and floor the gas pedal. Take your foot off the brake, and blast off! To help out during spirited back road driving, VW has incorporated a new “XDS” or Cross Differential System into the car which helps compensate for increased wheel spin on the inside wheels to improve traction while cornering quickly. What? No more lifting of the inside wheel? Is this really a GTI? Yes it is, and it's easily the best one yet.
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