The VW Golf has been around for more than 40 years racing its way into our hearts and minds. There's not a reason to own a race-inspired hatchback unless you want to win the race to the grocery store! While the GTI is a beefed-up version of the Golf, it wasn't initially designed to be a classic let alone a preferred sports car of many. In fact, company engineers did not even think the car would be of public interest! Let's see what made the Golf such a lovable hatch. Here's a list of 10 things you didn't know about the lovable Golf GTI.
10 10. Frankenstein Parts
The Golf GTI started humbly borrowing parts from the Audi 1.6 liter engine with fuel injectors. Engineers looked for parts from various Volkswagen family members including Audi and others. The Golf was a Frankenstein of car parts that were an asset in helping it become an instant classic! It reminds me of when Porsche built their first production car the 356 fully borrowing parts from Volkswagen. Every great car has a humble beginning.
9 9. Brake Horsepower (bhp)
This car had humble beginnings with only 75 bhp (brake horsepower), the amount of raw power from the engine prior to being slowed down by friction from its mechanical parts. Engineers were able to stretch that number up to 110 bhp making it one peppy ride. While it sounds rather tame compared to what is available in today's performance-driven car market, the Golf was still able to thrill enough drivers to make it a best seller for over 4o years!
8 8. Accidental Hit
Although it's difficult to see now, the Golf GTI was an accidental hit. In fact, executives from VW thought of it as a mere pet project by engineers with no real market for it! Boy, did that get proven wrong during the Frankfort Auto Show! This hatchback became an instant hit never looking back since. It became VW's best selling model putting out more than 30 million cars by 2013!
7 7. Design Matters
The Golf GTI, also known as the "hot hatch" became the apple of performance care owner's eye not only because of its performance ability on the road but also because of its design. This a car is no eyesore designed by Italian designer Giogetto Giugiaro. Cars in his portfolio include BMW M1, Delorean DMC-12, and the Lotus Espirit among others. No wonder the Golf looks so well. It has the best of both worlds, performance and design all wrapped up in one package of fun.
6 6. Golf has a Golf-ball
As the name indicates, it has a sporty legacy. German engineers picked up on that and have included a golf ball shifter knob on each GTI! Its been a tradition since the very start of this pet project and continues until this very day! Who says engineers are all work and no play? This car is proof when you love the work that you do it is not work at all!
5 5. The Muscle of Golf
Speaking of play, this compact hatchback had enough muscle to compete with some of the bigger American cars on the drag strip. When building a dream sports car it certainly helps to have multiple car brands to borrow parts from. Building the ultimate Frankenstein car, they borrowed a Bently engine ponying up a whopping 641 bhp! Brakes were lent by a "little" known car company named Lamborghini and various other parts from its luxury sibling Audi. Unfortunately, this beast car was never sent into production but it's still enough to send chills down your spine. Maybe one day Volkswagen will manufacture a beast racer like this one.
4 4. Bently Borrowed Engine
Speaking of borrowed parts, the Bentley engine, a 6.0 liter W-12 650 was capable of a top speed of 202 mph! If you were testing this bad boy on the strip, it'd propel you from 0-62mph in a mere 3.7 seconds! No wonder they had so much fun dreaming this up. This car should have been known as the "rocket hatch" accelerating that fast. Too bad it was only a concept car. It would have been amazing to see how fast this speed demon would have burned rubber.
3 3. Over 40 Years of Gulf
It has been over 40 years since the first GTI came off the assembly line and forever changed the hatchback landscape! Now, for 2020, VW has updated and redesigned this model producing the MK8 Golf. Expected to arrive Stateside in the fall, the "peoples wagon" will be more connected with the only analog part being the steering wheel. VW says it'll be "super digital" with a refreshed exterior look. They claim it will be the next generation of Gulf with unprecedented technology that no other predecessor had before.
2 2. Not the First, but the Best
While the Golf GTI is a well known hot hatch, it was not the first to corner the market. Despite VW being the most recognizable, in 1974 French automaker Simca produced the 1100 TI. If you've never heard of it, don't be alarmed. Most North American drivers haven't either. This market never saw one on the road this side of the pond and I don't think we ever will. We will have to enjoy the Golf and take Simca's word for it.
1 1. GTI
With all this talk of the Golf GTI it would behoove me to ask what does the acronym GTI stand for? It derives its initials from the Italian phrase "Gran Turismo Iniezione". It basically means that the car has direct fuel injection and therefore is a beast on the road! This special edition Golf brings the nimble and fun to drive hatchback into redline territory that rivals much of its competition on the road. It is fun to look at these 10 facts about the GTI especially noting its Italian influence in both design and nameplates. While the Golf was a replacement for the Beatle, VW certainly adopted inspiration from other manufacturers including French and Italian.