The running taste is more than you can imagine! VW "Golf GTI" is fast and exciting, like a real sports car.

Volkswagen, a German automobile manufacturer with a long history and tradition, is a famous car brand loved worldwide for its functional design and high driving performance.

If we describe the Golf GTI in one word, it is appropriate to describe it as a sports car in the form of a family car.

The Golf GTI is one of Volkswagen's most classic models. The Golf is positioned as an ordinary family car, and in order not to make the already sporty design in its bones seem too mediocre, the version GTI that highlights power and handling came into being. The first-generation Golf GTI has spanned more than 30 years since its introduction in 1976 and is now in its 7th generation.

The successive GTIs have a highly practical hatchback body, but they are fast and exciting, just like a high-performance sports car. It was a model for the hot hatch. A relatively compact body is equipped with a higher-class high-power engine to improve power performance, while the suspension is stiffened to improve cornering performance. It has been finished with a character that combines the speed of a sports car with the fun of driving.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Body size: L4295×W1790×H1465mm
• Weight: 1430kg
• Drive system: FWD
• engine: 1984cc Inline 4-cylinder DOHC turbo
• Transmission: 7-speed AT (dual clutch type)
• Maximum output: 245 hp / 5000 to 6500 rpm
• Maximum torque: 37.7kgf-m / 1600 to 4300 rpm

The maximum output of the engine installed in the first GTI was only 110 horsepower. It's "below average" by modern standards, but if you say that the engine that the typical first Golf had at its debut was 50 horsepower / 70 horsepower, you can imagine how powerful the first GTI was. Moreover, the vehicle's weight is only about 800 kg. Although it is a compact car, the GTI, which can run in the overtaking lane of the Autobahn alongside Porsche, had a great impact on people.

The maximum output of the engine is 245 horsepower, more than double that of the first generation, and even in the standard specification, it has obtained the same level of power as the "GTI Performance", which is the high-end model of the previous GTI. the 0-100km/h acceleration takes only 6.6 seconds. The top speed can reach 246km/h.

The exterior is impressive, with front fog lamps with five LEDs on each side arranged in an "X-shape" on both sides of the bumper. In addition to the front bumper, the headlights, front grille, and side sills are exclusive to GTI.

The interior is similar to the sporty "R Line" of the normal Golf in the shape of the steering wheel and seats, but the steering wheel has red accents and GTI badges, and the seats are exclusive products that combine unique seat upholstery.

The instrument panel of the full-surface liquid crystal can also be switched to a GTI-exclusive design with a large-diameter tachometer placed in the center, differentiating it from the normal Golf.

What you can feel from such interior and exterior coordination is respect for successive GTIs. For example, the red stripe on the front mask and the honeycomb grille on the bumper on the exterior and the tartan plaid seat fabric on the interior is nostalgic in the GTI tradition.

Recently, the age group of users who prefer sports models has been increasing in Europe, and the theory of creating sports models with a high hobby is to incorporate "nostalgia" into the interior and exterior to win the hearts of such people. The Ford "Mustang" is a typical example of American car.

The main topic of the new Golf GTI is that the driving dimension has been significantly raised compared to its predecessor.

The driving quality is the same as a sports car. The engine has thick torque from the low rpm range, is easy to handle, responds quickly to the driver's accelerator operation, and has an excellent response to rev increases. In addition, you can feel the excitement in the high RPM range, and it is tailored to be a characteristic that allows you to enjoy the beauty of a sports engine fully.

On the other hand, the handling naturally has high-limit performance, and when the steering wheel is cut in, it turns sharply and quickly. Still, the stability while cornering is lovely. In addition, the suspension is set to a stiff setting, and it is clear that the sweet spot is swung on stages with a fairly high-speed range, such as circuits.

Therefore, it is difficult to fully exploit the potential of the new GTI when driving on winding roads. The Golf GTI was a highly practical sports car. The brakes, which VW said, "emphasized strong braking power from the high-speed range and controllability near ABS operation," were full of rigidity like a sports car.

The main difference between the GTI and R is the engine and drive system, with the engine being the 245 horsepower GTI and the R having 320 horsepower. The drive system is 4WD for the R compared to the FWD of the GTI. In addition, the R has an even more exciting menu of driving control systems, such as the "Nürburgring" mode and "Drift" mode, and is characterized by lacy tailoring in all aspects, such as engine feel and sound.

Therefore, many people must feel that R is "too high-performance" or "too expensive". Compared to the R, the GTI, which is milder and affordable, seems to be "just the right sports hatch" for many people.

Another difference is the sportier exterior design of the GTI Club Sport. The front mask with the lower part of the bumper wide open, the radiator grille with a honeycomb design, and the special roof spoiler at the rear are eye-catching. It is designed with aerodynamic performance in mind.

Because it is responsive and easy to drive, it is a car you can enjoy driving stress-free.