Volkswagen Golf GTI – Page 2 – Automobiles Review

Volkswagen Reveals First Details about Golf GTI Clubsport

Yesterday we told you that Volkswagen will display another concept at Wörthersee vehicle next to the recently announced Clubsport concept, and this is the Golf GTI Performance one-off concept. Well, now it is the time to break the silence for one of them and as you can guess it is turn of the Clubsport. Several images have been already revealed as well as some important information.

As we told you earlier the car has been created with a specific purpose – Golf GTI’s 40th anniversary. Since it is a concept vehicle, this means that it will also sport some differences from the production version, if such is to come. Rumors say that we will see one in 2016.

First, the design of the car is more aggressive. The white body is complemented with black and red design accents, and the wheels are huge, measuring 19-inches. There are also chrome exhaust outlets that can be seen on both sides of the redesigned rear bumper and diffuser. At the front, new are the black blades, lower front splitter and rearview mirrors.

The most inspiring thing about this concept is the powerplant which is the 2.0 turbocharged petrol unit, pushing out 265 horses (195 kW). The car will also have this cool feature of overboost, thus delivering additional 10 percent of power.

The 265 hp will be transmitted to the front wheels via six-speed DSG combined with an electronically-controlled XDS differential. More details are to be announced very soon, since Wörthersee meeting begins today. Stay tuned!

Source: Volkswagen

May 13, 2015

Volkswagen Teases Another One-off Wörthersee Golf GTI Concept

Next to the Clubsport concept Volkswagen is going to debut another car at the Wörthersee meeting this year. It has just been teased with two sketches and an announcement that it will be developed by thirteen apprentices. Four young women and nine men are currently training at Volkswagen and developing their project. Their age is between 17 and 25, and they have been selected as team members on the basis of their excellent performance.

At first, they took a body of the Golf GTI painted in white and then developed it demonstrating creativity, skill and knowledge. The members at the team are actually training as interior specialists, paint and mechatronics technicians, media designers and process technicians in plastics and rubber engineering, therefore you can imagine the variety of the work they can do for this project.

What we know so far about it? Well, there isn’t enough information. However we are sure that there will be optical and technical refinements of the suspension, engine, interior, seats and sound system. The car also port innovative color scheme, hand-crafted and painted body kitл

What was left unsaid is the information about the engine. We suspect that this concept will have some significant upgrades over the standard 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol unit. This means that it will develop more than 230 hp (170 kW) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque.

All of this will be shown at Lake Wörthersee, between 13th and 16th May. Stay tuned.

Source: Volkswagen

May 12, 2015

Volkswagen Announces GTI Clubsport. Is this the fastest GTI Ever Produced?

Volkswagen has exclusively released the first official sketches of the upcoming Golf GTI Clubsport. It is actually a concept, which we will see debuting at this year’s Wörthersee event. Judging from the three sketches, which you can view thoroughly below, the car has very production-like attitude and we sincerely hope to see it not only in a concept form.

Exterior

The sketches reveal a specific Golf-infused exterior, which however features some specific details. The front bumpers for instance are new and they include aggressive and sharp air vents.

The diffuser at the back has been also redesigned, while the roof can now show-off with a new roof spoiler that hints to more aerodynamic stability. All of this comes in a very nice overall styling that is further supported by the unique five double-spoke wheels fitted with low-profile tyres.

Drivetrain

No words on the interior, but there is a very pleasing data about the engine. The car will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbo unit, which will be capable of producing around 265 horses (195 kW). This number actually promises to make the Golf Clubsport the fastest GTI ever produced.

Since there are no additional details, we will wait until 13th of May to see whether this is true or not. This is when the car will make its official reveal at the 2015 Wörthersee meeting. What we are sure of is that with this car Volkswagen will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic Golf. Just look at the “40” in the background of the first picture in our gallery.

Source: Volkswagen

May 8, 2015

What is the Difference Between 2015 and 1985 Golf GTI?

Volkswagen‘s 1985 Golf GTI is already a collector’s vehicle today. But when put side by side by its youngest brother, the 2015 Golf GTI, you can see how much the model has changed. The latest 2015 model comes with more than twice horsepower, incredible fuel consumption efficiency and technology gadgets, that were not even seen on sci-fi movies back in 1985. But there is one amazing fact, that is beyond that time gap. The MSRP of the 2015 model is only 25% more than the MSRP for the 1985 model.

Rocco DeMas comments, that the fuel economy and the overall performance upgrades are impressive for the last 30 years. But he is also surprised, when it comes to safety advances. DeMans is really amazed by the incredible improvement of the safety system for these 30 years.

We offer you a comparison between the two models, when it comes to performance: The engine power has increased from 100 to 220 hp (73 to161 kW), the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) has decreased from 8.5 seconds to 5.8 seconds. Interesting fact is that the Curb weight increased with almost 1,000lbs. Of course, there are many differences in the transmission system. The options increased from standard 5-speed to 6-speed manual or 6-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. In 1985 Power windows and locks and the air conditioning were incredible extra, but today they are all included in the standard equipment for the 2015 model.

It is really incredible how much a car changes in 30 years. We all hope, that the improvements and optimizations will continue and in the future!

1985 Golf GTI vs 2015 Golf GTI - infographic

May 4, 2015

Volkswagen Golf VII GTI – AP Coilovers

AP Sportfahrwerke has unveiled their latest project based on Volkswagen Golf VII GTI. The hot hatchback has received a completely new suspension including front and rear coilovers.

The ride height can be adjusted according to owners taste as well as the stiffness. Pricing is available upon request.

The Golf VII GTI is powered by a 2.0 liter turbocharged petrol with 220HP (162 kW) and 350Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque. It is connected to a 6-speed manual gearbox. 0-100 km/h in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 246 km/h (153 mph). There is also GTI Performance package boosting the engine with 10HP more. In this case, it will do 0-100 km/h in 6.4 seconds and 250 km/h (155 mph).

Standard equipment of the new Golf VII GTI includes dual-zone climate control, sporty seats with Jacara cloth upholstery, sports steering wheel, black roof lining, red ambience lightning, stainless steel pedal caps, bespoke instrument cluster and gear lever, along with a touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, iPod and DAB digital radio connectivity.

Options list is long, but the most important are 19” Santiago alloy wheels, Vienna leather upholstery, and touchscreen satellite navigation with 10-channel amplifier and 8 speakers.

Source: AP Tuning

April 7, 2014

Dotz Shift Celebrates Golf’s 35th Anniversary With GTI Edition 35

We have seen already couple of projects in the past two months by Dotz Shift and we were impressed. To keep the good speed the designers has released their third project, which comes to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the emblematic Volkswagen Golf.

As a standard, the GTI has been equipped with 235 horsepower (173 kW) and delivers a fueal economy rated at 8.1L/100km. Dotz Shift decided to give more power to the car in order to celebrate its 35 years of history making. Thus, they have adapted race catalytic converter, added Bastuck exhaust system and adjusted the engine via software.

The result is that this GTI has gained 100 horsepower more, resulting in a total of 335 (246 kW). Then the tuners equipped the car with H&R coilovers and track extension, which give the GTI particularly good grip.

In fact, Dotz Shift calls this project “racing-oriented Shift pinstripe red”. The reason for this is that the VW boasts red lacquered pinstripes in the groove of the outer rim edge as well as a red inlay and logo on the black center cap.

The wheels are also sports-inspired. The star pattern formed by seven slender, edgy double spokes contributes towards a lightweight and aggressive look, while the deep lip adds the racing emotion. Particularly, the dimension of the wheels at the front and the back of Edition 35 is 8.0×19”.

Source: Dotz Shift

April 1, 2014

Volkswagen Beetle Dune Concept Closer To Reality At Detroit

Volkswagen-Beetle-Dune-Concept-shadow A sketch just a week ago, reality toady: the Volkswagen Beetle Dune Concept reveals itself to the world in Detroit at the 2014 North American Auto Show. It’s also closer to production than ever. So get your sunscreen and prepare for the amazing sandboarding session you’ve always dreamed of.

Why do we think the Dune is close to production? Well, it’s pretty much a Beetle. A beefed up one but, nevertheless, a Beetle. It sits 50 mm higher from the ground than the standard counterparts, It has four aggressively flaring wheel arches that widen the body by 24 mm on each side (that’s a total width of 1,856 mm. Consequently, both of the Dune’s tracks get a 29 mm advantage over the standard ones. A track width, then, of 1,607 mm at the front and 1,573 mm at the rear. It sits on four 19-inch wheels wearing 255/45 tires. Main point: even more ruggedness!

There are some visual gimmicks that no concept goes without, but they are very minimal. Things like the front bumper honeycomb air intakes, LED turn indicators. Then there’s the back which hosts two spoilers that have been specially designed to accommodate a pair of skis… for sand, apparently.

A very real part of the car, however, is its turbocharged 210 hp engine, which we suspect may have been lifted from a Golf GTI and mated to a six-speed DSG gearbox. Here are some actual figures: 0 to 62 mph gets done in 7.5 seconds; a top speed of 141 mph is “feasible”; and a fuel economy of 23 mpg (city) or 29 mpg (highway). An interesting engineering choice, though, is the FWD setup. It’s called the Dune, people, how do you tackle the sandy stretches?

Also, inside things have been left production-friendly. The only Dune-specific interior bit is the additional passenger grab handle in place of the glove-box. You’ll have a hard time noticing it anyway, since there’s a 7.7-inch touchscreen display dominating the center console.

Source: Volkswagen

January 15, 2014

US-Spec Volkswagen Golf R at NAIAS

2015-Volkswagen-Golf-R-medium So, the NAIAS draws near and so do the good news. In our case, the latest Volkswagen Golf R: it’s coming to the US market. There will be a preview at the show, but the actual sales won’t happen until 2015. What’s also interesting is that this US-spec R will be a tiny bit underpowered than its European counterpart.

Still, it will be the most powerful Golf on the market, brandishing 290 hp and 280 pound-feet of torque. The source of that power is a GTI-sourced TSI 2.0 engine. However, in order to make it meet the needs of the R, engineers had to tweak quite a few bits. the cylinder head (together with exhaust valves, valve seats, and springs), pistons, high-pressure injection system, and turbocharger have all been modified or completely redesigned. As a result, the latest flagship Golf will be the most powerful to date with 34 hp more than the previous 2013 model. Volkswagen also hail the TSI in it as one of the most powerful four-cylinder engines in the world (“one of the” being key here).

Mated to a manual six speed gear, it can propell the Golf R to 60 mph from a standstill in 5.3 seconds. Go for the DSG dual-clutch automatic and that number drops to 4.9 seconds. The same ratio is true for the combined fuel consumption. 33 mpg (manual) and 28 mpg (DSG).

The power transferred from the engine to the wheels goes through Volkswagen’s 4MOTION permanent all-wheel-drive system. Apparently not so permanent these days since a clever Haldex 5 coupling unit uses an electro-hydraulic oil pump to continuously alter the torque distribution. Under relatively light loads, the R can go all day with all the power going to the front wheels. When necessary, 100 percent of the torque can also be directed to the rear wheels. Flamboyant cornering should cause no sweats thanks to an XDS+ cross differential lock operates on both axles. The bravest of the brave can even completely switch off the electronic stability control, thus indulging in the car’s purest mode of driving.

An extra option that can come along with the R is the DCC dynamic chassis control – a state of the art software-operated system that has us confused with its many modes and settings. The gist of it, though, is the independent regulation of the damper rebound and compression on each wheel. The process is fast, adaptive and rather autonomous.

In terms of visuals, you will recognize a Golf R – granted you miss the R badges – by it’s lower stance (0.8 inches lower than any other regular golf and 0.2 inches lower than the GTI). The brake disks are also quite noticeable at a diameter of 13.4 inches at the front and 12.2-inches at the rear wheels. Distinctive body parts: the bumpers, side skirts, the rear diffuser, and two dual exhaust tips in chrome. The headlights (Bi-Xenon) get complemented by “U”-designed LED daytime running lights whatever that means. 18-inch “Cadiz” aluminum-alloy wheels shod with 225/40 tires complete the picture.

Source: Volkswagen

January 9, 2014

2014 Volkswagen Golf GTI – 230HP and 18% More Fuel-Efficient

Volkswagen has announced the new 2014 Golf VII GTI. It has twice much power compared to the first Golf GTI – 220HP and you can opt for a factory installed power enhanced engine that produces an additional 10 HP.

Furthermore, the 2.0 liter turbocharged direct-injected petrol engine has a completely newly developed cylinder head. A unique feature in this power class is the water-cooled exhaust gas circulation loop to the turbocharger that is fully integrated in the cylinder head. This type of exhaust gas cooling makes a crucial contribution towards improving fuel consumption at full load in the new Golf GTI. In other words, the new Golf GTI is up to 18 % more fuel efficient than the previous model.

Other highlights include 42 kg lower weight or a total of 1,351 kg, 10 km/h more in top speed – 246 km/h (manual) or 244 km/h (DSG) and 6.5 seconds – 0-100 km/h. The Performance variant is even faster – 250 km/h (manual) and 248 km/h (DSG) and 6.4 seconds to 100 km/h.

The Golf GTI Performance comes with a front LSD (limited slip differential) exclusively developed for this version. The Performance Pack itself not only consists of a power boost and the differential lock, it also offers a braking system with larger dimensions and internally-ventilated discs at all four wheels.

The exterior of the new GTI is distinguished from other cars in the model series by numerous additional features – red painted brake callipers, smoked LED rear lights in a custom design as well as chrome tailpipes on the left and right. The production colours Red (“Tornado Red”) and “Black” as well as “Pure White” have been typical for the Golf GTI since its early days. Also standard on-board the most powerful, fastest and most fuel-efficient Golf GTI ever are the newly designed 17-inch “Brooklyn” alloy wheels with size 225/45 tyres.

The interior also has some upgrades like sport seats, GTI instrument cluster, an independent leather sport steering wheel (with multifunction keys), red ambience lighting (in front, in the trim strips of the doors and the stainless steel door sill guards) and pedals made of brushed stainless steel.

Source: Volkswagen

April 25, 2013

ABT with 1,860 HP at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show

ABT Sportsline will take four new models at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The tuning specialists will exhibit: ABT Golf VII, ABT R8 GTR, ABT RS5 and ABT RS6. The combined power of all these vehicles is more than 1860HP.

The 7^th generation Golf boasts a set of 19” alloy wheels fitted with 225/35 R19 tires, a quad exhaust setup, along with a custom sports suspension and several styling changes such as a rear diffuser, side skirts and splitter.

There are performance packages for the 1.4 TSI and 2.0 TDI boosted to 160HP (118 kW) and 170HP (125 kW), respectively.

ABT Audi R8 GTR has 620HP (456 kW), which is 20% more than the factory’s power of 525HP (386 kW). 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds and Vmax – 320 km/h.

The 5.2 liter V10 received a number of upgrades, which the tuning company keep in secret. However, the car is fully compatible for everyday use and is real fun for cruising on country roads. There is also a sport exhaust system to “calm” down your ears.

The sports car rolls enormous 20” ABT BR alloys or 19” CR Superlight rims.

The ABT RS5-R as also been developed with a focus upon weight optimisation and distribution. The car shows that it is indeed possible to combine roadworthiness with the characteristics of a real racer. The same applies for the ABT RS6, which is boosted to 600HP (441 kW).

“I’m confident that the readers of the AUTO ZEITUNG will honour this innovative power of ours this year as well.”, finished Hans-Jürgen Abt.

Source: ABT

March 1, 2013

Volkswagen Golf GTI tuned by BBM

Meet Andrea Friedrich – a qualified race driving obtained her A-license at the Rennfahrer-Schule.com under the guidance of Michael Holz and Peter Bonk from “Bonk Motorsport”. Andrea is driving a Golf V GTI 2.0 TFSI Club Sport tuned by BBM Motorsport.

The race toy is powered by the well-known 2.0 liter turbocharged petrol engine boosted to 336HP (247 kW) and 460Nm (341 lb-ft) of torque. The result is thanks to a new K04 turbocharger, complete sports exhaust system by Supersprint and a big double-DIN charge air cooler. Of course, the car is carefully tuned at the in-house Dynojet dynamometer. 0-100 km/h in 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 275 km/h (171 mph). The kerb weight of the car is just 1,270kg.

Other upgrades include a sport clutch by ZF, a set of TEC-rims 8J x 18” ET35 fitted with semi-slick tires in dimensions – 225/40 R18.

The car stands on KW Club Sport coilover adjustable suspension. The stopping power is granted by a Stoptech brake system with massive discs in the size of 355 x 32 mm and 4-Piston Calipers.

The exterior boasts a mat baby blue foil by Bruxsafol, professionally applied by Jaded Design, while the interior features safety belts, race seats and some other details for additional safety.

The price for complete rebuild is at €19,500 including installation.

Source: Volkswagen

October 12, 2012

Volkswagen’s HUGE Fail! “Power of German engineering”

Here is an easy way to embarrass yourself (your company) in front of a lot of people. Just take a Golf GTI Concept, make its suspension lower by using straps pulling the springs down and then show this car at huge Auto Show. This formula is perfect for only one thing – HUGE failure.

We can’t even think how this happened. Probably, VAG don’t have enough resources for creating lowering springs for their showcase vehicles or the engineer responsible for the suspension of this car was under the influence of something…

Of course, this is not fatal, because obviously the car won’t run in series production with straps on the springs. Still, it is quite fun and embarrassing, when a company gets caught faking it.

Still, this is “nothing” compared to Lincoln MKZ concept at the North American International Auto Show, which started smoking in front of everybody.