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Volkswagen presented the new GTI flagship at the Nürburgring and with an output of 235 PS it was the first to come very close to reaching 250 km/h – 247 km/h to be precise. This generation culminated in the “Golf GTI Edition 35”, generating 235 PS, to mark the product line’s 35th anniversary in 2011. In 2011 the vehicle was made available as a convertible for the first time. This GTI consistently took the original version’s tradition into the future.
#MK4 GOLF GTI GENERATOR#
This generation featured a sound generator and a new exhaust system concept (with one tailpipe each on the left and right) delivering audible dynamism. With a top speed of 240 km/h, this GTI featured a turbocharged engine generating 210 PS and was great fun to drive. This new generation of Golf GTI redefined the concept of grip thanks to an electronic differential lock (XDS).
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None other than racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck was in charge of honing the vehicle’s setup. The sixth generation of the Golf GTI followed in 2009. Low power-to-weight ratio and up to 235 PS. Featuring the same engine, the reincarnation of the “Pirelli GTI” was launched in 2007. On the iconic sports car’s 30th anniversary in 2006, its creators introduced GTI aficionados to the “30 years of GTI” edition, which generated 230 PS. The slogan in the first brochure read “high-performance sport has never been this much fun!”. The vehicle’s top speed was an impressive 235 km/h. Fitting the vehicle with the new dual clutch gearbox (DSG) cut the time required to only 6.9 seconds.
#MK4 GOLF GTI MANUAL#
The new turbocharged engine also delivered plenty of “oomph” – it propelled the GTI with a manual gearbox to 100 km/h in a mere 7.2 seconds. The new Denver design wheels and the black, V-shaped radiator grille were particularly striking features. Volkswagen propelled the GTI concept into the future with this version of the sports car. Its hallmarks were a significantly sharper look, a 200-PS turbocharged engine and supreme handling characteristics. In September 2004, Volkswagen showcased the production version at the Paris Motor Show while the launch of the Golf GTI Mk5 followed in November. More than ever before the acronym GTI became a synonym for compact driving dynamics with this generation. In September 2003 Volkswagen launched a magnificent comeback of the classic at IAA with a prototype of the fifth GTI generation.
![mk4 golf gti mk4 golf gti](https://http2.mlstatic.com/D_NQ_NP_969235-MLA47741351419_102021-W.jpg)
This marked the first chapter in what remains the world’s most successful compact sports car.Ĭomeback and up to 230 PS. The 5,000 units of the Golf GTI Mk1 eventually ended up as 461,690 units – and the ultimate crowning glory of the product line was the Pirelli-GTI, a special edition generating 112 PS. However, things turned out rather differently as neither Konrad, Hablitzel nor Schmücker had anticipated the level of popularity of this Golf GTI with a top speed of 182 km/h and black wheel arch extensions, a black frame around the rear window, red edge around the radiator grille, tartan sports seats, the golf ball gear knob and a sports steering wheel with a special design feature. The initial plan was to manufacture 5,000 units of this special product line to at least recoup the cost of development and the investment in production equipment.
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In June 1976 the Golf GTI Mk1, priced at 13,850 German marks, was launched in Germany before going on to enjoy global success. Volkswagen showcased the Golf GTI and received an enthusiastic media response – everyone wanted one! And they got what they asked for. At the same time, chief designer Herbert Schäfer – a keen golfer – reinvented the gear knob by simply attaching a golf ball to the GTI’s selector rod. Suggestions that were discussed included TS and GTS. However, the Super Golf didn’t even have a name yet. EA195 took a crucial step forward once it was finally paired with the right power unit – an injection engine generating 110 PS. Now there was a schedule ‒ and an ambitious one at that! The vehicle was to celebrate its world premiere at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt in September and so the project picked up speed. As a result, the clandestine Sport Golf officially became development order EA195. In early March 1975, Hablitzel officially presented the Sport Golf project to Toni Schmücker, Chairman of the Board of Management, who gave it the green light. Initial prototypes emerged, including a vehicle with a carburettor engine generating 100 PS. There was no official mandate to develop the Sport Golf, but Hermann Hablitzel, Board Member for Technology, made sure the project kept going. In 1974, half a dozen staff members at Volkswagen, including Anton Konrad, Volkswagen’s then chief press officer, concocted a secret plan to develop a sporty version of the Golf.