|
Volkswagen GTI 1.8T charged with power from new turbo plant
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
|
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Driving Volkswagen's Golf GTI, charged with the kick of a new turbo engine, we're having way too much fun running on multi-lane freeways through suburban expanses of San Diego.
A compact coupe arranged in convenient hatchback format and rigged with exacting mechanical action derived from German engineering, the GTI 1.8T pulsates from an energetic engine that eliminates any hint of the pesky power lag normally associated with turbo-charging.
Step on the accelerator pedal and this car leaps instantly to action, snapping your neck against the headrest and zipping ahead in traffic.
Drop the short stick down a gear and torque surges from the shift to higher rpms.
Crank the sport steering wheel an inch or two to the right or left and little GTI cuts with direct action, changing to the next lane with quick precision.
Roll over pavement expansion creases and the independent suspension -- MacPherson struts up front, torsion beam in back and both ends tuned for sporty work by integrated stabilizer bars -- blips the 15-inch all-season tires in exacting up-down motions that mimic the firm ride quality of a racy sports car.
Now tackle a twisty two-lane road, like California 79 heading east from San Diego in a climb through the Laguna Mountains, and all of the GTI's mechanical systems come together in concert to produce superior handling traits honed to a hard edge.
With the new engine aboard, this could be the best sportster ever from Volkswagen.
It's as if VW's designs in Wolfsburg finally figured out how to resurrect the fabled Rabbit GTi, only with modern mechanical accoutrement and downright comfortable interior appointments.
The Rabbit was VW's original Golf hatchback marketed in the United States from 1974 to 1982 in a new size category that became the compact class. A performance edition in 1976 bore the GTi badge and created a hot-hatch craze.
A vivid endorsement in that era came from a friend who owned both a pricy Porsche 911 and the inexpensive GTi. He left the Porsche in his garage most of the time and drove the GTi instead. "It's actually more fun," he confided.
That playful spirit of the GTi returns with this modern incarnation, thanks particularly the new turbo engine.
Origins of the GTI 1.8T begin with the fourth generation Golf compact, which first rolled out of a Volkswagen assembly facility in Mexico as 1999 models.
The Golf two-door GL hatchback and four-door GLS sedan version come with either a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four-in-line engine rated at 115 hp or a 1.9-liter plant that drinks diesel fuel but skirts the typical diesel problem of washed-out performance through the novelty of turbo-charging by direct induction. It musters only 90 hp but runs for 49 miles on a gallon of fuel.
A variation of the Golf two-door hatch with firm suspension settings and superior equipment gets the designation of GTI.
The GTI models of 1999 offered either the 2.0-liter four-pack at 115 hp or an optional 2.8-liter V6 flush with 174 hp and torque skewed to relatively low rpms.
With the 2000 models arriving late in the season, the 1.8T turbo becomes the new base engine for GTI as the ideal balance for power, performance and price.
With an iron block and aluminum alloy heads, the long-stroke engine has dual cams on top and five valves for each of the four cylinders. A turbo-charger and inter-cooler condense and chill in-coming air to enrich the oxygen content and ultimately boost the fire power.
Output runs to 150 hp at 5700 rpm, with 155 lb-ft of torque available in a flat band from 1750 to 4600 rpm.
A malleable five-speed manual shifter links to the 1.8T engine, with an automatic four-speed offered as an option.
Superior performance traits of the GTI trace to its foundation on the rigid platform of the fourth-generation Golf.
Its structure is composed of tailored blanks of sheet steel that vary in thickness. Through intelligent applications derived from computer modeling, the assorted metals are combined by selective means to increase strength of the platform and also reduce overall weight.
Further, laser welding and bonding of these materials in high-tech processes create a structure of unusual rigidity, which sets up a firm and stable foundation for attachment of suspension components.
The resultant chassis integrates energy-absorbing crumple zones fore and aft of a steel safety cage wrapping around the passenger compartment. Dual front air bags and side-impact air bags surround riders in the front bucket seats, and height-adjustable three-point safety belts pin them in place.
The multi-link independent front suspension manages the impossible for front-wheel-drive vehicles by virtually eliminating torque steer, whereby the car pulls to one side when rapidly accelerating or drifts to the other when braking hard.
Power brakes, with discs in front and drums in back, unite through computerized anti-lock controls.
In addition, brakes and the 1.8T engine tie to a traction controller, which VW labels ASR, for anti-slip regulation. It operates with an electronic differential lock at speeds above 24 mph to maximize traction and minimize slippage, with braking applied to an individual wheel when on-board sensors detect abnormal rotation.
The passenger compartment sets two buckets in front of a two-place jump seat with space behind in the hatch bay for gear. Rear seat cushions on each side flip forward independently as seatbacks also fold separately to form a flat floor and increase the cargo capacity.
Volkswagen maximizes equipment on the GTI GLS, which gets more standard features than other compacts. Items include a premium stereo system with eight speakers, windows with one-touch up and down power controls, central remote locking, heated remote mirrors, cruise control, a power glass sunroof, foglamps and alloy wheels.
Options extend from a Monsoon stereo and in-dash CD changer to leather seats and the automatic transmission.
Base figures for the GTI 1.8T begin at $19,225, plus a delivery charge of $525.
|
| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2000 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI Specs |
| Description: |
Compact hatchback coupe
|
| Model Options: |
Compact hatchback coupe
|
| Wheelbase: |
98.9 inches
|
| Overall Length: |
163.3 inches
|
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 1.8-L I4 turbo
DOHC 2.8-L V6
|
| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4
|
| Drive: |
Front
|
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/ASR
|
| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side)
|
| Gas Mileage: |
1.8-L M/5: 24/31 mpg
1.8-L A/4: 22/28 mpg
|
| Price: |
$ 19,750 to $ 23,740 |
|
|
