2 The world s first red-line hot hatch

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1 2 The world s first red-line hot hatch No hot-hatch probably no book: it s already been said. However, what now needs stressing, over-and-over again, in letters writ large, is that the Golf GTI was not a part of Volkswagen s plan. Not when Lotz was bumbling around trying to find a successor to the Beetle. Not when Leiding was ruthlessly clearing up the mess! Conceivably, not even when Herr Schmücker was first seated on the precarious Wolfsburg throne, and that is key too. Volkswagen was no longer in a position to experiment! The GTI was hatched up more or less as an after work and weekend hobby project! Secret recipe Secreted in the bowels of Wolfsburg, a group of engineers gathered regularly to indulge their interest in and enthusiasm for motor racing. The gang first met in 1973 to discuss building a genuinely fast and ferocious Golf, and coded their project as EA337. Initially, and mainly thanks to Dr Freidrich Goes, the chums came up with a twin-choke Solex carburettor Audi engine, which developed 100bhp. Complexity and ingenuity out of the window, all the gang had been required to do was add a little lateral thinking. During 1973, Audi had introduced a GT version of the 80. The 1471cc, as soon to be dropped into the LS version of the Golf, had been bored out from 76.5 to 79.5mm, increasing capacity in the process to 1588cc. Larger diameter inlet valves with Heron-type combustion chambers and different inlet and exhaust manifolds improved both breathing and gas flow. With a compression ratio of 9.7:1, maximum brake horse power was achieved at 6000rpm. To complete the experiment, or so they thought, the huddle of boffins added wider tyres and beefier suspension suitably lowered and stiffened with an anti-roll bar. What, however, was clear even before they had turned a clandestine wheel was that the Golf s Early Mk1 GTI for the European rather than the British market. 21

2 The Mk2 8-valve engine. sunroof, and sporty striped upholstery. An attractive 6Jx14 steel wheel is now offered as standard on the three-door model, with the option of specifying the Pirelli-styled alloy road wheels. The alloy wheels are standard on the five-door model. Fortunately, Volkswagen took the downgrade on the three-door GTI, with its new economy steel wheels, on the chin, and reduced the car s selling price accordingly. Some, still not satisfied that the GTI now had a sunroof as standard, pointed out that unlike the Scirocco s it didn t tilt! An answer to such puerile criticism was undoubtedly to point out that there was now a courtesy light delay mechanism, plus the driver benefited from a new seat height adjuster control. Twin headlamp grille still retained the red border, and featured headlamp washers. New for 1985 is the addition of twin exhaust pipes, red trim strips for the bumpers, a wide side moulding, steel sliding Sweet sixteen Suddenly, when most enthusiasts had calmed down and decided that, after all, the GTI couldn t get any better, along came a new, more powerful model. With the ominously dark shadows cast by the threat of rival manufacturers offerings, Volkswagen had been beavering away since November 56

3 Apart from the prominent VR6 badge on the front, there s little to distinguish the car as a powerhouse, which might well have been another reason for would-be owners to turn their backs on the hot Mk3. Opposite top: Lift the lid and Volkswagen reminded the owner why his, or her, insurance premium was so high 2792cc V6, 174bhp at 5800rpm. 102

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5 The return of a genuine GTI look. 151