Due to its front-wheel drive, the European Volkswagen Golf GTI hot hatchback is not precisely the most common sight at the local quarter-mile dragstrip. So, it's clear that it will also easily stand out in any crowd.
Volkswagen hasn't really conquered the US automotive market like its corner office head honchos would love to. Sure, a well-known scandal might also have something to do with the lackluster interest from consumers. But maybe the carmaker also doesn't offer the right mix of models.
For example, the most exciting nameplate is the Atlas crossover SUV series, which is dedicated to North American affairs. Instead, the Tiguan never gained the same kind of traction as it has on the Old Continent, whereas the tiny Taos is deemed as one of the least reliable vehicles on sale in the United States by Consumer Reports.
Oh, wait, we didn't talk about passenger cars. The venerable Passat is no more, and the only sedan options are the cheap Jetta and sporty Jetta GLI, plus the larger Arteon. At the same time, VW also tries to claim the iconic Golf GTI and the feistier Golf R are double answers to any GR Corolla problems. Well, I'm afraid that most people would choose the Toyota over the two German hot hatches.
Someone did select the VW Golf GTI – the previous generation, though, so we will give them the benefit of the doubt as Toyota didn't have the GR Corolla on sale back then. Because when you have lemons, you try to make lemonade, this VW Golf GTI daredevil also enhanced the five-door hatchback with aerodynamic elements that easily remind us of Fast & Furious.
Interestingly, the owner also took a leap of faith or two at the local quarter-mile dragstrip. The good folks over at the racing-focused ImportRace channel on YouTube have a nice set of brawls at Island Dragway featuring domestic and import racers – and the Golf GTI raced a Genesis G80 and Ford Mustang Mach 1 during the track's test and tune periods.
Our first impression of the naughty-looking VW Golf GTI wasn't positive, though. The luxury sedan from South Korea took off like a true racer while the German hot hatch just stood and watched – the reaction time difference is pretty noticeable. In the end, that G80 – which wasn't even that fast after all – took home the victory with a 13.17s versus 13.24s pass. It then went on to lose twice against a 12-second Audi S3, by the way.
In the second video embedded below, the focus is on a blue S550 Ford Mustang Mach 1 that had some nightly encounters with an older Honda Civic (12.36s versus 13.87s), a BMW X3 crossover (another win), and a white Golf (third strike). However, the modded VW Golf GTI that we talked about earlier was also part of the roster, and this time it came to its senses, teaching in the mean time a 12.03s versus 12.5s lesson to the iconic American pony car!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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