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Very few cars can lay claim to spawning an entire market sector, but the Volkswagen Golf GTi is one of them. Before we even started referring to cars of its ilk as 'hot hatches' they were simply called GTis. For a while in the early eighties it seemed that almost every mainstream manufacturer had a hatch badged GTi on their books, riding on the coat tails of the Golf's phenomenal success.
As with any such iconic car, a cult following has grown up around the Volkswagen Golf GTi and whilst today's versions are supremely well built and laden with luxury and safety features the two versions we examine here, the Mk1 and Mk2 cars are what most purists would refer to as 'real' Golf GTis. The early Mk1 cars are the collectors items but the 16v version of the Mk2 is still the car most enthusiasts would point to as the car that marked the greatest GTi moment.
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Detailed ratings
Family Hatch - GTi Hatchbacks
What you get
The Mk 1 cars - especially the earlier variants - will seem extremely firmly sprung and Spartan and even the Mk 2 cars nowadays feel like relics when you sit inside them. There are no airbags, pretensioning seat belts, cup holders or air conditioning systems that we take for granted today. Despite that, they're all built to last, good to drive and offer solid motoring for not too much money.
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What to look for
The Golf GTi has a strong reputation for reliability, but it still has a few areas that need to be checked carefully. The Mk 1 car needs a major engine overhaul at around 100,000 miles to have the valve guides, valve springs (1.6 models), and oil seals replaced. Otherwise check that there is no corrosion on the wings, door sills, fuel filler neck and fuel lines.
A good negotiating point is the gearbox. It can often feel loose, but this is usually because of worn nylon linkage bushings which can be replaced at minimal cost. There may also be an ineffective detent into reverse gear which again is easily and cheaply fixed. Check the gaiters on the driveshafts and the steering rack for perishing. The interior is generally pretty tough, but the seats can get a little frayed at the edges. The Cabriolet versions often have very tatty hoods.
The Mk 2 has a different set of things to look out for. Check for damage to locks caused by pry-ins. The MK2 Golf is very easy to steal with nothing more technical than a screwdriver, so fit an alarm or an immobiliser. Wing seams are the prime place for rot so check these out and walk away from any cars with significant rust. There are still plenty of Mk 2 GTIs to choose from. Check alloy wheels for scuffing and check that the engine idles cleanly. If not, this could mean a dodgy warm up valve or injector or (in the case of the 16v) a malfunctioning engine management unit - replacements are costly.
The one major thing to consider is the car's provenance. Most GTI's will now have been through a fair few owners, some of whom may well have abused the car. Unless it's your thing, try to avoid cars with obvious aftermarket extras as this tends to damage rather than boost residual values.
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Replacement parts
Parts sourced from Volkswagen tend to be very expensive, but log on to the internet and you'll find a healthy trade in GTi parts amongst like minded souls. Various bulletin boards, chatrooms and classified pages specialise in the Golf GTi. Try kicking off at http://www.golfgti.co.uk and follow a few links. You're guaranteed to find what you're after.
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On the road
The Golf GTi has been piling on the pounds over the last few decades. The Mk4 Golf is a whopping 48 percent heavier than the original Mk1. All this means that the later cars need much more power just to stay in the same league as the originals. Despite its 20 valves, turbo and modern electronic engine management, the Mk4 GTi 1.8 Turbo can't match even the earliest humble 1.6 GTi in terms of power to weight ratio. To have the same power to weight ratio as that early car, the modern Mk4 would need 162 bhp, to catch the Mk2 16v, a whopping 180bhp! With such little mass to haul about, it goes without saying that these early Golfs can change direction with a nimbleness that's absent from anything but lightweight sports cars of today such as the Lotus Elise. Grip is strong, handling superb and some even say the replacement Mark III was much the inferior car for the enthusiast driver.
The Mk II GTi 16v is still a rapid car even by today's standards. With a top speed of 129mph and a sprint to 60mph in just 7.3 seconds it'll show many of today's hot hatches its cleanly styled rump.
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Overall
Many maintain the original is the best. Others think that Peugeot possibly inherited Volkswagen's mantle with the 205 GTi. What's not up for debate is the Golf GTi's place in history. Shop around, buy one that's been unmolested by the Max Power brigade and which comes with a fistful of receipts and a careful previous owner and you should have a useable modern classic on your hands.
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