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driver Steve Levy | 5/22/2007 | c16
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2007 Volkswagen GTI
A blast from the past finally returns.
“The big difference is that the new car’s electronic aids prevent
the snap spins the first gen cars were legendary for.”
Yes, we are late to the party for the 2007 VW GTI. For some reason, our invite
to the launch got lost in the mail and it took a while to finally prise a car
out of the press pool. Though the red ’07 sitting in my reserved spot at
Overamerica Towers looks nothing like the late seventies Golf GTI I coveted as
a teenager and ultimately drove through college, it somehow channels their attitude
and style. The interior is a long step up from that of the bare bones Mk 1 Euro
cars that started the hot hatch revolution. The retro-cool plaid cloth upholstery
definitely took me back. The fat flat-bottomed steering wheel and snug Recaro-esque
seating feel the business but the car gives a first impression of heftiness. The
C pillar intrudes in a way the open greenhouse and thin pillars from the less
safety-conscious seventies never did. The auto-box style selector of the DSG manual
is a little disorienting but the almost video game-like selector paddles fall
to the fingertip perfectly. Step on the gas and the GTI just gets up and goes.
There’s barely perceptible lag from the low-pressure turbo, but a super
fat mid range pulls hard and fast. It feels stronger than the claimed 190-odd
horses. Although that pull drops off quickly when you start reaching higher rpms.
This is definitely a motor best short-shifted. Around town, the GTI is super civilized.
Ride is firm but well damped and handled the potholed streets of Hollywood around
the C16 office. Steering is direct and weighty, yet quick enough to cut and thrust
through traffic.
Up to speed on our favorite canyon test route, the GTI is amazingly quick. Point,
shoot, click the gears up or down (which comes with an addictive pre-programmed
between-gear blip) and the GTI just goes where you put it with grip levels you’d
be an idiot to exceed on the street. Yes, there’s understeer, as can be
expected from a moderately heavy front driver but it’s not intrusive. And
as I found out when we took it to the track, that understeer is easily countered
by lifting off the gas to swing the rear around, the same way I learned in my
first Rabbit many moons ago. The big difference is that the new car’s electronic
aids prevent the snap spins the first gen cars were legendary for! On track, the
GTI was an absolute blast—the only downside being the DSG’s habit
of overriding gear selections at odd times. The GTI doesn’t have the ultimate
on-track go of the JDM rally replicas out there, but for day-to-day use it’s
a more civilized ride. The typical VW quality interior is much more livable place
to be than anything from the east. I definitely can see what all the fuss is about
with this car and wouldn’t hesitate recommending it for your Garage.
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