It’s been a rough winter in almost all parts of Europe, but if anyone se the guts to go out in weather like this then Volkswagen has a little something for them. The company has created a tool to provide some of the best sledding experiences anyone has ever had. Their new toy is a snow sled called the GTI Crazy Bob and with a name like that, it’s bound to be fun.
Crazy Bob is a hot sled, in the truest sense of the word. It was built in the GTI style with high quality, cold-resistant plastic and features ergonomically shaped front and rear footrests. Both sides are worked to offer the highest security and special runners provide excellent glide and tracking. Due to its light weight, the Crazy Bob is easy to carry on your shoulder.
The Crazy Bob can be had for 64,90 €, or about $85 at the current exchange rates. If this is too much, Volkswagen is also offering another traditional wooden sled that is priced at $65.
Sometimes, the whole of a car is greater than the sum of the parts. Such is the case with the 2011 Volkswagen GTI. On paper, the GTI looks fairly unremarkable. The starting price is just over $24,000 for a three-door, or just over $25,000 for a five-door, which makes it slightly more expensive than its closest rival, the five-door Mazdaspeed3. Worse, it gives up a significant amount of horsepower to the Mazda: the GTI makes 200 horsepower from its 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder, while the Mazda cranks out some 263 horsepower from its 2.3-liter turbo four. If you’re looking for performance and handling, it looks to be an open and shut case for the Mazdaspeed3.
Or is it? Life doesn’t consist of an endless series of mountain roads and racetracks, and even if you hit the track every weekend, chances are that you still drive there on boring public roads. On the road, the GTI’s ride is more refined than the Mazdaspeed’s, and the Mazda’s ever-present (and occasionally puckering) torque steer is absent from the GTI. Sure, it’s not as quick as the Mazda, but the difference is less than you might expect. Volkswagen is very conservative in rating the GTI’s power, and owners who dyno their cars often find that the GTI produces about 215 horsepower at the wheels on 93 octane gas. It weighs about 240 pounds less than the Mazda, too, so the real-world advantage of the Mazda in 0 to 60 times is only a few tenths of a second.
Full story
Yet even more proof that anniversary-edition models have become a big thing in the industry. We’re not sure that a lot of people know this so we’re going to announce it for everyone’s information: the Volkswagen Golf GTI is turning 35 years old. While we’re more than happy to throw some jade the Golf GTI’s way, we’re going to err on the prudent side and let the folks over at GT135.com give the VW sports hatch an anniversary present it deserves.
The people behind GT135.com recently commissioned German tuning firm Wunschel Sport to build a special edition anniversary model for the sixth generation Golf GTI that features a steady amount of aerodynamic and performance upgrades.
Wunschel Sport first lowered the Golf GTI’s suspension by 25mm before painting it with an exclusive titanium finish. The car’s flashy exterior is accentuated by a ‘starting number’ sticker design with the number 35 prominently shown and the words ‘Years of Thunder’ on top of it and ‘GTI 1976-2011’ on the bottom. This sticker design can be found on the hood, doors, and liftgate of the car, celebrating the number of years the model has been in existence. Rounding out the aesthetic upgrades is a set of 19” OZ Racing Quaranta alloy wheels wrapped in high performance tires.
Under its hood, Wunschel Sport gave a few tweaks of the sports hatch’s ECU, remapping it to improve the Golf GTI’s performance numbers. As a result of the ECU remapping, the car’s output jumps from 210 horsepower and 206 lb/ft of torque to 260 horsepower and 265 lb/ft of torque. These numbers translate to 0-60 mph time of 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 158 mph.
Not a bad 35th anniversary model for the Volkswagen Golf GTI, if we do say so ourselves!
| |
|
Love the feeling of your hair blowing in the breeze as you cruise down the long, straight road jamming to your favorite band? Yeah, so do we. That’s why we were happy to hear that our friends over at Consumer Reports have conducted another monthly road test and this time they have decided to test convertibles and sporty vehicles. The convertibles category consisted of the all wheel drive Audi A5, the sporty Infiniti G37, the more refined Lexus IS250, the smaller, sportier Mini Cooper S and Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring. After their road test, Consumer Reports states they would only recommend the Miata to consumers. Ouch. We can’t say we agree with Reports on this one. I mean the Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring is a nice car, but to say that they would recommend it over the Infiniti G37? That doesn’t make much sense to us. Granted, it is the cheaper choice although looking like it would cost more than $31,550. Our choice in this category would be the Infiniti G37 if you hadn’t already guessed. It is pricier than the Miata with a price tag starting at $44,350, but worth it when comparing engine capabilities and space. The Infinity G37 has a 3.7L V6 engine producing 325hp while the Miata is a measly 4 cylinder, 2.0L engine producing 170hp. The Infiniti G37 is also a 4-seater while the Miata is not. The choice seems obvious to us, but, hey, we can’t always agree right?
Follow the jump for the full story.<
Full story
Another wonder from Germany that we aren’t privy to just yet is the next generation Volkswagen Golf GTI. While VW enthusiasts overseas have been driving around in the latest hot hatch with its pronounced headlights and curvaceous body. The new GTI should be in U.S. showrooms by next year and you can expect for them to be everywhere else shortly thereafter. It is only fitting that the German suspension manufacturer H&R decided to bring a sixth generation GTI to the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, after all, ever since a team of top secret VW engineers slapped a GTI badge on the original Rabbit the one thing that these cars have become known for is outstanding handling.
As opposed to some of the more over the top examples of aftermarket influence at this year’s show, H&R has tastefully modified the Golf VI GTI with a set of thin spoked O.Z. Racing rims measuring 20 inches in diameter with a nice little red accent on the lip. Being the suspension specialists they are, H&R virtually eliminated whatever unsightly wheel gap VW gave the car from the factory leaving the new GTI with the perfect stance, all before laying down a pair of German flag inspired side stripes unlike anything you have ever seen before.
