VW Horizons
By Bill C. -
VW ROADSTER? – Under consideration at Volkswagen – an affordable roadster built atop the next-generation Polo’s platform and powered by a 1.6-liter 15-valve engine. One of the goals for this front-drive car, said to have been under discussion in Wolfsburg for more than three years, is that it handles as crisply as the rear-drive Miata. If chairman Piech gives the roadster the thumbs up, it could appear as a 2005 model.
Source: Car & Driver, p. 32, SEP 2000
Done Deals
G
TI GLS 1.8T - All Golf & Jetta GLS models can now be ordered with a potent new optional engine, the turbocharged 1.8-liter inline-4 already found in the Passat and New Beetle 1.8T. In VW's 3-door GTI, though, this spirited 150-hp 5-valve-per-cylinder powerplant engine isn't a $1555 option; rather, it's standard...
The GTI has a 140-lb weight advantage over the New Beetle and hits 60 MPH in only 7.1 seconds. ... 155 lb-ft. of torque on tap from a lowly 1750 RPM all the way to 4200. Credit the 1.8 T's small turbocharger whose seamless and immediate intercooled boost makes this iron-block engine feel like a normally aspirated V-6.
Should an enthusiast buy a GTI 1.8T or the GTI VR6? Although the ferocious narrow-angle 2.8-liter VR6 is well liked, ... the GTI 1.8T has some advantages. At $19,225, it costs nearly 3 grand less than the $22,150 VR6 GTI. It gets excellent fuel economy: 24 mpg city and 31 mpg highway ... Though the GTI 1.8T has 24 less BHP and 26 fewer lb-ft. of torque, the car is 120 LB lighter than the VR6 GTI - most of the weight coming off the front wheels, helping agility. All backed by a noteworthy 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. With minor aftermarket tweaks, the 1.8T easily can put out 180 bhp, as Audi itself proves with its TT, which uses the same turbocharger.
Future Golfs & Jettas will also offer a $200 optional sports suspension.
Source: Road & Track p. 36, MAY 2000
Ahhhh! Now THAT’S an SUV!