Volkswagen Golf 2011 review

The Golf GTI Edition 35 is the celebration of 35 years of one of the best-known and loved acronyms in motoring. But it may never have happened if Volkswagen hadn't paid attention to the internet forums of fans.

Eike Wessel, the man in charge of the GTI 35 project says new models are sometimes decided by the bosses, sometimes by the workers, but this was endorsed by the fans.

"We decided in December 2009 to have an anniversary model, so we checked internet fan forums and it was clear the fans expected a 35 model," he says.

More than giving birth to the notion of an anniversary model, the internet forums also "decided" some of the finer details such as the "tartan" patterned cloth seats of the original Mk 1 Golf GTI and an apt power output of 235 horsepower (173kW), says Wessel.

VALUE

The 35 will arrive in the fourth quarter of this year, says Volkswagen Group Australia spokesman Karl Gehling.But he's coy about price, indicating it will be positioned between the five-door GTI ($40,490) and R 4Motion ($49,990). He says no decision has yet been made.

He says it will come with limited options apart from leather trim, transmission (6-speed manual or DSG) and some extras such as satnav. It will compete in the market against the Mazda3 MPS ($38,435-$41,915), Renault Megane RS250 Trophee ($46,990), Focus XR5 ($36,490) and Honda Civic Type R ($39,990).

Gehling says it will not be a limited edition model, but numbers will be restricted by production and high demand, making the model an "instant collectable".

TECHNOLOGY

Surprisingly, the 35 is powered by a detuned R motor (two-litre turbocharged EA113), rather than a re-mapped GTI engine. While the GTI has output of 155kW and the R 188kW, the 35 sits slap bang in the middle with 173kW.

VW's engineers apparently spent some time getting the sucking and blowing noises just right, with a deep burble and booming burp on downshifts somewhere between the sounds of the GTI and the R, says Wessel. Like the GTI, it is front-wheel drive, not AWD like the R.

The XDS electronic diff lock on the front brakes inside wheelspin for sharp handling and control and may also be a factor in almost eliminating torque steer. It runs 15mm lower to the ground like the GTI with suspension and other mechanical details also the same. The differences are largely cosmetic.

DESIGN

Fortunately, the designers sat on their hands, rather than going berserk with sporty trims and badging like the Renault Megane RS with its garish yellow seat belts. In fact, the seat belts get a fine red border. Taste and discretion is the order of the day, here.

Most importantly, the designers have gone back to the original, almost austere GTI interior, and borrowed several design elements. These include the golf-ball-style dimpled gearshift and the tartan cloth seats.

Outside, there are small "35" badges on the front fenders, gloss black wing mirrors, smoked taillights, new wheel designs and slightly remodelled bumper with bigger air ducts. Only GTI "anoraks" will recognise it as a special model.

SAFETY

The ESP system can be totally disabled, but will reignite when you touch the brakes. This is now standard across all new models. Yet the multi-link suspension and well-sorted chassis mean the ESP system is rarely invoked, anyway. It comes with the same suite of safety gear as the GTI including the seventh airbag to protect the driver's knees.

DRIVING

I may be one of the few Australians who will ever be able to swear on a stack of Bibles that the top speed of the GTI Edition 35 is 247km/h as claimed.

On the unrestricted speed zones of the autobahn between Frankfurt and Nurburg, the 35 willingly opened up to 247km/h, pulling mightily from 150km/h in sixth gear. In Australia, there may never be any need to use that final ratio.

At those go-straight-to-jail-speeds, the Edition 35 is rock-solid stable and feels safe and quiet. We didn't even need to raise our voices to be heard over the wind and road noise. However, on Australia's coarse-chip tarmac, that may not be the case.

The engine feels tractable in all gears with a hefty 300Nm of torque and a lazy, unfussed feeling of getting things done. No fizzing, popping and high-revving required. Similarly, the suspension gets things done with a minimum of fuss and bother.

It keeps its wheels on the ground and the car balanced and poised in all conditions without having to pummel your kidneys into submission, even when the "sport" suspension mode is selected. Again, this may feel different on the far-less-smooth Australian roads.

VERDICT

Special editions seem to hold their value better than standard models, so this tasteful GTI Edition 35 should be good buying. The extra oomph from the detuned R engine, the tasteful cosmetic touches and its intrinsic value should justify the extra coin.