{"id":28234,"date":"2021-11-13T13:51:26","date_gmt":"2021-11-13T17:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=28234"},"modified":"2021-11-13T13:51:26","modified_gmt":"2021-11-13T17:51:26","slug":"payne-gen-8-vw-golf-gti-isnt-getting-older-its-getting-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/payne-gen-8-vw-golf-gti-isnt-getting-older-its-getting-better","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Gen-8 VW Golf GTI isn’t getting older, it’s getting better"},"content":{"rendered":"

Asheville, N.C.<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 It\u2019s not easy staying top dog.<\/p>\n

Roger Federer\u2019s extraordinary career at the top of professional tennis has spanned parts of three decades and is due, in part, to his determination to improve over time. Example: his average backhand became a weapon in the last decade.<\/p>\n

As in tennis, so, too, with hot hatches.<\/p>\n

Long before Federer won his first Wimbledon title in 2003, the Volkswagen Golf GTI (then badged Rabbit GTI for the U.S. market) won America\u2019s hearts as the first\u00a0affordable pocket rocket in 1983. By turning a standard compact Golf into a steroid-infused, apex-carving, cargo-hauling fun box, VW\u00a0inspired a segment that has born imitators like the Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Si, Subaru WRX, Hyundai Veloster, Hyundai Elantra N\u00a0and Mazda 3 Turbo.<\/p>\n

Like Federer, Golf GTI has responded to challengers to the throne with constant improvement complementing its innate German-engineered talent. The third-gen Mark III introduced a sensational V-6 engine. Mark V showed off phone dial wheels, one of V-dub\u2019s most distinctive designs.<\/p>\n

Of late, GTI has lagged in interior panache. The mesmerizing Mazda 3, for example, upped the ante with its stylish, driver-centric design. If Federer spent hours perfecting his backhand, then Wolfsburg has been burning the midnight oil on dashboard upgrades.<\/p>\n

The result is the best GTI ever, a landmark model that \u2014 like Gen I \u2014 sets a new bar for pocket rockets. It is a vehicle so good\u00a0that Audi S3 consumers will be left wondering why they paid 16 grand more.<\/p>\n

My GTI tester was painted bright Pomelo Yellow to call attention to the feat.<\/p>\n

The VW\u2019s huge\u00a0twinned, all-digital displays are state-of-the-art. You want an Audi? The 10.5-inch instrument display offers five configurations just like its luxe cousin. GTI telegraphs this interior transformation with its sexiest exterior in years.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Menacing\u00a0narrow headlights set the tone. Sharply creased hood and shoulders once again remind of Audi. Get the 19-inch wheels. Love it.<\/p>\n

Love the handling, too. Over the roller-coaster State Route 209 west of Asheville, the GTI stormed about as if on rails. GTI comes standard with a limited-slip front differential, suspension upgrades and an aluminum subframe that actually reduces curb weight (rare in this age of weighty interior upgrades) from last gen.<\/p>\n

The front-wheel driver rotated through corners with the balance of, well, Roger Federer.<\/p>\n

A driver\u2019s car like this deserves to have its neck wrung with a manual shifter, and the 6-speed tranny is VW\u2019s best yet. Past boxes could ruin momentum with mushy 2-to-3 shifts. My tester was as crisp as the fall air. GTI typically sells 40% manuals;\u00a0this gen should sell more.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Not that the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic is any slouch. Stealing again from the luxury store, GTI\u2019s Chiclet-sized shifter reminds of a Porsche 911. With a flick of the wrist, I slotted it into DRIVE, firing off lightning-quick up-and-downshifts with steering-mounted paddles.<\/p>\n

But analog manual better fits GTI\u2019s personality. If it\u2019s automatic you want, let me introduce you to GTI\u2019s big brother Golf R \u2014\u00a0R as in Rocket.<\/p>\n

Starting at $44,640 with all-wheel drive, 7-speed auto\u00a0and a whopping 315 horsepower from the same turbo-4 that burns in GTI\u2019s belly, Golf R is the fully armored cyborg of the family.<\/p>\n

R can crank off 4.3-second, 0-60 mph hole shots and explode off corners with torque-vectoring wizardry that throws 100% of torque to the rear summer tires. It even features a one-button R-mode on the steering wheel that instantly changes the personality of the beast like Corvette\u2019s Z-Mode, for goodness sake.<\/p>\n

Get it if you can afford it, but your grin will be no wider than in the GTI. That\u2019s because both share an\u00a0electronics architecture that includes (standard on the GTI) goodies like adaptive cruise control that is as good a highway semi-autonomous system as I have found this side of Tesla\u2019s Autopilot and GM\u2019s SuperCruise.<\/p>\n

It allowed me secure driving over I-40 so I could talk on the phone and check messages.<\/p>\n

This tour de force Mark VIII GTI is the Swiss Army knife of the VW lineup.\u00a0Affordable like a Jetta. Tech-tastic like the ID.4 EV. Hatchback utility like the Taos SUV. Arteon sedan style. Handling without peer.<\/p>\n

\"Save<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

That diversity not only marks GTI as the icon of the segment it founded \u2014 it\u2019s also the North Star of the VW brand. The standard Golf is gone from the lineup, a victim of Americans\u2019 hatchback ennui.<\/p>\n

Yankees are from Mars, Europeans are from Venus. On this side of the pond, customers like sedans, so VW sells the Jetta (complete with GTI engine in the GLI performance variant) as its base car. But in Europe, buyers prefer hatchbacks, so Jetta has been discontinued. Go figure.<\/p>\n

No wonder VW threw everything and the kitchen sink at the U.S. Golf GTI and R models, including premium options like self-park assist, head-up display \u2014 plus a manual Golf R version even Euros don\u2019t get. These vehicles can no longer skim by as high-trim revenue generators for the Golf line. Their purpose is now halo for the entire V-dub line.<\/p>\n

And the competition isn\u2019t going away despite Americans\u2019 embrace of SUVs.<\/p>\n

The Mazda 3 Turbo is a credible contender with its hot bod and explosive\u00a0310-torque turbo-4 under the hood. The GTI\u2019s high-tech displays raise the bar inside, but they also raise the price by $895 against a Mazda that is already a value with a Premium Plus package that includes all-wheel drive, head-up display, adaptive cruise, blind-spot assist\u00a0and a partridge in a pear tree for just $35,390.<\/p>\n

\"Take<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The comparable GTI sticker is, ahem, $39,385. That\u2019s a big number in this segment. The $30,540 GTI SE model will do fine.<\/p>\n

Also playing in that league is the $38.9K\u00a0Honda Civic Type R, a ferocious front-wheel-drive hellion that matches the GTI\u2019s top Autobahn trim with its track-tuned suspension while pushing out a heady 306-horsepower from its own turbo-4.<\/p>\n

Based on the new\u00a0Generation-11 Civic, the Type R will soon reveal a more conservative design \u2014 compared to the current\u00a0comic book-inspired Batmobile \u2014 aimed squarely at GTI buyers (as well as Golf R enthusiasts).<\/p>\n

As Federer can tell you, the waves of youthful new contenders never stop. But unlike Federer and his groaning knees, GTI shows no signs of slowing down.<\/p>\n

Throttle wide open over a high-speed crest on Route 209, the eighth-gen Golf GTI felt as fresh as my first Mark I 40 years ago. Bar reset.<\/p>\n

Next week: 2021 Porsche Cayman GTS<\/em><\/p>\n

2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI<\/h3>\n

Vehicle type:<\/strong>\u00a0Front-engine, front-wheel-drive\u00a0five-passenger\u00a0hot hatch<\/p>\n

Price:\u00a0<\/strong>$30,540, including $995\u00a0destination fee\u00a0($39,385 manual with carbon fiber package as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant:<\/strong>\u00a02.0-liter turbo-4 cylinder<\/p>\n

Power:\u202f<\/strong>241\u00a0horsepower,\u00a0273\u00a0pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission:<\/strong>\u00a06-speed manual, 7-speed\u00a0dual-clutch automatic<\/p>\n

Performance:\u00a0<\/strong>0-60 mph, 5.4 seconds (automatic, Motor Trend)<\/p>\n

Weight:\u00a0<\/strong>3,113\u202fpounds\u202f(manual as tested)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy:<\/strong>\u00a0EPA, 24 mpg city\/34\u00a0highway\/28\u00a0combined\u00a0(manual); 25 mpg city\/34\u00a0highway\/28\u00a0combined\u00a0(auto)<\/p>\n

Report card<\/h3>\n

Highs:<\/strong>\u00a0Serious handling; big interior leap<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0<\/strong>Price can push $40K; base car only has 8.5-inch touchscreen<\/p>\n

Overall:<\/strong>\u00a04\u202fstars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Asheville, N.C.\u00a0\u2014 It\u2019s not easy staying top dog. Roger Federer\u2019s extraordinary career at the top of professional tennis has spanned parts of three decades and is due, in part, to his determination to improve over time. Example: his average backhand became a weapon in the last decade. As in tennis, so, too, with hot hatches. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28234"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28234"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28235,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28234\/revisions\/28235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}