Ride Of The Week: '08 Golf GTI [Video]
When thinking of a car to compliment The Batmobile, the first thing that comes to mind usually isn't a 400hp 2008 Volkswagen Golf GTI. Well, we think Batman would strongly consider this one built by Tuning Works in Copiague, New York. Sporting an Avery matte black wrap and sitting on three-piece, gold Rotiform wheels wrapped in Nitto Invos, how could he not like it? It even has a "DRKKN1TE" vanity plate! If that doesn't leave enough of an impression on him, then surely the GTI's built TSI long block with a top-mounted turbo will. Of course, because it'd hypothetically be for Batman, there has to be an enormously aggressive APR Performance Subaru STI wing mounted to the rear hatch鈥攆or downforce, obviously! The addition of the ECS Tuning carbon fiber fender flares completes the aggressive look, giving it that wide stance. Since the real Batman enjoys both a subtle and sporty interior, he'd feel right at home in this GTI. The COBRA sport seats and harnesses would keep him firmly planted while the gold accents and bat signals throughout the car would remind his passengers whose car it was. Want to see more awesome rides? This is just one of many Rides of the Week!
AJAX, ON - August 3, 2011 -- Volkswagen Canada is pleased to report that it has established a new company record for sales during the month of July. This marks the tenth consecutive month during which an all-time high has been reached. Year-to-date sales of 31,464 are 18% above the same period last year. The all-new 2011 Jetta has established itself as one of the best selling cars in Canada. Noticeably larger than its predecessor, the Jetta offers more space, better fuel economy and a fresh, modern look despite a significantly lower starting price. The Golf family, including hatchback, wagon and sporty GTI, contributed 1,292 to the overall sales figure, and continues to offer outstanding versatility and value to the Canadian consumer. Volkswagen presently offers a wide range of vehicles. Each one delivers outstanding fuel economy and combines sportiness, safety and value in a fun-to-drive package. The range of available engines includes the award-winning TDI Clean Diesel, which can be found in the Jetta, Golf, Golf wagon and Touareg sport utility, and will soon be offered in the upcoming all-new Passat.
The automotive world tends to throw out acronyms left and right, leaving those who purchase rather than engineer vehicles a little confused. Volkswagen models have a few acronyms themselves, with one being the Golf GTI. What does Golf GTI stand for anyway? In other words, the GTI acronym in the past helped to signify a grand tourer or gran turismo sports car that had fuel injection, which would likely mean improved performance over carburetors. Of course, today, fuel injection is the standard, so for all we know today鈥檚 GTI could simply stand for the German word for Nutter Butter or some other favorite snack of whoever is in charge of naming VW models. In general, fuel injection delivers better performance from vehicle engines. It is able to do so by better controlling the amount of fuel dispensed to the engine, allowing for a more precise use of the fuel that these days can cost an arm and a leg. Possible benefits to fuel injection include more power, better efficiency and engines that burn cleaner. Though carburetors may be less expensive to produce, fuel injection is the way to go. Although fuel injection technology has become the standard in modern times, when it comes to the Golf GTI, the GTI acronym has become synonymous with high performance. You may now know what Golf GTI stands for, but the best way to experience GTI thrill is by getting behind the wheel.
Closed end lease financing available through July 1, 2019 for a new, unused 2019 Jetta S with automatic transmission, on approved credit to highly qualified customers by Volkswagen Credit. 21,171.99. Excludes tax, title, license, options, and dealer fees. 3,276.76. Your payment will vary based on final negotiated price. See dealer for details. Vin: 3VV1B7AX9KM065871. Closed end lease financing available through July 1, 2019 for a new, unused 2019 Tiguan 2.0T S with automatic transmission, on approved credit to highly qualified customers by Volkswagen Credit. 23,857.99. Excludes tax, title, license, options, and dealer fees. 4,198.87. Your payment will vary based on final negotiated price. See dealer for details. Vin: 1V2DR2CA6KC526589. Closed end lease financing available through July 1, 2019 for a new, unused 2019 Atlas SE, on approved credit to highly qualified customers by Volkswagen Credit. 35,180.99. Excludes tax, title, license, options, and dealer fees. 4,046.99. Your payment will vary based on final negotiated price. See dealer for details.
Editor鈥檚 Note: No, we won鈥檛 be getting the Volkswagen Up! GTI in the United States anytime soon. But a car this hot deserves attention on a global scale, and we know you readers enjoy a tasty bit of Forbidden Fruit as much as we do. Cars can be fun in loads of different ways. Flooring it in something powerful is fun. Pottering about with the roof down in a roadster is fun. Wrestling with a fly-weight track car, in any circumstances, is fun. Having a massage from the driver鈥檚 seat of your luxo-cruiser is fun. Beating a sports car off the red light in your mom鈥檚 old Vauxhall Astra is fun. There鈥檚 no end to it. But there is a convincing argument that the simplest, most honest interpretation of a fun car, is this: The Volkswagen Up! GTI. It won鈥檛 leave you with hypothermic cheeks and bleeding ears, and it won鈥檛 bust your bank balance, your driving license, or your insurance premium. It also has four seats and a trunk, so you can most likely live with it quite easily.
