GTI tour in the US

[IainTinTop]

My job takes me to the US on selling trips regularly. My colleague has a 2010 GTI and regularly drives me round in it. A new guy joined and we ended up meeting up to drive to a client site, his car - a 2010 GTI. My car, as per the signature, a 2010 GTI!

One interesting observation on the US GTI (we all have cloth interiors), the seat bolsters are further apart, yes it appears the US versions are oversize! The US based chap has got in my car and confirmed it's not just me, my seats are definitely more snug.

A less amusing observation, brand new one was $22k (6 sp manual, fairly basic spec), the other was $24k with 3k miles/3 months old (DSG). Both have 510 radios with satellite radio as standard (subscription in US), Bluetooth was $300 option...... My 18 month old/6k mile pretty standard 3 door DSG was £19k - think 1.6 exchange and you can see what we pay!

For all the money we pay we do at least get climate, auto lights and auto rear mirror. They also don't get curved mirror glass. Plus on their weak (but very cheap) gas they get less power........

[Mr_F]

Wider seats to fit their more exuberant enthusiasm!

YEE HAAAAA!!!!!

Do they have the same suspension too, I'd be amazed if they did.  They don't quite have the same roads as us to make use of the full GTI factor.  Think I'd be running a V8 Landy if I was over there.

[mkviken]

they also don't get the front spoiler, cup holder bottle opener and light switch is different

[IainTinTop]

Agree with the V8, but maybe not the landy.......

Beleive it or not downsizing and MPG are starting to figure pretty high in the US. Both the cars in question are very much the second car for the guys I know. To them the GTI is a cheap, fun run around.

As for suspension, hard to tell as the main chap I run round with runs winters on 16" rims for 5 months of the year. Remebering the car running on 18s I was surprised how firm it felt, but not perhaps as sharp as mine, which is on 17s.....

The roads in New England vary, from awuful concrete freeway to nice twisy backroads - but generally you are right you don't see too much cornering with enthusiasm.

[PenguinGTI]

(Dons American Acccent)

A Corner? Ain't that the guy who decides on CSI or whatever that you're dead?

UK person No that's a coroner.

Aww shoot, well we aint got no corner's or nuthin' oer here then. I suppose y'all gotta turn at some point at the end of the block, but we don't have no corner's or nuthin'. Heck, in fact I might just have seen a corner once. Yeah, there was this really bendy bit at the drive through, but it sure as heck wan't meant to be taken fast. How the heck you meant to order if you go zooming round corners in the drive through?

The true nature of the GTI is somewhat lost in the US. 

[Mr_F]

I had to ask for directions in Iowa once when my sat nav had gone awol, a woman spent best part of 15 minutes trying to explain, with the help of her colleagues what a roundabout was and how it worked.  Was hilarious I think they took so long because I was stood quietly just letting them roll, they probably thought I didn't understand even though I said my country invented them and we have whole towns made up of them, thinks Milton Keynes and the Magic Roundabout in Swindon!

Think I'd have to drive something big and british was the thinking.

But never mind that, no BOTTLE OPENER!!!!!

F.F.S!

[Jimble]

I've never understood why anyone would need a bottle opener in a car? Isn't it just retro coke bottles and beer bottles that have metal caps these days?

[Mr_F]

might be being facetious! Sorry!