Driver vs GTI (8v)

[Logie]

Hope this doesnt seem like a daft childish question but what is the difference between:

Golf GTI 8v
Golf Driver 8v

First, im not sure they did a 1.8 Driver? Thought only a 1.6?

Was told a Golf GTI 8ver was just a dressed up Golf Driver and only the 16v is a true GTI car

  Whats the difference between the two? Personally its a dam f**king true GTI!

[rubjonny]

The Driver came with a 1.6 or 1.8 carbed lump and has (early small bumper) GTI side & arch trims, but not the big splitter.  The CL is exactly the same as a 1.6 Driver but without the arches, and the GL is exactly the same as a 1.8 Driver but without the arch trims.  The GL was only ever offered with 5 doors, and is more likely to have PAS c/locking & e/windows etc as they were more 'luxury', but not always though.  The GL usually has chrome window strips too!  Later GL models had the big bumper kits fitted, but with a smaller front splitter and again no arches.  I have seen late Drivers with the big bumpers, but am pretty sure they didn't get them as standard.

The 8v GTI is a 1.8 Fuel injected engine with more power than the carbed models, and the 16v GTI came out a bit later and is a 1.8 lump with 16 valves (funily enough!) and even more power!

Specs:
1.6 Carb 75BHP
1.8 Carb 90BHP
1.8 GTI 112BHP
1.8 16v 139 BHP

[Logie]

Good, mechanicly theres a hell'of a diff then. Thanks

[rubjonny]

Oh and I forgot, all GTI models had rear discs and ARBs at the front & back.  All 1.8 Carbed models also came with a front ARB, but no rear one.

Brakes:
1.6 carb, 1.8 carb and 1.8 GTIs all came with 239mm front discs, with the GTI having vented front discs and the carbed models having solid discs.  The GTI discs are a straight swap with the carbed models, but you also need to fit the pads at the same time as they are different thicknesses.

Last of all, early 16vs got 239 discs too, but later models were upgraded to 256mm discs.  Also, later 8vs and all 16vs had a larger master cylinder

Think that about covers it 

Oh and one more thing, the Drivers all got the quad light grill, but without the red trim, whilst the GTIs got the quad grill with the red stripe.  Some of the low end models got the dual lamp grill with chrome trim, which is the new 'in' thing at the moment

[Deefadog]

I was just about to type that ^ 

Book of knowledge! *claps hands*

[rubjonny]

[monzablue16v]

Not all gti's come with power steering either as I well know and yup 239mm brakes as well good knowledge rubjohnny

[[han]]

i love my driver... i had similar questions when i got my driver on road about 2 month ago! hopefully when i can get insured on  a gti i'll be moving on.....

[rubjonny]

Yup VW are tight when it comes to luxuries, no PAS for GTIs, no Rev counter for lower models, on my girlfirends 91 1.3 Polo they were too cheap to even include speaker wires to the back of the car!  Gotta run my own 

[whiteee]

Straying slighty from topipc but All corrados have PAS but not all hav sunroofs or leccy windows... Option forms must ba night mare at VAG dealers... combinations are infinite (almost)