Back to the important matter of the fastest Golf GTI of those first four iterations. Folklore has it that each new GTI has been slower than the previous model. However, like many urban myths, this was an urban myth. Each new GTI was indeed heavier than its predecessor, and Volkswagen’s careful (or stingy, depending on your view) power increases from one model to the next never seemed to be enough to make up for the added lard.When the Mk4 GTI was released, Autocar’s Steve Sutcliffe and BTCC driver Phil Bennett put this ‘newer equals slower’ thing to the test. They took all four GTI iterations from the Volkswagen press museum to Castle Combe, where they achieved the following lap times:Mk1: 1min 33.6secMk2: 1min 33.1secMk3: 1min 31.2secMk4: 1min 27.2sec
Looks like its a 16v Mk3 and a 1.8T Mk4. No mention of the other two marques.Very surprised that a Mk4 with the same bhp but heavier than a Mk3 is faster?
Admittedly, the Mk2 they had was practically unused, with a tight engine, so at the end of the day these results may only really show what a difference improvements in grip and braking can make. But if you shout these numbers at your drinking buddies and then immediately change the subject, you’ll very likely make your point stick.
Figures would always be misleading anyway, for starters a Mk3's speed would be measured in Knots, and not MPH!Thom
