The best GTI?

[jte]

Good points.  

I suppose VW got a bit jeleous of BMW with their v6 3 series 325 ec and wanted a piece of the pie.  

MK3 16vs could have been made much faster.

 

[gibby]

My favourite GTi is the mk1, I especially love the mk1 cabs (good job really eh !). When I started driving *ahem *cough a good few years ago I really wanted a mk1 golf, not even a GTi just a mk1. I can't even explain why I liked it, I just did. For me the mk1 was the start of the whole GTi/hot hatch phenomenon and the original in anything is more often than not seen as the best, not because of its speed or refinement but just for the reason that it was the first.

Don't get me wrong, I like the whole golf range but big bumper 16v mk2s (in oak green) would be my second choice. One point I will make about the mk3 though is that is was produced in an era when the hot hatch was not a viable option, insurance was high, they got nicked, so VW produced a car that was not to be seen as a hot hatch but would fit into the car market at that time.

Just to finish off, don't forget the mk1 GTi was produced for nearly 20 years   I rest my case  

[Overseer]

MK3 16vs could have been made much faster.

well they already bumped the engine up to 2.0 from 1.8..

i've seen people claim the mk3 16v as detuned so as to not compete too much with the performance of the vr6.. how much truth there is in that i dont know.

[VeeDubGTI16v]

the mk1 is definately the coolest golf , its just a shame there so old now :'( and to get it like a mk2 16v is a fair bit of work i would have thought.

i still want one tho

[Overseer]

i cant live without mod cons.. i've been too spoiled with the cars i've owned i guess..

[Martz]

I'd have to say the MK1 1.6 GTi in its rawest form. It launched a new era in car history. Everyone jumped on the band wagon. The choices then -

Fiesta Supersport - Looked ok and had a tuned 1300cc lump

XR2 - As above but 1600cc lump
Pugs 205GTi - Took time to compete, but the 1900cc was quick! (dash board fell to bits over bumps!)

As for the MK1 Golf - Classy, fun, fast and sexy. And still is in my eyes.

[Blue MK2]

I think the MK2 GTi's because MK1 Golfs are gettng rare by the day and parts are getting expensive for these MK1's.  

MK2 GTi's for me because they aint too expensive, reliable (like all V-dubz) and the cabin space. I can get 3 people in the back without problems and lots of leg room

[Gambit]

to be honest i think the mk1 will always have the cult status as being the original Gti. but from the performance and handling aspect the mk2 16v has it all.

a well turned out late 16v will always turns heads in the street

also, its surprising the amount of cars that will move over when they see a mk2 16v sitting behind them on the motorway.

apart from corsa & paxo drivers who dont understand exactly as to what is behind them.

[Gambit]

Good points.  

I suppose VW got a bit jeleous of BMW with their v6 3 series 325 ec and wanted a piece of the pie.  

MK3 16vs could have been made much faster.

 

325's were a straight 6 where they not when the Vr came out??

mk3 16v's where de-tuned as they where too close to Vr6 bhp

[S11EPS]

A subject very close to  my heart  

In my personal opinion the best will always be the original - whatever follows on from that will always share its 'motoring DNA' with the original, and it will always only ever be a continual evolution of the car that broke the mold.

The mk1 will offer the most thrills (for the right and wrong reasons), as its the least dilluted car in the range. We all know that as they've got older, the Golf has got bigger, heavier and softer.

Many see this as a bad thing, and slate VW for loosing the plot, but in my opinion, this is not true.

VW were (and still are) very aware that the original 'recipe' of the mark 1 was bang on. If they had their way, they would still be producing a very similar car, and selling millions of them. But the motoring industry has several factors that will drive a products' evolution beyond what the customer simply wants. As many people have said, insurance and safety laws have shaped the way the golf, and every other mass produced car, has evolved.

A lot of people slate the mk 3, which again, in my opinion, is unfair. The Mk3 GTi was a result of VW's desire to coupe a bigger, more comfortable car than the MK2, but under the pressures of making it less desireable to thieves (so that people could actually insure the thing and therefore buy one!) as well as incorporating safety features such as traction control, ABS, side impact bars, airbags etc, and the creature comforts from larger luxury cars such as air con etc, to try and capture sales from people downsizing from luxury cars.

The phrase 'which is the best GTi?' is always going to be an emotional one, as 'best' is subjective - best at what? In terms of driving thrills, its going to be the Mk1. But the Mk1 has awful brakes, and is very old. Best at effortless cruising (undoubtedly a GT benchmark)? A 6 speed Mk4. but they handle like jelly.

Every one has its strengths and weaknesses, and people will always ignore certain aspects of a car to rant on about the good bits!

I'll finish my essay with one final point. Last year Autocar took a Mk 1 (1. a Mk2 8v a Mk3 16v and a Mk4 1.8T to a track, to see which was faster.

The result? Lets just say evolution works - The least quick of the day was the Mk1, followed by the Mk2, then the Mk3 with the Mk4 the quickest of the day.