The 2006 Volkswageb GTI Mk V

Years ago—no, decades ago—Volkswagen took their rather nifty Rabbit two-door sedan, dropped in their hottest engine, stiffened up the suspension, added some cool tires and wheels and called it the GTI. It was the forefather of all those souped-up little hot hatches you see these days, only it came with a factory warranty—ready to go right out of the showroom.

Over the years the Rabbit morphed into the Golf—which it had always been named everywhere except North America. Golfs matured into somewhat larger, heavier cars, and the GTI, although still a great little car, got a little soft. Until now.

About a year ago, Europeans were treated to the fifth-generation Golf, which is just now starting to trickle over the ocean to North America. For some reason VW has decided to bring over the new GTI before the rest of the line.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. GTI fans will be glad to know that it’s just like old times again, only better. For starters, VW has taken the basic Golf shape which, if you squint really hard, does hearken back to the old Rabbit, and brought in into the 21st century. One look and you can see for yourself that it’s a heck of a lot more aerodynamic than the 1983 Rabbit-based version.

That sleek bodywork sits perched atop a fully independent, sports-tuned suspension: MacPherson strut front with an aluminum subframe and tubular anti-rollbar, and four-link rear with a separate spring/shock absorber arrangement. Even if you don’t know what any of that means, you’ve got to admit it sounds impressive. And believe me, it is. Driving the GTI on my favorite backroads shows just what a great arrangement it is. So nimble is the GTI in the corners, it’s hard to believe it weighs just over 3,300 pounds. It feels much lighter.

The new GTI’s powertrain is true to its heritage. Under the hood you’ll find a four-cylinder, in-line, turbocharged engine with an intercooler and direct fuel injection. A six-speed manual transmission gets the engine’s 200 hp to the front wheels with short, precise throws. Even I never missed a gear. EPA fuel estimates are 23/32 city/highway for the stick-shift version, and 25/31 for the automatic (also a six-speed). For maximum performance VW recommends premium fuel, but you can run on regular—though there will be a slight performance drop. Top speed, if you’re interested, is 130 mph. And no, I didn’t.

My test car, courtesy of Northtown VW, was a really hot, “come-and-get-me” Tornado Red. You will not blend into the background driving this car. The standard interior was a black plaid cloth—also a nod to the original GTI—with the most comfortable driver’s seat I’ve sat in for a long time. And when I say driver’s seat, I mean driver’s seat. It is designed to hold you snugly in place as you drive those curvy backroads for which this car was made. The steering wheel’s shape is perfect—thick enough to get a good grip, wrapped in leather for a comfortable feel, with a slight flat spot at the bottom to keep it out of your lap.

Standard features on the new GTI include: 10-speaker AM/FM radio with six-disc CD changer, 17-inch alloy wheels, high-intensity xenon headlamps with washer system, heated outside mirrors, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and red-painted calipers and old-world Teutonic craftsmanship.

The test car’s base price was $21,990. Add to that option Package One (power sunroof and choice of XM or Sirius radio service) for $1,370 and the $630 destination charge and you’ve got yourself one hot little car for just under 24 grand. One you can carry the family in. You’ll need them as character references in traffic court.

More info at: www.vw.com.

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