The name Golf comes from the German for Gulf; like most contemporary VWs it was named

after a wind. It was not, despite the golf-ball gearknob on some models, named after the game. 'GT' after all means 'Grand Tourer', and few people would deny that the newer models slip cleanly into that category. The VW GOLF GTI version became known as just 'VW GTI'. The GTI letters are an absolute phenomenon: 93.2 percent of all Europeans and 98.5 of Germans associate them with the Golf. GTI = Golf = Volkswagen. The world premiere of the first Golf GTI was in 1975 at the same position and also as a concept vehicle. In June 1976, series production began. What happened thereafter is the making of a legend. At the start, the vehicles were finished in either silver or red and were originally intended as just a limited edition of 5000 GTIs. But it turned out very differently. With a powerful 81 kW / 110 hp output and top speed of 182 km/h, the Golf GTI won a new clientele and established the GTI class as a compact sports car. From the original 5000 vehicles, more than four generations and more than 1.5 million Golf GTIs have evolved to date. The Mk I - Something Worthwhile from the 1970s The 'i' was combined with the age-old 'GT' ('sporty', in effect), to create the GTI. The moniker was first applied to Golf Mk I at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1975. Other than the badge and a front spoiler5, there were few external clues as to the 'sportiness' of this car. The standard Golf LS's 1500cc engine was replaced by a 1600cc 110bhp fuel-injected engine borrowed from the Audi 80. The suspension, brakes and wheels were up-rated, and that was about it. However, the torquey engine and low weight (780Kg) enabled it to reach 100kph in 9.0 seconds; not much, but enough. The most obvious niggles were ironed out in 1979, when VW fitted a five-speed. It was improved still further in 1982, when a 1800cc, 112bhp engine was introduced. Despite the modest power increase, 0-100 was reduced to 8.2 seconds (the new engine was lighter and torquier) and fuel consumption was reduced. The final Mk I GTI, released in 1983 and widely regarded as the best, was a special edition now known as the 'campaign' model. It could be differentiated by green-tinted windows, Pirelli 'P' 14" alloy wheels and, for the first time as standard, the twin-headlamp grille. The MK II - An Improvement! Slightly bigger than the Mk I, and slightly heavier, the Mk II, launched in 1983, had the torquey 1800cc engine from the start. The car was blessed with a suspension and steering set-up that gave better feedback than sports cars costing four times as much. Perhaps surprisingly, given the shape, a lot of effort was put into improving aerodynamics. Despite the increased weight, this resulted in a 6mph improvement in top speed and only a 0.1 second drop (to 8.3s) in 0-100 time over the outgoing Mk I. In 1985, a 139bhp 16-valve version was introduced with a 0-100 time of 7.9s, and the range was given a facelift (known as the big-bumper model) in 1990. VW also toyed with various supercharged and 4x4 versions, powersteering, electric windows and all the other gadgets that conspire to increase weight and complexity and reduce reliability and driving enjoyment, as standard. The Mk III - Still Not Bad The Mk III GTI debuted in August 1991 with a new 2.0l 115bhp engine. It was bigger and heavier again (1,030kg), due in part to the increased size but mainly to the strengthening needed to meet new crash-safety legislation. Despite the bigger engine, the car's 0-60 time of 10.3s left it trailing in average-family-saloon territory. Worse still, the handling was way soggier than the superlative standard set by the first two models. Mk III was comfier and more refined than the Mk II and continued to sell well. The critics were answered a year later when a 16-valve, 150bhp version went on sale, and were silenced completely when VW stopped fooling about with superchargers and finally figured out how to cram a big engine into a small car. The result was the 2.8l, 174bhp VR6. The Mk IV - Can't Complain; No Really, You Can't September 1998. Bigger (wheelbase 8'3") and nearly half a ton heavier than the Mk I, at 1270Kg. The initial Mk IV GTI appeared to repeat the mistake made with the Mk III. Two models were available; a 20-valve 1.8l (125bhp) and more respectable 1.8l turbo (150bhp). The lower-spec car could manage 0-100 in 9.9s, but was replaced after only a year by an 8-valve, 2.0l, 115bhp engine that was slower still. During the production run of the Mk IV, there were oodles of GTI variations - 1.8l (125bhp), 2.0l (115bhp), 2.0l (130bhp), 1.8 turbo (150bhp); 1.8 turbo (180bhp). Add to this the diesel TDI variants (150bhp), and the 'others' - 2.3l V5 (150bhp), 2.3l V5 (170bhp), 2.8l V6 4motion (204bhp) and ultimately the 3.2l V6 R32 (240bhp), and suddenly it became impossible to work out how 'sporty' your car actually was. In fact the bog-standard GTI was pretty close to the bottom of the range in terms of speed, being happily outperformed by some of the diesels. Oddly though, it was the GTI that had all the gadgets as standard, now with climate control and even shiny bits of wood in the cabin. The Mk V - We Know Where This is Going... Yes, it is bigger, heavier and more expensive. The Mk V has a wheelbase of 8'6" and at 13'9" nose to tail, it is as long as the original 1973 Passat. (It is worth pointing out that this bloating is not unique to the Golf; the Polo has grown to the extent that it is now heavier than the original Golf, and a new small car (the Lupo) was required to fill the gap.) The GTI version sports a goatee-style grille in common with many of its contemporaries and comes with a vast array of accessories including the obligatory cup holders, electrically-powered everything, automatic wipers and driving lights, ESP, EDL, ABS; the list goes on and on. Due to the increase in size, they've also managed to squeeze an engine in there and the new GTI has 200bhp. It'll probably need it. Today After 30 years in production, the GTI no longer feels like a go-kart to drive and costs an arm and a leg, but it is still a very capable and practical machine. Doubtless the new ones are quicker round a track too, even if it doesnt quite feel like they should be. Golf nuts will tell you that its still possible to detect hints of the original GTI, such as the low gearing, torquey engine and chuckabout feel of the thing, but only just.

The Mk IV and V are no longer simple, fun cars; they are extremely refined and luxurious hatchbacks with a good deal of dynamic ability. Of course, reliability has plummeted in line with increased complexity, it is impossible to change a bulb without going to a dealer, and the dealer's mechanics can't fix a problem their computer doesn't recognise, but this is true of many modern cars. As for the earlier models, they have an almost paranormal ability to keep going and going even given very little care and attention.