A recent Volkswagen full line drive along the roads of California’s beautiful Napa Valley provided chances to drive every 2014 vehicle VW makes. There were new Touaregs and Jettas, Passats and CCs, diesels or hybrids.
Still, this writer spent the day tearing up and down the quiet, vineyard-lined passages in the sportiest cars VW makes – the 2014 Golf, GTI, Golf R and the Beetle GSR. While Volkswagen reps were rightly hyping VWs efforts to introduce badly needed clean diesel into the U.S. market and highlighting the automaker’s latest breeds of hybrids, I was sneaking off and seeing how many locals I could pass in some classic, sporty hatchbacks.
It’s rarely argued amongst automotive journalists that VW Golf is a longstanding automotive legend. Recognized as Europe’s finest sporty hatch for decades, its modern, on-road performance is rivaled only by the Subaru Impreza. The latest models comes in two configurations for the U.S. market – the basic and Golf R.
The off the line Golf is still an absolute pleasure to drive. Balanced, grippy and amply powered, it’s a car any drive can push with absolute confidence. With a 2.5 liter, 170 horsepower engine pushing four-wheel independent suspension, the $27,000 (give or take) Golf remains a top choice in its class.
The Golf R is the sport tuned version, with 296 horsepower pouring from its turbocharged power plant. This limited edition model takes everything the Golf is and kicks up to 11. Now, here’s the bad news: There are no current plans to bring this great mix of effective street car and fun track car to the U.S. market.
The GTI is a slightly more mannered offering – and cheaper, starting around $25,000. While tamer it may be, it still serves up a compact helping of German precision. Drivers can choose between a six speed manual or six speed automatic sport transmission. A 210 horsepower, 2.0 liter, four cylinder engine is all this plucky machine needs.
The GTI doesn’t have as sporty a physical profile as the Golf, but it’s an option for someone looking for something sporty, though less showy.
Finally, the Beetle GSR (above) is a special edition of the iconic car – tuned for better performance and a more aggressive stance. I’ve said before that the Beetle is the car most people imagine when they hear “Volkswagen,” so the automaker takes its versions of this automobile very seriously – but not seriously enough not to make the Beetle fun.
The GSR is fun on steroids. My test ride was bright yellow with black racing stripes – a sort of Bumble Bee decedent of Herbie the Love Bug. It comes equipped with better suspension, LEDs,19 inch wheels and a turbocharged four cylinder engine and a six speed manual gearbox. Essentially, VW took a friendly car and made it more aggressive.
The end result is a Beetle that feels bigger than it is because it’s more powerful. The first time it jerks your head back, you know it’s a different animal.
No car I drove throughout the full line event drew as much attention down the road or at stops than the GSR. It’s a machine that screams irresponsibility and a little silliness – while driving soundly enough to help you behave. It demands attention and speeds away from it gleefully.
The GSR will go on sale this Fall and cost around $30,000.
