2006 Volkswagen GTI Review

Specifications

The Ultimate GTI?

As a compact, sporty car the Volkswagen GTI is a great machine and one that I really admire. Its nimble, its agile, its fun, and its good looking to boot. But as good as a car can be fresh from the assembly line, there are always ways of making it more nimble, more agile, more fun, and better looking (though this last point is subjective). Thats where the Volkswagen R GTI Concept comes into play. The R GTI, which debuted at SEMA last week, is the continuation of an idea that started at last years SEMA show, where Volkswagen showed off three high-performance R cars, the Touareg, Passat and Jetta R GT. The German automaker has followed suit with an R version of the GTI, but this one puts greater focus on streetability; something better for driving day to day.

To convert the GTI from humble hot hatch to “low-flying stealth machine”, Volkswagen put its Chief Designer Derek Jenkins from its Design Center California in charge of the project. The R GTI appears like a further evolution of todays GTI due to the new body kit that Jenkins designed; heavy modifications to the nose give the car a brand new look. The proportions of upper and lower grille have been changed, with the R GTI having a much larger lower grille than before. The six-sided shape mimics the look of the IROC Concept that was shown at Paris, but keeps close ties to the production car with a honeycomb mesh pattern and red trim outline. This aggressive look is furthered by angular lower air intakes and blacked-out headlamps.

One of the major concerns expressed with the fifth-generation GTI is its increased weight and size. Though the car defies the four generations of growth in its driving characteristics, with its electro-mechanical power steering and complex suspension system, the reduction of weight can only do good. To trim back the pounds (and to make the car look cool, no doubt) the R GTI received extensive bodywork made from lightweight carbon fiber. VW teamed up with OSIR carbon fiber specialists to create many components of the R GTI from this expensive but strong material, including the hood, the front fenders, lower front spoiler, side rocker panels, hatch door, grille surround, rear spoiler, and mirror housings. Its a bit difficult to tell that these components are made from carbon fiber in the studio shots because of the cars gloss black body paint, but out in the sunlight the weave of the unpainted composite is dazzling. Hexagonal-shaped graphics that are found on the hood and fenders, further add to the cars stealthy appearance.

With an R affixed to the front of the GTI name, its directly implied that this car is seriously quick. Indeed, its no slouch thanks to a host of engine modifications that capitalize on the GTIs award-winning 2.0T direct injection motor. Volkswagen selected APR, a firm that specializes in tuning Volkswagens to help out under the hood. They replaced the standard turbocharger with one capable of delivering twice the airflow, and up to 21 psi of boost. Combined with a high-flow intercooler, upgraded internal engine components, and an Inconel sport exhaust system, the R GTI is capable of generating 375 horsepower on standard 93 octane gasoline, which is available at quite a few gas stations. On 100 octane gasoline, output increases to an amazing 400 horsepower, or twice what the stock GTI makes, plus 340 lb-ft of torque. Together, through extra-wide 265/30R 19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, the R GTI is capable of sprinting to 60 mph from standstill in 4.7 seconds.

Because the GTI is a front-wheel drive car, work had to be done to ensure that each one of those 400 ponies could be properly hitched. The clutch for the six-speed manual gearbox has been upgraded to withstand the extra power and a Quaife limited slip differential installed for improved power transfer. Bigger brakes, with four-piston front calipers and two-piston rear calipers with cross-drilled rotors supplied by Brembo give the GTI strong, fade-free stopping capabilities. Theyve also been painted the colors of the German flag, a change from the typical red.

As for the suspension, its had its fair share of upgrades that include the installation of an H&R Club Sport suspension system with coilover shocks and adjustable dampers. Volkswagen specifically chose this upgrade kit for its ability to provide enhanced cornering and roadholding capabilities without sacrificing too much of the cars ride qualities. And despite being 1.5 to 2.5 inches lower than stock, VW claims that the car is perfectly capable of soaking up big road impacts.

Compared to the exterior, at first glance the interior of the R GTI looks to be mostly stock. The dashboard, console and door trims remain unchanged from the production car, though the standard silver trim has been replaced by carbon fiber accent trim and theres additional red contrast stitching. With the exception of the excellent sports seats of the production car being replaced by supportive Recaro Pole Position sport seats, its pretty ordinary looking up front.

But tip forward the front seats, and youll soon discover that theres a lot more than meets the eye in back. The changes start with the racing harness anchor. Normally this secure bar spans the entire width of the cabin, rendering the rear seats useless, but VWs design team created a clever lever system which allows the bar to swing up and out of the way, allowing rear passengers to enter. In the R GTI, however, those in back wont be sitting on a bench seat, as VW has scrapped the stock seats in favor of two race seats with harnesses that have been mounted on carbon fiber supports.

Unfortunately (and we mean it), the R GTI is a mere show-car, a one-off creation designed to show off the brands creative side and its ability to be in tune with the high-performance street car industry. Its a real shame too, considering that the upgrades to this car are completely functional, and designed from the beginning with the intent of operating in true, real-world conditions. Volkswagen hopes that the R GTI will inspire VW enthusiasts to making their own dream GTIs.