The Golf MK3 GTI and MK7 R

Over the past five decades the Golf has made a name for itself. Even when pitted against its closest rivals the Golf has managed to hold its own with performance and practicality. So when it comes to a Volkswagen Golf or even the sportier GTI and R models, a story would never be complete without first talking about the original Golf.

The first Golf rolled off the production line in 1974, as a successor to the Beetle, and it certainly did its job well, selling just under 7 million units. Even though it was a successor to the Beetle, it certainly wasn’t content with being similar, and similar it was not. The previously curved body became a boxy and angular design. The dated rear mounted air-cooled engine was transformed into a front mounted water-cooled engine. While this Golf sold incredibly well, behind the scenes, many car enthusiasts and crucially a few people over at Volkswagen saw the sporting potential of this front wheel drive hatchback.

So, they initiated a plan to create a new sportier Golf. After tinkering around with the regular Golf, they presented the car and idea to the management board, who gave the green light. This sportier Golf became an official development project, and would be given the name GTI. The new GTI was shown off at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in 1975 and went on sale in 1976, and the rest is history. They originally planned to only sell 5,000 units, just to recoup the development costs, but no one could foresee just how popular the Golf GTI would end up being, and so in the end they ended up selling about 462,000 units.

Golf MK3

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The Mk3 Golf GTI was probably where there were more visible changes. One of which was the headlight design which went from dual separated headlights to being put behind a shared visor. The very boxy body design was toned down a tad bit and made a bit softer and a bit rounder. This would mark a significant shift in people’s perception of these cars and their utility. Even though the engine’s displacement was increased to 2.0L, there wasn’t a significant increase in power. This however had made the car more reliable. As a car the Mk3 GTI performs the role of a reliable daily driver, while delivering moments of excitement. Of course due to this focus on reliability this Mk3 didn’t sell as well. compared to other Golf GTI’s the Mk3 is quite rare today especially in this region. If you’re someone who cares about a car’s uniqueness, then the Mk3 could very well fit that role. As you may be one of few people driving this in your area.

Golf MK7

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The Mk7 in this case is a bit different as its Golf name is shared with another acronym, ‘R’. Compared to the already speedy GTI, the Golf R is a further step up in performance. The R badge originally started with the Golf Mk4, it was at this time that Volkswagen needed something to celebrate their success in rallying hence the reason for, well the letter ‘R’. Golf’s that were made with this badge had significant upgrades done making them very different to the regular Golf and even the GTI models. The most significant of which was the AWD system that was fitted to them, but even this wasn’t just a regular AWD system that would power all four wheels at the same time, it was adaptive, meaning it could shift the amount of power going to each individual wheel, which allowed for a large and always consistent amount of grip. There was also a further power boost, with the highest trim of the Mk7 R making about 288 horsepower out of a 2.0 turbocharged inline four engine.

Now if that doesn’t even begin to get you going, then I don’t know what will. Because I’m sure as everyone would probably agree, the Volkswagen Golf is a wonderful example of a zero turned hero. The Golf GTI and R continue to be cars that can be readily recommended as reliable daily drivers, while at the same time being safe, comfortable and fast enough to beat out most if not all of its other hot hatch competitors.

Now understandably reading all this you might even be convinced that the Mk3 Golf certainly has something to offer that other people just don’t seem to see, you might even be tempted to buy a certain Mk3. If that’s the case, I might humbly push you in the direction of the guys over at nolemons.ae