In 1975, the first Volkswagen Golf Mk1 GTI was introduced at a motor show in Frankfurt, Germany. It later made its way to the United Kingdom two years later. Initially, interest in the vehicle did not take off in the UK as it featured a left hand drive, however eventually sales did catch on when its other merits were realised.
In 1984, a newer version of the Golf was introduced. The Mk2 Golf GTI offered a larger engine at 1781 cc and 113 bhp. Other notable differences were its increased size and slightly heavier weight. Overall this did little to change the power to weight ratio. However, later another engine was added with 138 bhp. This meant the Golf GTI could easily get to 130 mph in just 8 seconds. Many VW Golf fans found this version to be the best of all the Golf hatchbacks.
The 3rd version of the GTI, the Mk3, was revealed later in 1992. Whilst the engine was a little larger at 2.0 and 8v, it still had the same bhp of 113 as the Mk2 GTI Golfs. The aerodynamic design of the vehicle had improved. However, the weight of the car also increased. This version of the Golf was never managed to match the popularity in comparison to the Mk2 version.
Six years later in 1998, the Mk4 GTI was introduced. This was significant because this was the first time a diesel engine could be obtained in a Golf. This move was in an effort to compete with other cars made by rival car makers. Initially, the Golf didn’t capture much attention. It wasn’t until later when a special anniversary edition was released that boasted an engine capable of 180 bhp did people began noticing.
The Mk5 GTI was launched in 2004 at a motor show in Paris. It came with a 2.0 engine capable of 200 bhp. The gearbox featured six speeds. Once again, the VW Golf was a serious competitor in the market. However, production of the vehicle stopped entirely in 2008 due to increased costs of production. The Golf is still popular today as a used vehicle by many.
If you are looking for a vw golf for sale you can still buy most of these models second hand but it will be very hard to get the older ones in top condition.