KRAFTWERK
The 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI
This article is from our archives and has not been updated and integrated with our "new" site yet... Even so, it's still awesome - so keep reading!
Published on Tue, Dec 2, 2014
By: The LACar Editorial Staff

Ever since the original high performance hatchback emerged in 1976, Volkswagen has been honing the GTI to pocket rocket perfection. For 2015, Volkswagen introduces the seventh generation GTI, raising the bar once again. But it’s not just the performance that impresses, the craftsmanship in the new GTI easily surpasses anything else in its class. Editor-at-Large Zoran Segina reports.
By Zoran Segina
I met Steve in the racing school at Willow Springs International Raceway many years ago. A dedicated pupil, Steve brought his own car—a used, but race-ready Golf GTI with a manual transmission. When driven fast around tight corners, the GTI would lift its inside rear wheel off the ground. This was a well-known feature which provided some great photo footage. In right corners, however, Steve's GTI would get its wheel up in the air much more than in the left corners - an effect of its driver tipping the scales at close to three hundred pounds.
At lunch Steve lamented about lack of performance in his GTI, and the money he had to spend on racing parts to improve the car. As we all helped ourselves generously to sandwiches and cookies, one could see a common thought forming, which we could not share with Steve: A serious diet would dramatically improve power-to-weight ratio in his GTI, and save him a lot of money.
I remembered Steve while testing the all new 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI SE. The new model is eighty-two pounds lighter than its predecessor. It is a modern racing car that in spare time passes, quite successfully, for a passenger hatchback.
The dashboard is geared toward racing. The multi-control buttons on the ergonomic leather and brushed aluminum wheel are just at the right place. The 2015 GTI was conceived with an idea to spend money on performance, not flash. The leather covered seats, with partial mechanical adjustment, have inside parts made out of cloth. There is no (standard) satellite navigation, but there is an oil temperature gauge and a comprehensive lap timer with the last and the fastest lap times easily recorded. Above the driver sits a huge glass roof with mesh covering. The GTI has a remote start system. The console also has a built-in charger for an iPhone. On the tested model, however, it worked intermittently.
The biggest surprise awaits as I step on the metal-and-rubber gas pedal. The specifications state that this GTI is powered by a 210 horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine. But the insane acceleration as the car darts through the traffic belies the facts on the paper. What is under the hood? The EA888 engine in the 2015 GTI should be renumbered 666. This much power can only be a result of black magic conceived by the warlocks and witches of Wolfsburg—no wonder it means the Wolf Castle. One feels the spirit of Innocent VIII, dusting off his 1484 papal bull, and calling for appropriate inquisition measures in Germany.
The magic in the GTI power plant stems from the 258 pound-feet of torque that spans an incredible range—1500 to 4500 rpm. The six speed automatic floor shifter transfers this torque through three basic positions—drive, sport and manu-matic. A gentle tug on the shifter will switch it to the sport mode and change engine mapping. A press toward the right engages manu-matic which can be also achieved by pressing paddle shifters at any time.
At that point, a sensible commute turns into skipping from one open traffic spot to the next. The GTI's acceleration, handling and phenomenal braking capability (a subject onto itself), will get me out of any potential problem with plenty of margin for safety. A visible sign of the engineering wizardry under the hood is the tachometer needle which jumps, within a fraction of a second, from one position to the next. It resembles the old racing cars tachometers which were connected directly to the crankshaft rather than to a distributor cap. This made them darty, but more precise.
Despite the practical aspects, the 2015 GTI is a racer. If only my everyday commute and errands involved racetracks. The GTI would feel at home because that environment lies at the center of its genetics; the car feels most alive when pushed to the edge of its performance. In the Southern California freeway traffic, such driving probably does not make the commute any shorter, but, oh, does it make it fun.
There were times when the race cars arrived to the track under their own power. The racers would take off the fenders, compete, and after the race was over, make the cars street legal, and went home. A 2015 GTI, with a racing cage, five-point seatbelt harness, fire extinguisher, the main electrical switch on the hood, and a good driver may even win a race, and still remain civilized enough to take the winner home.
Steve, are you there?
For more information about Volkswagen products, go to www.vw.com
SPECIFICATIONS
Name of vehicle:
2015 Volkswagen GTI SE
Price:
$24,395 (base)
$30,910 (as tested)
SE Package includes:
Power tilting/sliding panoramic sunroof
Rearview camera
Fender® Premium Audio System with 8 speakers including subwoofer
Keyless access with push-button start
Ambient door trim accent lighting
Leather seating surfaces with red stitching
EPA mileage estimates
City/Highway: 25/33 mpg
LA Car observed: 19.8 mpg