Filed under: Latest News
Last year VW launched a new Golf Cabriolet. For those not 'in the know' it's a Golf with a folding fabric roof and a little less boot space. As a handy pay off, you do get much, much more headroom though. At the car's launch there was one notable absence - the GTI.
Well, it's finally here. Sort of. It'll be here in time for next week's Geneva Motor Show. 'Beauty' therapists will be squealing with excitement at the prospect of trading in their Tigras for VW's latest.
Losing its roof won't make the GTI cab look any less like a GTI, Volkswagen has carried over the signature sporty cues to make it stand out on the road. The grille comes with the GTI's signature honeycomb grille with red piping, a massive GTI badge, a deep honeycomb air dam and pretty hefty fog lamps.
Along its profile there's a set of side skirts and at the rear you get a bespoke diffuser, twin exhausts and smoked LED lamps. It sits on kerb-magnet 17-inch Monza alloys.
Inside there are four individual seats that can be had in classic GTI 'Jacara' tartan or 'Vienna' leather. The trim is all standard GTI - so lots of leather and lots of red stitching...
The aesthetics will draw in the few who want a butch convertible, the power figures will help them sign on the dotted line. When twinned with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DSG gearbox the 0-62mph dash happens in 7.3 seconds and it'll run out of puff at 147mph (146mph for the automatic DSG) - at this point your hair WILL be ruined. You'll have a big ol' smile on your face though.
The convertible shares the hatch's 211bhp, 206lb ft 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, hence the figures above.
If you're worried about the roof being a) slow and b) noisier than a noisy thing, don't. It's fully insulated to keep out nasty road noise and can be raised and lowered in just 9.5 seconds.
Yes, it's a little like an automotive Ugg boot, but surely you'd rather have a speedy Ugg than a slow-as Tigra Croc? Thought so... Though we do wonder whether a Golf R running shoe will make an appearance one day?
