As modern cars have become more and more competent and refined, they have tended also to become more and more devoid of character. While this may not bother most of the people who buy them – salesmen, executives, housewives, to whom a car is primarily a way of getting from A to B – it is a vital loss to anyone who considers himself or herself an enthusiastic driver. How refreshing, then, to find a thoroughly modern and well engineered car which feels as though it is meant to be enjoyed, not just used. In this respect, the high-performance VWs excel. Their engines and drivetrains positively encourage hard driving and, at the end of the day, they will come back for more when rivals are wilting under the strain. The build quality and durability of VW products is such that they can withstand hard driving – short of actual abuse – for very high mileages. Members of the press are not kind to cars when it comes to taking performance figures and’assessing hand-ling and grip at test tracks and it is notable that a VW that has covered the customary 12-15,000 miles before it is removed from the press fleet is still as taut and rattle-free as the day it left the factory. We have noticed various vehicles from rival manufacturers feeling distinctly loose and worn after 15,000 miles of such treatment.

©Ian Kuah. This article was published with explicit permission from author Ian Kuah