The first Mk2 GTI I drove was a left-hand-drive car that had been personally imported to the UK. Coming out of a Mk 1, you were instantly struck by the more solid and substantial feel of the newer car. It was much quieter and more comfortable on the road, showing how standards changed during the nine-year lifespan of the first Golf. Although the early Mk2 GTI s had a similar engine to the late Mk l cars, small revisions to improve low-speed torque even further had left it a slightly lower-rewing unit. Extra size and weight also made the car feel less nimble.

On the race track, though, the new car showed its edge. With a longer wheelbase, it was less prone to oversteer on throttle lift-off even though it would still lift its inside rear wheel off the ground in very hard cornering. The car felt more stable and was very forgiving even if its driver was not quite up to scratch. I remember one incident at a GTI Drivers’ Club meet at Goodw ood w here one ham-fisted pilot got it totally wrong and went into a corner too fast (for him) and on the wrong line. Following behind, I saw him dangle a rear wheel in the air, lock up the other rear wheel in a puff of tyre smoke as he attempted to lose speed, and more or less manage to collect himself as the car barely deviated from its line. In many other cars, the driver would have left the corner backwards, but the GTI had enough in reserve to save its hapless driver from that ignominy.

Despite sporting spring and damper settings, the GTI Mkl had a comfortable ride and the occasional bottoming out at the front was more heard than felt. The ride quality ofthe Mk2 was even better. The longer wheelbase made its contribution to stability and ride, and longer wheel travel in the suspension, with re-rated springs and dampers, resulted in a chassis that took all road surfaces in its stride. The most important thing for British owners, though, was that the RHD version had been designed-in right from the start. ‘This meant that RI ID cars had a 182 different bulkhead with the brake servo moved accordingly, as well as a proper RHD wiper mounting too. With ventilated discs in front, and solid discs at the rear in place of the drums on the Mkl , the new GTI dramatically extended the braking confidence window for its drivers.

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

It may surprise many people to learn that the G60 GTI is actually slower than the 16V to 60mph although it has a higher top speed. Unlike the aftermarket turbocharged cars, the factory-super-charged GTI does not greet your depressed right foot with an intoxicating rush of power; it is a far more progressive beast than that. For those who have revelled in the characteristics of a powerful turbocharged car, the rather laid-back G60 may well come as a disappointment. It is smooth and progressive and totally unobtrusive, although if you wind down the window you can share the odd-sounding whine with onlookers, for the G60-powered VWs sound like no other cars. Where the supercharger scores is in intermediate-gear acceleration and tractability.

With its lowered suspension and big wheels and tyres, the G60 has a higher level of grip on a smooth road than the 16-valve, and the latest power-steering set-up is a far cry from the over-light arrangement offered on the very early 16V cars. The smooth surge of power from the G60 engine is very satisfying as you blast from corner to corner on a twisty road, and there is the feel, as with all GTIs , that the basic chassis is capable of handling even more power.

An interesting technical innovation VW launched with the Golf G60 was their Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) which uses the ABS sensors to detect variations in wheel speed. Unlike the BMW and Mercedes-Benz ASD systems which reduce engine power to compensate for lack of traction, the VW system works by slow ing the wheels down. If you should encounter a puddle of water or loose gravel mid-bend, you will not get the dramatic loss of composure you might in a standard car. The system only works if there is a difference in speed between the driven wheels. So it is still possible to spin the wheels if both are on a surface of equal frictional coefficient. If you were to launch the car on a loose surface, you would thus spin the wheels, but the moment one wheel reached a grippv surface, the antics would be called to a halt.

The chassis of the GTI G60 is firm, make no mistake. This is not a soft-riding motorcar, and yet it never really jars your sensibilities. On a rough surface, you are left in no doubt that the car is firm, and the power steering provides plenty of feedback of information. The car’s handling and grip are simply phenomenal. Helped by the EDL, it puts every one of the 160bhp down convincingly. If anything, grip with EDL has changed the handling of the standard car from understeer and lift-off tuck-in to understeer and then neutral. Those used to deliberately using the lift-off tuck-in of the normal GTI as a driving technique will get a fright the first time they try to induce that effect on an EDL-equipped G60. The only way to bring the tail round is to take a stab at the brakes to alter the weight transfer more dramatically.

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

The extra weight at the rear and thus the differently placed centre of gravity of the Jetta in both Mk1 and Mk2 forms creates a car with slightly different handling characteristics from the Golf. If you lift off on the limit in a Jetta, the oversteer tendency is greater, especially if the boot is loaded. Driving an empty Jetta GTi 16V back-to-back with a Golf GTI 16V at Donington circuit one morning, it quickly became apparent that the different balance of the Jetta in fact helped to cut understeer and made the car turn-in better. From a driver’s point of view, this can be quite desirable. In terms of grip, the tw o cars are pretty evenly matched but I suspect that in steady-state cornering on a skidpan, the Golf would ultimately produce a higher lateral g figure as it would not move into oversteer so quickly.

Driving both cars around Oulton Park, a hilly circuit with several fast dips and crests, I was impressed with how well the Golf and Jetta handled with four people on board. Both cars could comfortably be driven on the limit in this load configuration with extremely safe and stable track manners. Many good road cars lose their composure rapidly when subjected to the rigours of on-the-limit driving around a racing circuit. The Golf and Jetta and of course their Scirocco and Corrado stablemates are rare cars that offer equally exemplar} behaviour on both road and track, one-up or fully loaded.

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