Volkswagen just announced the last Golf 7 GTi model, so we take a look at a car closing in on 45 years of existence. To this day, VW’s front-wheel driven high-performance hatch remains a true car for the people. So much so, that 33% of all new Golf owners in South Africa opt for a GTi badge on theirs. That ranks Southern Africa as one of the top 10 countries, when it comes to GTi ownership, worldwide. N.B.: These are local / ZA specs while photos are of international models. Other high-performance Golfs like VR6 or Golf R have been excluded from this list.
VR6
Five-cylinder engines
The fantastic five
A gruff, off-beat sound usually accompanied by a whistling turbo charger can only mean one thing: five cylinders. With even numbers being the preferred stencil for engine manufacturing, the five-pot is just as quirky and potentially unbalanced as those little three-cylinders.
Tested: Ford Focus ST
The exclusive handful
The Ford Focus ST is part of an exclusive club of motorcars which includes the Golf VR6, BMW 325iS, Sentra STi, Kadett Superboss and Civic VTEC. Performance machines which have all become collectable and share one compulsory characteristic: there isn’t a single unmodified specimen left.
Tested: 2012 Chevrolet Sonic 1.6 LS
The valiant effort
Namibia (and indeed, also South Africa) has a booming small car market thanks to often ridiculous pricing, steadily climbing oil prices and a recession that can’t decide if it’s done or wants another round. Some car manufacturers even have more than one model on offer and Chevrolet is no different. Now serving: the new Sonic.