Skip to main content

Worthersee 2016: Mk2 Superthread

[See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com]

By the 1980s the Golf was a massive success and every major manufacturer was trying to copy it. This was no time to sit on laurels, so Volkswagen started work on the Mk2. Despite a sensible design direction that didn’t stray too far from the foundations that the Mk1 had lain, Volkswagen decided to have fun with this one, producing more models than you can shake a stick at. There’s the 5-door, the 3-door, the GTI, the GTI 16V, the Syncro, the Limited, the Country, the Rallye, and there was even an electric version, the first of many that Volkswagen would produce.

Many of these models were present at Worthersee last week and here are some of our favorites:

SiGray.Worthersee2016-8139

This lovely Golf Rallye is a fine example of the breed. But for an act of terrorism that took down Pan Am Flight 103, the Rallye might have made it to the States. Sadly, we could only pine for its box-flared wheel arches, supercharged 1.8L engine, and its 161 bhp from afar. This squeaky clean version with color-matched wheels is about as fine an example of the breed as you’re likely to find anywhere.

SiGray.Worthersee2016-8306

The Syncro was the first Golf offered with 4WD. This highly expensive and highly sprung car cost about 30% more than the regular Golf, so examples of this crazy-looking machine are pretty tough to find. This one is tastefully modified and looks like it probably produces more than the original 89 hp.

SiGray.Worthersee2016-8902

 

The GTI nameplate came back for the Mk2, and it remains one of the best-loved versions. Carfection’s Alex Gow, after testing them back to back, called this one everything the Mk1 GTI was, but with with actual brakes and a bit more room. Handsome, quick, practical, and above all fun, this is the model that showed the world that the Mk1 GTI wasn’t just a fluke.

SiGray.Worthersee2016-8276

The Harlequin wasn’t actually produced until the Mk3, but this homage known as the Harlekin (bonus points for clever naming) is an all but perfectly realized interpretation of the concept. This many colored Mk2 is a good example of the playful character that defines the Golf and makes it so great.

SiGray.Worthersee2016-8320

Then again, maybe you’d prefer to be evil. Two kinds of people, right? This car, the Black Pearl, just looks mean. The vents in the hood, the spoilers under the chin and around back, and the black vent-covered headlights all make this car ooze menace. It proves that the old axiom always applies: when in doubt, black it out.

Disagree? Take a look through our gallery above and let us know what you like better.

The post Worthersee 2016: Mk2 Superthread appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1sajsgh
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Saying Goodbye to the CC V6

For all its size and its global reach, Volkswagen is still, in many ways, a deeply human company. There was, for instance, the Bugatti Veyron an ego project if ever there was one. Then the purchase of Ducati, a move most called folly. And then there was the Phaeton, the Volkswagen that most folks can’t afford. Not only were these moves all strange, I’m sure that they made VW’s accountants furious. None of them made good business sense, but they were all deeply interesting and they all are evidence of the heart that beats at the center of VW. Among these follies is the CC, a car that everyone agrees is rakishly handsome, but that no one really wanted to buy. The car couldn’t last, but the world is brighter for its having been in it. With the approach debut of the Arteon, it seems like a good time to look back on its sadly departing predecessor. The version I drove, because I live in Canada, is a V6 Wolfsburg Edition, which apparently isn’t available in the States. Nor is the V6, not as...

Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Mitsubishi , Fuel Efficiency , Japan Mitsubishi says its shady fuel-economy test practices may have been used on all vehicles it sells and has sold in Japan. Continue reading Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2016 12:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/21X3bHv

More 3.0-Liter TDI Settlement Details Expected by January 31

Volkswagen and the TDI Plaintiff’s Steering Committee were in court today for another status conference following the agreement in principal reached earlier this week. Little new information was given at the conference held before Judge Charles Breyer today, but the court ordered the parties to develop a formal settlement agreement, class action notices, and a class notice plan by January 31, 2017. For now, though, owners still don’t know how much to expect in compensation. Elizabeth Cabraser, lead Counsel for the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee reaffirmed in a statement today that the compensation would be “substantial.” The potential cost to Volkswagen is widely reported to exceed $1 billion, though, with an additional $225 million going into an environmental trust to help offset excess emissions. Buy back offers are still only expected for the oldest 20,000 of the roughly 80,000 VW Group vehicles sold in America with the 3.0-liter TDI engine. Those vehicles are mostly SUVs, like ...