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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.



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