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VW 20th Anniversary GTI
By Peter Bleakney
 Twenty years ago I plunked down ten grand of my hard-earned money on a brand new Volkswagen Rabbit GTI. That car was an absolute blast, and for better or worse, I've been a serial Volkswagen owner ever since. In the interim, there have been some great cars and not so great cars in my life, but that little 90 hp black Rabbit GTI with the red interior has always held a special place in my heart.
Two decades later, a metallic black 20th Anniversary GTI tester sits in my driveway, a car Volkswagen claims to be "the spiritual successor to the original Rabbit GTI". Will this car take me back to the carefree days of my youth when monogamy was just a type of hardwood and I couldn't even spell mortgage? Has Volkswagen injected some of the old fun-factor back into the GTI experience?
The 2003 20th Anniversary GTI is a limited edition car that retails for $34,150. At nearly $8000 more than a regular GTI 1.8T (and $24,000 more than an Œ83 GTI!), you've got to hope you're getting alot more than just a Rabbit badge and some fancy wheels. Rest assured, that eight grand not only buys you exclusivity, it also gives you a GTI that exhibits a whole new appetite for the open road. This car wants to scrap. It screams, "Hey, I've got a reputation to live up to and I'm here to open a can of whoop-ass on all those up-start sport compacts!"
Visually, this GTI is separated from its lesser bretheren by its multi-spoked 18" wheels, lowered ride height, red painted brake calipers, single chromed exhaust tip and subtle body modification that include new front and rear valances, side skirts and a rear spoiler. A well integrated and tasty package. The available colours are Imola Yellow, Jazz Blue and Black.
 As with all Volkswagens of late, the interior is a paragon of quality execution and thoughtful design. The bolstered Recaro sport seats are grippy and comfortable, ergonomics are first rate and the three spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel, which tilts and telescopes, has got to be one of the best out there.
Standard features include air conditioning, six speaker Monsoon sound with in-dash CD player, power windows and sun roof, keyless entry, alarm with immobilizer and front and side airbags. The interior also gets a healthy dose of aluminum trim accents and the requisite drilled aluminum pedals. Kudos to VW for redesigning the CD/AM/FM face plate with large, glove friendly buttons and analogue knobs.
Electronic stability control is the only option at $430.
The standard 1.8T GTI has never been wanting for power, so this Audi/VW 20-valve turbo four continues its tour of duty here. Mated to a close ratio six-speed transmission exclusive to the 20th Anniversary GTI, it kicks out 180 horses and has a torque plateau of 174 ft/lbs arriving at 1950 rpm. It's not the smoothest of engines and there is a hint of turbo lag below 2000 rpm, but the six-speed really helps here, landing the engine in the sweet spot on every upshift.
There's no questioning the swiftness of the 20th Anniversary GTI - this puppy flies. A tip of the right Reebok with have you grinning from ear to ear and bowing down to the Gods of Mid-range Torque. Car and Driver Magazine squeezed a 0 - 60 mph time of 6.5 seconds out of the European 25th Anniversary GTI, which is essentially the same car.
But here's the big news about the 2003 20th Anniversary GTI. Volkswagen proves it can put together a proper suspension for its GTI. This car is planted, balanced and very easy to drive fast. And despite the appearance of a kidney-busting tuner car with its 225/40 x 18" Michelin Sports, the ride is surprisingly acceptable, even on the pock-marked roads of our fair city. Credit goes to careful tuning of the springs and shocks, plus stiffer rubber bushings on the rear twist beam mounts.
 This new found athleticism addresses the only real shortcoming of the garden-variety GTIs in that their underpinnings are too flaccid for their torquey engines and grippy tires. Goodbye tippy - hello zippy. Volkswagen should put this set up on all GTIs and be done with it.
Also exclusive to the 20th Anniversary are larger vented discs at each corner that provide Porsche-like stopping power.
Out on the highway, the trademark German stability makes for good long distance touring, with an indicated 3000 rpm at 120 kph. The Monsoon sound system kicks pretty good too
Just as in the original GTI, the upright shape combined with the utility of the hatch make this car the Swiss Army Knife of road rockets. In case you hadn't noticed, hatchbacks are cool again - although the marketing types won't let you call them that anymore. Sportwagon, Crossover, Activity Vehicle. Whatever. GTI owners can feel smug in the knowledge that VW never abandoned this most useful configuration, and still call it a hatchback, goshdarnit.
 Any gripes? The air conditioning proved barely adequate on a 30 degree day, and you'd think VW could have thrown in the handy multifunction trip computer that's standard on the VR6 GTIs. And if you want to bitch about the price, be my guest. It's either a really expensive Golf or a bargain for a rare performance icon. Your call.
There's no doubt that Volkswagen has put a lot of "GTI-ness" back into this car, giving it a sense of immediacy that made the original so much fun. With only 200 coming to Canada, you'd be wise to act now if you want one.
So does this 20th Anniversary GTI live up to its promise? With sun roof open and the green fields whizzing by, I'd have to yes... and then some.
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