2007 Volkswagen GTI Fahrenheit

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This week, Dave Jordan checks the 2007 Volkswagen GTI Fahrenheit:

With all of the great Volkswagen products on the road today you may view VW as a typical manufacturer producing quality vehicles in various automotive categories. But what if you are looking for a Volkswagen that is special and unique? A car that is practical and economical yet will stir your senses if called upon to do so? Well, if you’re lucky enough to be one of only 150 Canadians to purchase the special edition GTI Fahrenheit, you most certainly will have satisfied all of the above. The cool orange paint job, black exterior trim and sharp-looking 18-inch wheels are a dead giveaway that this is no ordinary GTI. Mind you, the GTI is no ordinary Rabbit. Thanks to Coleman’s Autohaus for the extended time they allowed me to enjoy this superb little hatchback.

Volkswagen virtually started the hot hatch phenomenon back in the early '80s with the introduction of the first Rabbit-based GTI. It was a light, solid car with a potent, for its day, engine and decent handling dynamics. A little rough around the edges but a blast to drive, the original GTI proved that you could have fun, performance and good fuel economy in an affordable package. Subsequent GTIs have gone through various stages of design and, for the car on which it is based, name changes (Rabbit to Golf then back to Rabbit again), some wavering from the original formula a bit. But with the latest iteration of this pocket rocket, VW has put the spirit and intent of the original GTI back on the street.

To start with there’s 200 horsepower under the hood in the form of a turbocharged two-litre DOHC four-cylinder engine producing 207 lb/ft of torque. This powerplant hustles the GTI along at an exceptionally brisk pace — 0 to 60 in 6.1 sec. — with no noticeable turbo lag and a smooth progressive delivery of power. Announcing its sporting intentions by emitting a noticeable growl under hard acceleration, this engine’s willingness to rev becomes apparent every time you mash the go pedal. If you're taking off in a hurry you might chirp the front tires a bit but smoky burnouts are kept at bay by the GTI’s launch control program.

The Fahrenheit is equipped with VW’s excellent advanced DSG – Direct Shift Gearbox – dual clutch automatic transmission (the manual stick is not part of this limited edition package). A dual-clutch transmission works like two automatic transmissions side by side. One clutch engages the odd gears and reverse, and the other serves the even gears. Because the transmission uses two clutches, with rapid switches from one to the other, no lurching between gears occurs. Unlike a manual gearbox with a clutch pedal, a dual-clutch transmission has no interruption of power when gears are changed so transitions up or down the six-speed box are quick and efficient. You can shift in auto-normal and sport modes — Tiptronic — semi automatic or via paddle shifters on the back of the steering wheel for even greater control and enhanced fun factor. After all, when blasting through twisty back roads the last thing you’ll want to do is take your hands off the wheel. And boy does this thing handle the curves. Even with 60% of the car's total weight over the front wheels, the GTI remains stable and composed under all but the most severe road conditions. Turn in and grip are sensational with minimum body roll exhibited when cornering at even ridiculously high speeds. The sticky 225/40/18 Dunlop tires grab the road aggressively and, combined with the rack-and-pinion steering, send great feedback through the very sporty leather-wrapped, flat-bottomed, three-spoke steering wheel. The chassis engineers have done an admirable job of tuning the GTI’s four-wheel independent suspension for great handling while maintaining a comfortable ride.

The body styling of the GTI is basic Rabbit with additional enhancements like the more aggressive front bumper/air dam — with blacked out front grill shield — black rubber rocker panel extensions and rear bumper, rear roof spoiler and, for this limited edition model, unique split five-spoke 18-inch wheels. The Fahrenheit comes in two-door form only and one colour, orange. This standout hue with the black trim pieces really looks sharp and certainly garners attention from onlookers. With those large rims filling out the blistered wheel wells, dual exhaust tips and ass-high stance, the GTI looks very sporty and ready to do business. This is one wascally wittle wabbit.

The GTI Fahrenheit version comes pretty well loaded with the likes of very comfortable and supportive heated leather sport seats, sunroof, power group, A/C, a multitude of airbags and electronic nannies like ABS and traction control, six-CD changer audio, the excellent steering wheel (yes, this is important), aluminum pedals, xenon headlights and that slick DSG transmission. Additionally the interior boasts matching orange trim pieces on the dash, doors and steering wheel as well as orange stitching on various leather-clad components. A neat touch is the car number in the series stamped on the orange trim strip on the steering wheel. This one was number 3 of 150. As with all VWs fit and finish are superb with high-quality materials and textures used throughout.

For a two-door, ingress and egress are a cinch, even for back-seat passengers, and there’s plenty of room inside. Those of six-foot-plus stature will not have to slouch whether in the front or rear seats. Trunk (hatch) space is generous for a compact car with the folding 60/40 rear seatbacks allowing for further expansion of the cargo area.

The Volkswagen GTI was voted automobile of the year by Automobile magazine, and deservedly so. The speed, handling and overall refinement of this exceptional little car can not be understated. Everything is just so right. If you buy this car simply to commute back and forth to work every day then you’re missing the point. This car is meant to be, and loves to be, driven aggressively. Yes, this is a premium small car and you will pay for that, a base GTI starts at just under 30 grand, but you get an exceptional car for the money. Take one for a test drive and you’ll see what I mean.

Dave’s auto Archive — By the time it was introduced to North America in 1983, the GTI pulled 90 horsepower from its 1.8 litre engine and offered touches like blacked-out exterior trim and sports seats.