Hello, hello friends of high-turning youth!
I don't know if you have ever felt that in the repeated traffic jams, lane changes, and creeping every day, there are always some hearts beating around, they are the "aliens" in the cars we love, and we are also gathered because of these beating hearts, which is why our new program "High Turners" was born.
As you will see on the show, we have to find out in the vast sea of cars, these who have changed the rules of the industry by themselves, and see
It is the soul of the global "steel cannon" - GTI does not know whether you have felt it, in the repeated traffic jams, lane changes, creeping every day, there are always some hearts beating secretly around, they are "aliens" in the cars we love, we are also because these beating hearts are gathered together, we want to find out these one-handed, changed industry rules in the vast sea of cars, seemingly low-key but there are dry cars in the car. Tell their stories, tap into their potential, and accompany them in a deadly battle with their challengers. In the first season, our protagonist is the god car that countless young people love - golf GTI, welcome to "High Turner Season 1: The Soul of steel cannon". Let's look back at GTI's evolutionary history over the past 45 years and the rivals who grew up with GTI. These three letters once dominated a certain era, as the most cost-effective and fun steel gun model that a young man can start, can he still do this now?
The beginning of the era of driver's cars
The Bora 1.8T, which landed in China in 2002, first proposed the concept of "driver's car", which used a 150-horsepower turbo engine to let the Chinese young people of that era feel the joy of driving for the first time, and also let us contact civilian sports cars for the first time.
So, looking at the past, who came up with the concept of civilian sports cars? Golf GTI.
Pushing back the clock to the 1930s, the Beetle helped young people with the transformation of car ownership from scratch. At that time, Volkswagen only completed the matter from scratch, so it did not care much about the replacement of the model. Therefore, the little guy of the Beetle, who has been producing for more than forty years, has not even changed its appearance. This is the pragmatism of the masses: cheap is enough, enough is good, don't think about it.
The Beetle, which has been produced as a national car for more than forty years, was replaced by an entirely new model called the Golf.
Under the design of the Giorgiaro origami concept, the horizontal and vertical body brings a more practical spatial performance, making the Golf the star of the family car of that era. Practical and cheap golf is not fun, and people at this time do not realize that the original family car can also pursue performance. So before that, young people in Europe did not have cheap and performance cars to drive.
The birth of GTI
The twist took place in the second year of golf, when six Volkswagen employees in a small workshop, carrying the company,around their backs, manually upgraded a more powerful and well-handled golf and named it, GTI.
The birth of the GTI opened the prelude to the more than fifty years of steel cannons, and also gave young people of that era the opportunity to experience what is the joy of driving. More importantly, its appearance also predicts that after the Beetle completes the task of having a car at this stage, the next model already has performance requirements. The 110 has 20 horses more horsepower than the regular version, and with upgraded brakes and suspension, it has a sports car feel in terms of speed and driving experience. The most important thing is that the price is grounded enough.
The second-generation GTI continues all the essence of the first-generation model and increases the horsepower to 139 horses. The Porsche 924 of the same era only had 170 horsepower, and the acceleration was only comparable to the GTI. Therefore, the owners of the second-generation GTI got the power of 80% of the pure sports car at the price of civilian cars.
The first competitor appears
The GTI, a practical, sporty and cost-effective model, makes young people flock to it. And on the road to gold panning, there is no shortage of opponents. In the same year that the second-generation GTI was launched, Honda also brought a sports model based on the Civic: the Civic SI.
Although the Civic SI is the benchmark GTI, it is the first time that Honda has made a small sports car. So the ending can be imagined, the Civic SI was ruthlessly pressed to the ground by the GTI with 10 years of experience and rubbed.
At this moment, GTI is facing an unprecedented crisis, with the sale of the first two generations of golf, the public is determined to create a better texture, more luxurious third-generation golf, no longer take the simple cheap route. The transformation of golf is the transformation of the masses, and the 1.2 generation golf has completed the road from scratch in the people's car, and it is time to make a more luxurious golf.
As a result, the Golf-based 3RD GTI has become more bloated, and the weight of the vehicle has soared. Power and handling are no longer a bright spot, and many fans are disappointed that GTI has lost its driving pleasure. However, this is exactly the opportunity for Honda.
Taking advantage of the gap between Volkswagen and The Crowd, Honda rushed to launch the Civic SIR equipped with a B16A engine, and the performance performance was outrageous at the time. At any time, fast, it is the embodiment of driving pleasure.
And the Civic that opened the breakthrough was not complacent. Then, just three years later, Honda launched the B16B engine, a "divine machine" that combines all the advanced technologies of the year, and installed it on the new model. The new car has 180 horsepower and 8200 rpm super revs. What's even more special is that VTEC's voice has become a poison that players can't quit. It can be said that this is the well-deserved king of naturally aspirated steel cannons of that era. This is the legendary Type-R!
Another technological innovation to eliminate opponents
At this moment in Wolfsburg, there are two views: abandon comfort and concentrate on performance? Or take the quality direction to give up movement.
If the 3rd generation is the source of getting rid of the cheap car and taking the high-quality route, then the 4th generation is a key step to smooth this road. Compared with the predecessor, the 4th generation GTI did not make a simple choice, in order to have good power while not shrinking in size and texture, this year's engineers decided to give GTI a turbine!
Even today, when we look back, the 4th generation GTI is epoch-making: it not only improves the GTI car series, but also allows many technologies to be applied. Let the Chinese people know what is the German taste of the Bora 1.8T, it is equipped with such the latest technology introduced into the country. Excellent power and excellent handling can be said to perfectly satisfy all the fantasies of driving enthusiasts at that time, and this also laid the foundation for Volkswagen to run rampant in China for 20 years.
The EA113-1.8T engine uses a single-cylinder 5-valve design that is rare today, and has a strong tail section performance in the high rotation range. The 3rd generation of the much-maligned weak chicken was redeemed by the K03 turbo here, which is also the first time that K03 has appeared in the world.
This advanced turbine was not just eliminated after use, but has been optimized and used for the next 15 years. Including the EA888 engine that was later used in the Volkswagen, Skoda, Audi, SEAT and even Porsche models, the turbine is still used. It is no exaggeration to say that although Volkswagen chose K03, K03 has also achieved the 4th generation GTI and achieved volkswagen.
In addition to the ancestral K03, the 4th generation GTI also has the highest-rated MQ series gearbox in the history of manual transmission, that is, the legendary hand row known as "one finger gear". Even to this day, this gearbox is still one of the best in the world.
The redesigned dual-conical synchronizer with large tapered ring provides low resistance when hanging gears and can be dialed in with one finger. The groove on the fork shaft is well angled, the depth of pressing is appropriate, and it is friendly to veteran drivers who are pursuing texture and novices who are new to the car.
The PQ34 platform has a leap forward in driving texture compared to the previous ones, although it is still a rear drag arm, but the sense of control is not inferior to the same level of Megana and other models. 6 layers of paint, 12 years of galvanized anti-corrosion and other technologies in that era, are not seen in the country of global car technology. Although the performance still has not been able to suppress the Type-R, there is a clear difference between the GTI's German driving texture and the Civic's street sports style.
Young people who pursue texture will choose to drive the GTI Expressway mountain road to wander freely, while young people who like street and arena style will not hesitate to choose VTEC.
The pinnacle of the GTI family
At the Paris Motor Show in October 2004, the 5th generation GTI went on sale. The PQ35 platform suspended in front of and behind, the high rigidity laser welded body, layered combustion, and direct injection in the cylinder were the most advanced technologies at that time, all of which were placed on the GTI without hesitation.
Direct injection and layered combustion technology in the cylinder was one of Volkswagen's most radical attempts in the engine field that year. The addition of direct injection in the cylinder can effectively improve the fuel mixing ratio and further reduce fuel consumption. Layered combustion can improve thermal efficiency very well. Overall, the addition of direct injection and layered combustion in the cylinder allows gti to have a better power response while also taking into account the economy.
Thanks to this, the 5th generation GTI has raised the entry horsepower of the steel gun to the threshold of 200 horses. More importantly, unlike the previous four generations, the fifth generation GTI is equipped with a DSG dual-clutch transmission for the first time. Compared with traditional AT transmissions, the DSG has faster gear changes, less power loss, and can also meet the needs of car owners for automatic transmission comfort. This is the first time that DSG has been market-oriented on a large scale, if its predecessor, the 4th generation GTI, changed the pattern of gasoline engines for the next few decades with turbocharging. This time, the 5th generation GTI has promoted the replacement of global gearboxes.
Although fifteen years have passed since its inception, the fifth generation of GTI is still considered the pinnacle of the GTI family with its technologically over-the-top product strength. Not only GTI, but also the peak of the Volkswagen family in that era. All kinds of technology applications regardless of cost, without compromising on cost, even in the face of BBA still have the power of a war.
The subsequent product challenges come more from the competition at the market sales level. Interestingly, 11 years ago, when the 6th generation GTI was listed, the price of 235,800 yuan was not much floating until the 8th generation was listed today. And if we look at the purchasing power of the renminbi in the past 11 years, we know how perverted the public is by relying on the whole industry chain and cost control.
The big sale of the 6th generation domestic GTI has made other manufacturers eager to move. In 2012, Fox ST entered the country with the slogan of challenging GTI. In 2014, Megane RS also came.
Unfortunately, this time, they finally hated the Chinese market. Compared with the background of the whole industry chain of volkswagen and the cost advantage of the domestic GTI in the same level, it can be said that it is unparalleled. And those opponents who come in with tariffs are not only higher than GTI in terms of price, but also difficult to match in terms of popularity, modification space and brand culture. Therefore, the old European opponents who thought they could harvest a batch of international fame and feelings ended up in a complete defeat.
Compared with the hot sales of the 6th generation, although the 7th generation GTI comes from the new MQB platform and has also upgraded the XDS, DCC and other configurations, the 7th generation GTI, which has no major breakthrough in product strength, has finally performed flat.
New era and new challenges
The eighth generation of GTI can be said to be highly anticipated for fans. But it has to face a whole new era. Although in the past 45 years, it has won again and again.
Today's martial arts are more different from the past. Emerging domestic brands have won the love of many young car consumers with lower prices and stronger horsepower, while the small steel cannons of luxury brands have also reduced their size at lower prices to attract more driving enthusiasts.
As the final chapter of the gasoline version of the GTI, can the eighth generation GTI defend its past pride? We also want to know the answer.
End of the surprise session
After watching GTI's past and present lives, what touched you the most? Have you ever been fanatical about this steel cannon car? How do you understand these three letters? The content is not limited, please chat with us in the comment area
Next Preview:
After 45 years of growth, GTI has become the most balanced benchmark in the field of steel guns, but also the most twilight one. Entering a new era, China's cheaper and more powerful Chinese rival Lynk & Co 02HB is chasing along the road. Not only will it tell us why it can be cheaper, but it will also go to the track with GTI to meet the real chapter. So, who are you more optimistic about?