The first time you fell in love...with a GTI.

[Swick]

For me it was when I discovered it while playing through some of the beginner races in Gran Turismo 2 way back in 1999 on the original Playstation.
The fact that it was one of the less expensive cars in the game meant that most players picked one as their "main" car early on and spent a significant portion of the game supe'ing it up until it was a monster on those GT2 tracks and you eventually fell in love with it.

Gran Turismo 2 - Volkswagen Golf IV GTI 1.8T HD Gameplay

What about you guys? When was the first time you saw a GTI and knew that you had to have one?

 

[ChrisMk77]

For me it was when I discovered it while playing through some of the beginner races in Gran Turismo 2 way back in 1999 on the original Playstation.
The fact that it was one of the less expensive cars in the game meant that most players picked one as their "main" car early on and spent a significant portion of the game supe'ing it up until it was a monster on those GT2 tracks and you eventually fell in love with it.

Gran Turismo 2 - Volkswagen Golf IV GTI 1.8T HD Gameplay

What about you guys? When was the first time you saw a GTI and knew that you had to have one?

I remember having this MK2 GTI "Project RS2" poster on my wall, cant find the original but this is from a sale ad.

 

[Gray_Panther]

 

[sijray21]

My first car (passed down from my late father - passed away when I was 3 and driven by my mom). Not the original headlights in the pic, but the stock ones were piss poor. I still eventually want a refurbished small bumper mk2 down the road.

I didn't like the mk3, only liked the r32 version of the mk4 (which I couldn't afford), didn't like the mk5, then fell in love with the mk6 the moment I saw one in-person and needed it. Bought a new 2010 in April of 2010, drove it for 9 years, and now I have a Mk7.5 R.

 

[riceburner]

first manual car i drove when i was 14 or 15 was my uncle's mk3 (i think) golf, just thought the car was super neat and driving a manual was so much fun. from there on always thought the little square euro cars were super cool.

 

[uberdot]

The first time I saw a green mk2 with euro headlights.

 

[anotero]

I used to rent a mk7 Golf with Zipcar in Atlanta for a while. Every time I would get the Golf, I enjoyed it a lot. Good acceleration, roomy, great interior. And then I saw a GTI, and fell in love with the Austin wheels (haters gonna hate). A sportier version of a Golf seemed logical. And considering how much cargo space the GTI has, it was even more logical at the time of my move from ATL to California.

 

[Corprin]

First drove my friend’s MkI In 1994 was in love. Was lackluster in my MkIII in 1997. Reacquainted myself with the hot hatch in 2005 with my dearly missed EP82 Starlet GT



and the not as fun EG6 SIR-II in 2007.

Deeply in love when I test drove my old MkI in 2009.

And from the test drive in a 2019 S, I was in love all over again, and brought a 2019 Rabbit from Iowa to get my color and trans choice.

Every drive is filled with smiles.

 

[sterkrazzy]

I didn't pay much attention to cars before I got one, so my first car was a 2001 tiburon that I only had for about a year. I drove into a big ass puddle and kinda flooded it so a few months later I started looking at new cars. I also really wanted a manual more than anything else. I saw an ad on autotrader for a matchstick red 2001 gti glx vr6 with tan interior, heated seats, leather, climatronic, manual, 45k miles, and fell in love with it. Almost 6 years later it happened again. Driving around I noticed my first mk6 gti and loved how it looked. I really hated what the mk5 looked like so when I saw the mk6 I was so happy to see vw made a good looking gti again. I bought a used one not long after that.

Always loved Rs during all that time, and I was starting to get sick of fwd so after 6 years of driving a mk4 gti and another 6 years with a mk6 gti it was time to get an R.

 

[KevinC]

Summer of 1982. I'd never heard of the car before, but the car mags were all publishing their reviews of the soon-to-be-released first GTI to be sold here - the Westmoreland PA-built Rabbit GTI. 90 hp, only around a ton, 0-60 between low 9's and 10 seconds flat depending on which review you were reading. One article pointed out that it was actually faster to 60 than the current Pontiac Trans Am - that's how choked up with smog gear cars were back then. Placed a deposit in October and got the local dealer's first one off the truck in November. Put 60k miles on it in 2 years, traded it for a Mk2, and 38 years later, still driving a Golf.

 

[GTIfan99]

The first time I saw a green mk2 with euro headlights.

I had that exact spec and color in 1992. Sold it a year later for a 1993 Corrado VR6.

First fell in love with GTI's with my 1983 GTI that was purchased new in 1984. I think it was just under $8k out the door.

 

[GTI Jake]

I daily drove a Mk2 Jetta diesel in high school and took my drivers test in my dads mk4 TDI.

Bought a Mk6 Gti new when I was 20 when I hired on with my current employer almost nine years ago.

I’ve owned 16 volkswagen total, every watercooled body style except Mk5 and two aircooled rail buggies.

 

[Blindeye_03]

Back when I was an even bigger dumbass I had a 2001 impreza rs with a few go quick mods. I don't condone street racing, but I was 20.. 21.. That was almost 20 years ago. So my Subaru would give 99/01 mustang gts a run for their money and I could leave 350zs behind. I thought this weird hatch was easy game. Nope.. Dude left me in the dust.

Then one of my friends got a r32 mk5? That was a pretty nice car. Then he had a wrx and then another GTI, a mk6.

I have a few friends into VWs and a good friend that works for them.

I had a mk6 that I liked but also had a few disliked. So far the mk7 is not disappointing me.

I have had a lot of cars in the past few years. I really have to stop swapping so often (cars..). My wife really liked the Clark plaid and I wish I had that in my SE. Well kind of. I've got a toddler and the leather is probably better with him IMO.

I've played all the gran turismo games but I don't think I ever picked the VWs. I always went for the rally type cars..

 

[swcrow]

Great thread!

I grew up in Germany, and when I was in 3rd grade, my dad bought a brand new black, 5 speed Rabbit....I remember helping him wash it.... And putting a lawn dart through it's windshield. Fast forward to moving back to the states and inheriting his silver '85 GTI...manual sunroof, windows, brakes, steering and locks.... Loved that car and had it through college until I wrecked it ??....

 

[Diggs24]

When I saw what kind of power could be made with just a simple piggyback. And the fact it had a DSG that could handle anything thrown at it.