Page 1 of 1
Wow! A proper hot hatch
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 4:06 pm
by jasonp
Hiya,,
Just over a month with the GTI,,,
What a great little car,,,
Getting on in years now so I can clearly remember driving mk1 golf GTIs and quite a few other hot hatches,,
How quick,,light but built like a tank ,,,this car reminds me of the mk1 golf,,
Always ready for the off,,,sleeves rolled up ,,,love how you can chuck her about and provoke the rear end,,
Miles away from the mk5 R32,,,,Polo really feels like a hot hatch but old style if that makes any sense?,,
Not many miles in the 55 AMG since the Polo arrived,,
Such a receptive car ,,,steering and feedback is fantastic ,,
Need to be a bit careful in the wet after being used to the golfs haldex to get us out of trouble,,,,
Thanks for reading,,, jayp
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Re: Wow! A proper hot hatch
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 4:33 pm
by SRGTD
Glad you’re enjoying your GTI Jason; they are a fun car.
I agree regarding the Polo GTI feeling a bit like an old school hot hatch. Compared to other cars I’ve owned, it’s like the modern day equivalent of the Vauxhall Nova GTE that I had in the early 1990’s which was a bit of a pocket rocket in its day - 100 bhp; 0-60; 9.1 seconds and top speed 117 mph. Mediocre compared to modern hot hatch standards but I really enjoyed its rawness and go-kart like handling which probably made it feel much faster than it was.
I don’t know if I’d enjoy driving it now, nearly 30 years on though
.
Re: Wow! A proper hot hatch
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:24 pm
by jasonp
Thanks srgtd
It’s size and chuck ability and weight reminded me but not the hard work of the earlier cars lol,,,
Feels so solid also,,,jasonp
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Re: Wow! A proper hot hatch
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2019 7:29 pm
by joe6
I can just (40 years ago!!) remember test driving a MK1 GTI in Germany in 1979 in 5 speed manual form and yes WOW but could not afford it and in any case had a young family to transport. Ended up with a XR3i EFI ....eventually with 105bhp that was similar to the original MK1 GTI but heavier so 0-60 in 9 secs. It was also really well planted when fitted with Bilstein shocks. I kept it for an enjoyable 135k miles with no issues. I agree with you jasonp - the 6c Polo GTI provides the same buzz but with performance and road manners that match current hot hatches - quicker that our MK6 Golf GTI but that is 9 years old now.
Re: Wow! A proper hot hatch
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2019 7:44 pm
by jasonp
Thanks Joe,,
It’s nice to know a few less young lol
chaps can see what I mean,,
I could not afford a GTI mk1 back in the day but my football career ended prematurely and at the same time my best friends football career ended due to injury so we both went to work for his Dad ,, who was a car trader so at 19 yrs old we driving VW GTIs,, Porsche 928s and 944s, Audi Quattros ( one of my favs back then ) and most of the fast fords and BMW s and we did have some fun and a few mishaps ,,
Happy days ,,,,
I vividly remember being on the M2,,
Very late and doing numbers in a XJS
When a Mitsubishi Colt Starion Turbo totally monstered us,,, just couldn’t
catch it,,,,lol,,,
Cheers jasonp
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Re: Wow! A proper hot hatch
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2019 9:14 pm
by Gee40
As a 20 year old I had a 1.6 MK1 Golf GTI with 110 BHP ( oh the days of affordable Car Insurance premiums )
For the last 23 years I've been lucky enough to own a Mars Red 1.8 MK1 Golf GTI with 112 BHP and I'll never sell it. IMHO the essence of the MK1 is still present in the 6c Polo GTI. Although the performance of my Golf is still brisk now (0-60 in 8 seconds dead) back in the early 80s it was up there with the best (the Renault 5GT Turbo used to disappear until I pasted it stopped with bonnet up and steam everywhere LOL!) the Polo is in a different performance league altogether and would roast a GT Turbo if you could find one. The Polo is fast, handles extremely well, is beautifully built and will still be seen on the road years after todays Fiesta's, Corsa's, 208's Clio's have long gone.
Re: Wow! A proper hot hatch
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2019 7:23 am
by Pauly boy
Yes I have to agree little pocket rocket! I drive one to work everyday 1.8 gti. My wife’s drives a golf mk7 gti pp and I have too say the polo is just as quick up to 70mph but the golf just keeps pulling above that speed! polo more fun around town though great little car to own! :
Re: Wow! A proper hot hatch
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2019 9:22 am
by RUM4MO
joe6 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2019 7:29 pm
I can just (40 years ago!!) remember test driving a MK1 GTI in Germany in 1979 in 5 speed manual form and yes
WOW but could not afford it and in any case had a young family to transport. Ended up with a XR3i EFI ....eventually with 105bhp that was similar to the original MK1 GTI but heavier so 0-60 in 9 secs. It was also really well planted when fitted with Bilstein shocks. I kept it for an enjoyable 135k miles with no issues. I agree with you jasonp - the 6c Polo GTI provides the same buzz but with performance and road manners that match current hot hatches - quicker that our MK6 Golf GTI but that is 9 years old now.
Are you sure that that XR3i had EFI, might have, though most with 105BHP had Bosch KE Jetronic which was just a crude system with spray nozzles instead of actual injectors, though they were called injectors when you bought new ones, I think that it was essentially a Bosch K (continuous) Jetronic with a heated warm up regulator to allow the addition of "E" in the description.
I had a couple of Orion Ghia 1.6 Injection, which were said to handle better than the XR3i as they had stiffer shells as there was no big hole at the rear (hatch), they were good enough cars just did what you would expect being Fords, ie what most people wanted, I tried to buy a new VW Golf with a boot a few times but when I added on all what I got included with an Orion Ghia 1.6 Injection, the price was far too high.
Re: Wow! A proper hot hatch
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 6:20 pm
by joe6
RUM4MO wrote: ↑Sat Apr 06, 2019 9:22 am
joe6 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2019 7:29 pm
I can just (40 years ago!!) remember test driving a MK1 GTI in Germany in 1979 in 5 speed manual form and yes
WOW but could not afford it and in any case had a young family to transport. Ended up with a XR3i EFI ....eventually with 105bhp that was similar to the original MK1 GTI but heavier so 0-60 in 9 secs. It was also really well planted when fitted with Bilstein shocks. I kept it for an enjoyable 135k miles with no issues. I agree with you jasonp - the 6c Polo GTI provides the same buzz but with performance and road manners that match current hot hatches - quicker that our MK6 Golf GTI but that is 9 years old now.
Are you sure that that XR3i had EFI, might have, though most with 105BHP had Bosch KE Jetronic which was just a crude system with spray nozzles instead of actual injectors, though they were called injectors when you bought new ones, I think that it was essentially a Bosch K (continuous) Jetronic with a heated warm up regulator to allow the addition of "E" in the description.
I had a couple of Orion Ghia 1.6 Injection, which were said to handle better than the XR3i as they had stiffer shells as there was no big hole at the rear (hatch), they were good enough cars just did what you would expect being Fords, ie what most people wanted, I tried to buy a new VW Golf with a boot a few times but when I added on all what I got included with an Orion Ghia 1.6 Injection, the price was far too high.
The Mk4 XR3i for 1989-1990 did I think have EFI with 4 injectors (it said so on the spec but manufacturers have been known to tell fibs!) although a bit crude as you point out with fuel injected into the intake manifold near to each inlet valve combined with Ford's own EEC 4 engine management system. Not what we mean by fuel injection these days with direct injection into the cylinder. Did keep the inlet valves clean though from the fuel going in unlike many recent engines including my VW MK 6 Golf. The engine actually produced about 108bhp but was still the CVH design.
.