Finally
What’s a pirate’s favorite letter?
If you thought it was R, you are so wrong. Of course it’s the C! You know, the sea, get it?
Previous generations of Golf have generally left me as cold and lifeless as that joke. Then again, if you laughed, just remember that some people have always liked Volkswagens.
Having previously driven a Mk7 GTI and come away feeling impressed by its maturity and modernity, I had high hopes for the Golf R. With a front-wheel-drive hot hatch, you can make some excuses about the driving experience because “that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
The Golf R, however, has nothing to hide behind. Starting at $35k it faces competition up and down the marketplace from its little brother GTI to the Ford Mustang to the M3. I’ve seen it cross-shopped from the most logical competitor (Focus RS) to something you may not think is relevant (Porsche Macan). Seems like everybody could use a bit of Golf R–but would they want it?
I wish you could hear the bells chiming and angels singing behind me, because hallelujah, Volkswagen launched a winner. I expected greatness and was duly rewarded.
Of course, you might look at these pictures and think you were not looking at a completely stock car. Well, you’d be mostly correct: the engine has been given a mild tune to enhance the powerband, and the wheels and tires have been swapped out for a bit more grip. But that’s it!
Well, okay, almost. The sharp-eyed VW fans out there will notice that the aluminum-esque shiny accents from the front end have been vinyl’d black, as well as the mirrors and roof.
But performance-wise, it’s really only the chip and the slightly grippier rubber. Everything else is as it came from the factory.
Including, of course, the manual gearbox. I can’t imagine this car being anywhere near as fun with two pedals and two paddles–it’s just nowhere near frantic and fast enough to make you want that shifting experience.
I chucked this thing down my favorite twisty road and was impressed by its crisp turn-in and the way it powered out of corners with the rear wheels, feeling very much 50-50 balanced and sporty. Even the engine’s character and shift engagement were conducive to sporty driving.
In a world where the demand for an isolation box far outstrips the demand for an exhilarating driving experience, it’s pretty amazing what Volkswagen has done with the Golf. The same chassis that can be an EV or econobox can also be a hot hatch or, as VW themselves refer to it, a “performance hatch”. And each one is a great car for its intended purpose. Well done, Volkswagen. Now I’m impressed.
The Bent M
Every car has a story. Some stories are less impressive than others, but rest assured, as the years roll by a story always develops.
On The Car Lounge this car is referred to as “The Bent M” due to its history. If you want to read about it, go here. Or maybe don’t.
Because I’m not really interested in that story right now. When my friend Brendan picked me up in this roadster on a sunny day, its days of being a forum drama queen became irrelevant.
If you’ve been on this site before, you know Brendan as the guy with the Sahara beige 1970 BMW 2800CS. Well, after he lowered it, the front tires then rubbed a bit on the fenders under hard cornering. The owner of the Bent M suggested that he could machine the insides of the front wheels, thus increasing their offset a bit and allowing the wheels to tuck into the fenders. Naturally, a car swap was initiated and Brendan got the keys to this lovely Estoril Blue E36/7 M Roadster.
After a brief drive, we ended up at this vista point. As you can see from the first photo of this post, it was very clear when we got there. However, this ridge serves as a barrier for the marine layer that floats in from the ocean.
Unfortunately, after a few minutes of shooting, a heavy layer of fog settled right above us. The shot I took just a few seconds after this one was almost completely covered in fog! Oh well, time to head back down the mountain…
Bay Area 02 Swap & Show 2016
Scholars suggest that the so-called “Iron Age” began around 1200 B.C. This period of human existence was marked by the use of furnaces which enabled smelting (as well as the birth of the phrase, “He who smelt it, dealt it”), which in turned enabled the production of steel.
That means that rusty metal has existed for well over 3,000 years, although it clearly took people a while to understand it. One of the most pivotal technologies in that regard is galvanization, a protective zinc coating that staves off oxidation. There are several theories on who invented it and when, but concrete evidence shows it was patented in France in 1837. However, it would still be about 150 years from that point to when the galvanization of car bodies would become commonplace.
Last week these thoughts were booming in my mind, because wet weather was coinciding with a meet that specifically catered to cars created from non-galvanized steel. How many would show up?
Thankfully, the turnout was robust. My buddy Brendan doesn’t even wash his 1970 2800CS for fear of water being trapped in the body, so would he make a wet drive to park in the rain? A few calls were made, and when everyone confirmed they were bringing theirs, he decided to come out too.
And I’m definitely glad they came out! I know it was a 2002 meet, but I was mostly interested in seeing the E3/E9 chassis cars.
There’s something about the design of these cars that just works.
But man, I feel sorry for the US-spec MY74 and MY75 cars, which came with these ugly rubberized impact bumpers.
There were even a handful of Neue Klasse cars that weren’t 2002’s; this 2000 Touring, for example.
How about a 1600?
But this was a 2002 meet and frankly, there was an overwhelming amount of 2002’s.
There were the track-spec cars, with several types of flares and air dams on display. From a bolt-on “old school” look…
…to this modern, fully blended interpretation.
Of course, early cars had slim steel bumpers and round tail lights.
That transitioned into square lights, and we in the USA were saddled with hideous impact bumpers.
But in the rest of the world? They maintained the slim bumpers, which are a popular upgrade on these shores.
As you might expect from a smog-exempt chassis, engine swaps are very common. This particular 2002 had a 2.3L S14 out of an E30 M3, along with a bevy of carbon fiber parts like the intake plenum and even the hood.
I was definitely attracted to this low example fitted with Work Equip 02’s. Am I the only one who likes the pun of having a BMW “oh two” on Work Equip “oh two” wheels?
Unsurprisingly, the spectator parking lot was just as entertaining as the show itself. This 1969 Toyota Corona was awesome, and I even liked it on the big wheels.
I finally got to meet Geoff Wise; I’d photographed his car at a Canepa Cars & Coffee and chatted with him on TCL, but never actually talked in person. Pretty cool that his Lotus Super Seven was featured on Petrolicious–even cooler that he drove this old school, bias-ply shod roadster on a rainy morning!
This Saab 900 Turbo was super clean. I’ve always thought these were cool, probably because this is what my mom drove when I was growing up. She bought a brand new 1987 Saab 900S while she was pregnant with me. With a 5-speed manual transmission, of course.
Guys with a two-light car want to convert to four-light, and guys with four-light cars like going to two-lights; so goes the “grass is greener” syndrome. But I actually thought this setup looked pretty good and gave a glimpse into a bygone era of tuning.
On that note, how about this Euro-spec Hartge E23 745i? Judging by the sunset plates, this one was imported back in the 80s.
OMG! RUST! Yup, that pretty much sums it up.
Beauty or Blasphemy?
Pearl white Cobra replica with a Tricolore Italian stripe. I was stunned when I saw the car but I have a feeling this is a polarizing setup; I ran a few quick phone snaps by some of my trusted car friends and it was met with a resounding thud.
This car harkens back to the era when race car liveries weren’t defined by sponsorship but by the team or driver’s nationality. I’m definitely into the wide R888’s and matching tire stickers, plus the whole car was immaculate. It definitely encourages you to take a closer look.
Everything in the cockpit was exquisitely finished, to a much higher standard than any original Cobra. The shifter situation even in the replicas is always odd; check out that bizarre kink. But the rarest part of all? This is a Cobra equipped with a glovebox not bearing the signature of Carroll Shelby!
Star Road 