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10K Friday: 2008 Volkswagen GTi

10K Friday: 2008 Volkswagen GTi

Published November 6, 2015 by Carter

Normally, the 10K Friday posts that I’ve done have been comparos of multiple different cars that are usually a stretch of the budget. Each one has highlights such as being more desirable, better looking, more functional or luxurious, or faster. But today I’m going to do something a little different – a comparo of only one car. That’s because the GTi is one of the best all-arounders ever made and I think we do our readership a disservice by not looking at the newer models more often. By the time that Volkswagen got to the Mk.4 chassis, many automotive journalists and enthusiasts alike began to dismiss the GTi as fat, tired and played out. Quality was poor, pricing was really high, and performance relative to some other models wasn’t as impressive as it once had been. The GTi was, in many ways, a victim of its own success. Every subsequent generation was compared to the original, a car which had such a mystique that it was effectively impossible to match. Mk.2 models had the stellar 2.0 16V and great looks; Mk.3 models sprouted the wonderful VR6. The Mk.4 models introduced turbocharging, more luxury and much improved interior quality, all-wheel drive, 6-speed transmissions and more technology than was probably recommendable. And while the Mk.4 was a success from a sales standpoint, the GTi was still a fringe car that was arguably too expensive for what you got.

Volkswagen took a huge step forward, though, when it progressed to the new Mk.5 chassis. Unlike the previous generations that had mostly been enjoyed strictly by the Volkswagen faithful, suddenly journalists were talking about how great the new GTi was. Interior quality was leagues better than it ever had been, with a slick design and high quality materials. The new 2.0T motor was great too – with more power than even some versions of the VR6 had previously offered. Weight was up by dynamically the new GTi was a better driver than it had been. It was a return to greatness, and instantly the new GTi was a popular choice for the performance minded practical enthusiast. Because of the success, there are many available in the market today that are coming down to a quite reasonable level:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2008 Volkswagen GTi on eBay

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Motorsports Monday: 2009 Volkswagen GTi

Motorsports Monday: 2009 Volkswagen GTi

Published October 26, 2015 by Carter

To call the TireRack sponsored “One Lap of America” anything other than a grueling competition would be a disservice to the event. On par with some of the greatest endurance races in the world, the 7-day, 3,200 mile trek around the United States has an added twist – you have to drive your race car between stages. Now, that’s something that occurs in the World Rally Championship – but they cover far fewer miles and have pro teams, pit crews and major automotive manufacturers backing them up. To say that the One Lap is a amateur-only event would also be misleading, but it is far from a strictly professional series – and where else would you see a Honda Odyssey win at anything? Combining several different classes of cars, you get the spectrum from classic performance muscle cars through modern super GTs. The winner of class “SSGT2 SB” in 2014 was a Volkswagen GTi – one of a trio of cars prepared to dominate the event. When you consider that the cars that ranked above them were super GT royalty – Corvette ZR-1s, Viper SRT-10s, Boss 302s and a plethora of Nissan GT-Rs – the level of performance from the GTis is drawn into perspective. Now the builders are moving on, leaving these seriously potent track weapons available at a fraction of their build cost:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2009 Volkswagen GTi on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 2008 Audi A4 2.0T quattro Avant S-Line STaSIS Touring Package

Tuner Tuesday: 2008 Audi A4 2.0T quattro Avant S-Line STaSIS Touring Package

Published October 20, 2015 by Carter

I’ve got to admit that I have a pretty big soft spot in my heart for the B7 Avant, and without a doubt my favorite is the one with one of the longest names Audi ever blessed a car with – the A4 2.0T quattro Avant S-Line Titanium Package. It’s not quite as bad as some of the recent BMW number/letter/word designations (I’m looking at you, X5 xDrive35d M Sport) but it’s pretty ridiculously long. Luckily, to make up for that, it is ridiculously good looking too, as well as capable and tunable. In fact, I’d wager that the 2.0T is long-term a much better ownership proposition and practically as fast when compared to the S4. Of course, I do have one complaint – the interior. S-Line cars came only with black interiors – which is another reason that today’s car is all the more interesting. At first glance, it appears to be just another grey colored A4 Avant. But get closer, and the details make the package pretty special. Underneath, this A4 has been thoroughly revised by noted race specialist tuner STaSIS, who through their “Touring Package” upped the power of the 2.0T by 25% to 245 horsepower with even more torque. Rolling on bigger unique wheels, the Touring kit also upgraded the suspension to STaSIS coilovers and hid S4-spec larger brakes. Along with some badging, the kit was a staggering $9,000 addition to your already expensive A4. But a neat package it makes, and this one is certainly interesting:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2008 Audi A4 2.0T quattro Avant S-Line STaSIS Touring Package on Providence Craigslist

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2008 Audi A4 2.0T quattro Avant S-Line Titanium Package

2008 Audi A4 2.0T quattro Avant S-Line Titanium Package

Published July 27, 2015 by Carter

Weirdly, I’m going to say that for me this car is pretty close to the Holy Grail of the B7 model range in the U.S.. That’s strange, because it doesn’t have the most powerful motor, or even the second most powerful motor available. In 2008, Audi still had a pretty stout lineup for wagons. You could still get the S4 Avant, with the screaming 4.2 V8. It’s a neat package for sure, but long term ownership might leave your bank account in the lurch. Then there’s the 3.2 FSi motor; again a great motor which finally produced the power that Audi’s V6 should have. But like the other FSi motors, I’ve heard reports that they’re susceptible to carbon buildup and require regular intervals of being pulled apart and cleaned. Plus, let’s be honest – the finite resources which drive our passion will ultimately be going up in price at some point again. So then there’s the 2.0T turbocharged inline-4; with 200 horsepower in stock form, this was a big GTi effectively. It was, as with the rest of the B7 range, available with a 6-speed manual – imagine that! Then you could select some packages to really make your A4 stand apart from the crowd. First was the pricey S-Line package; at $2,000 over the cost of your normal $32,000 Avant 2.0T, it was a pricey option – but it gave you special 18″ RS-inspired wheels, the 1BE sport suspension, special interior and exterior details along with the multi-functional steering wheel. But then you could opt as well for the Titanium Package; a further $500 added to the price, you got even more special Ronal-made quattro GmbH multi-spoke wheels in a gunmetal color and a tremendous amount of polished black details (odd, that they weren’t titanium….). Not many were ordered in this configuration, which was available in both 2.0T and 3.2, sedan and wagon, and tiptronic or manual configuration; narrow it down to Avants and manuals, and it’s quite hard to find one:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2008 Audi A4 2.0T quattro Avant S-Line Titanium Package on Craigslist

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2008 Audi A4 2.0T S-Line Titanium

2008 Audi A4 2.0T S-Line Titanium

Published May 15, 2015 by Andrew

Were I not the sucker for a V8 soundtrack that I am, I would probably already have owned or currently own one of these cars. Like the M-Sport BMWs, the S-Line Audis can be looked at as the more wallet friendly alternative to their non hyphenated name siblings. While vehicles wearing the roundel are often offer a more dynamic driving experience, Audis are no slouch in the fun department and still offer the quiet kind of luxury that I prefer.

In terms of rolling incognito the A4 S-Line Titanium is perhaps the very definition of the term. The charcoal Ronal wheels aren’t for everyone but I’ve always liked them, so long as they wear a tire with a protective lip. These wheels are prone to curb damage and I’ve seen some badly chewed up ones over the years. Aside from the wheels only a few other cosmetic changes will clue an informed individual into the fact that this is an extra special A4. Blacked out window trim, grille surround and piano black interior trim are all that really separate the Titanium from a run of the mill S-Line. As for the S-Line package, that adds a lower ride height, 3 spoke steering wheel (aka. the one you want) and some S-Line badges that are easily removed, as you see here. The result is a real sleeper that has the potential to be an outright monster given the massive aftermarket part availability for the 2.0T A4. If it was me, I’d leave this thing alone except for an ECU flash to get just that little bit of extra juice for those times when the power hungry side of my personality kicks in.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2008 Audi A4 2.0T S-Line Titanium On AutoTrader

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