GLX Archives | Page 3 of 4 | German Cars For Sale Blog

1998 Volkswagen GTi VR6

Published September 2, 2014 by Carter

For most enthusiasts, last week’s 1997 BMW 318ti M-Sport represented too little car for too much money; sure, the M-Sport looked great, but as pointed out by one of our readers the performance didn’t necessarily live up to the badges. The M-Sport was fast in appearance and carried a hefty price tag to go along with it. A fully optioned 318ti M-Sport in a special color would set you back around $25,000 – a steep asking price considering the M42 engine with only around 140 horsepower motivating it. So the 318ti M-Sport was a bit of a sheep in wolf’s clothes; a good car, but with the promise of more performance than it could deliver.

On the other end of the spectrum was the original giant-slayer hot hatch, the GTi. While not all versions enjoyed great performance, if you opted for the VR6 variant you got a handsome, well built and good handling package capable of out-drag racing, out-turning and out-carrying the 318ti. Best of all, it was about $5,000 cheaper than the BMW. Outwardly, aside from the wild-colored Jazz Blue or Ginster Yellow examples, to many the GTi VR6 was virtually indistinguishable from the standard Golf – for many, part of its huge appeal. It was, simply put, the wolf in sheep’s clothing:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 Volkswagen GTi VR6 on eBay

Read Our Post

6 Comments

1997 Volkswagen Jetta GLX VR6

Published February 26, 2014 by Carter

Purists decried the arrival of the “grown up” A3 chassis Golf and Vento, sold as the Jetta in North America. It was expensive, it was heavy (relative to the A1 and A2 chassis, anyway) and the performance was dulled – that was, until the introduction of the GLX model that replaced the earlier GLi models. Now sporting the VR6 that had debuted in the Corrado a few years earlier, the GLX was all around a screamer. It might have been heavier than the GLi had been, but it was quicker to 60, quieter on the highway, more comfortable and better in crashes (if things went south), and returned close to the same fuel economy as the thirsty, buzzy and boxy 16V had. The Jetta in many ways helped to save Volkswagen, too – being one of the highest sellers since the Beetle, it was insanely popular and seemed to be the defacto college car of choice for both men and women. Because of that, many of these Jettas fell into disrepair or were totaled, so it’s rare to find a lower mile and clean GLX these days:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1997 Volkswagen Jetta GlX VR6 on eBay

Read Our Post

3 Comments

1998 Volkswagen Jetta GLX VR6

Published December 28, 2013 by Paul

Back when I had my Mk3 GTI 2.0, I longed for the day I could afford a VR6. Even though the added horsepower coupled with front-wheel drive generally goes against my motoring tendencies, I think it is safe to say this narrow angle V6 was one of the best powerplants of the last couple decades, ranking up there with BMWâ€™s inline-6 and Audiâ€™s 4.2 liter V8. The VR6 ended up in a lot of different VAG products and still does duty in some models in various forms to this day. One of the lesser seen VR6 engined VWs you see these days is the Mk3 Jetta GLX VR6. Offering similar thrills to the GTI but with added practicality, this was a formidable competitor in its class. Like the Mk3 Golfs and GTIs, itâ€™s near impossible to find good examples of the Mk3 Jetta, no matter what engine itâ€™s packing. This GLX VR6 for sale in Philadelphia is a little rough around the edges but has the all-important 5-speed manual gearbox and is generally nicer than any others Iâ€™ve seen on the market as of late.