One of the things that initially intrigued me so much with VWs back in the day was the concept that Volkswagen Auto Group parts were much more like Lego than other makes; you could grab different pieces and improve and modify as you pleased. This Jetta takes that concept to 11, OEM+ing the heck out of 1992 Jetta GLI. With enough specific year-model-piece details to make your head spin (88 Jetta bumper, 92 GLI spoiler, Italian grill, 97 GTI shifterbox, etc…), it’s essentially a greatest hits of Volkswagen performance. Yet unlike a greatest hits set from auteurs like Pink Floyd or the Beatles, which remove the context which amplified the songs’ greatness, this GLI makes all the pieces work in harmony for a result greater than the sum of its parts. I’ve said before that the Mk2 GLI reminds me of a frugal E28 M5/535is, and this is no exception. Looks great all around, must go great with the VR6, and is all clearly chosen for specific gratification. If any Mk2 Jetta is going to pull $10k, it might as well be this one.
