Volkswagen Golf (Mk2) GTI 1.8 Rallye 1989

[JR98]

In 1989 Volkswagen released the Golf GTI Rallye as a homologation special for the World Rally Championship. It was different to the standard GTI by having box flared wheel arches (similar to the Audi Quattro, BMW M3 E30 and Lancia Delta Integrale) and rectangular headlights as well as having all wheel drive and a supercharger added to the 1.8 litre G60 Straight 4 engine, increasing power to 161HP (26HP more than the GTI 2.0 16V). 5,000 cars were built and costed the same as a base GTI. None were officially sold in the USA (2 were sent for testing, 5 for evaluation), but VW America VP James Fuller was a supporter of it's addition to the US lineup. Fuller died in 1988 while flying home from Germany, when terrorists blew up the plane above Scotland, which hampered the Rallye's chances of being imported to the states. Eventually, VW USA decided the Rallye was too expensive to offer on sale in America, where VW was seen as a low cost brand.

Technical specifications
Body: 3 Door Hatchback
Length: 3985 mm
Width: 1700 mm
Height: 1415 mm
Wheelbase: 2470 mm
Engine: VW "G60 1H" 1.8 Straight 4
Aspiration: Supercharged
Power: 162 HP
Torque: 166 FT-LBS
Weight: 1,195 KG
Drivetrain: Front Engine All Wheel Drive
Transmission/Gearbox: 5 Speed Manual
0-60: 8.6 Secs
Top Speed: 130 MPH

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[JKgo]

...I remember hearing about this car a long time ago, but until now never bothered to search for what it looked like, since I figured it would be exactly like any other Mk 2 Golf. Now that I've seen it, all I can say is...

Spoiler: My honest feeling.