2018 Volkswagen Golf GTI SE Review

Urban dwellers looking for a sporty compact hatch have a number of options, but none are as quick and agile as the Volkswagen Golf GTI. It’s a commuter for those who like to have fun on the drive to and from work. We think it fills a need for performance enthusiasts who don’t want to spend $40,000 to $50,000 on a high performance model. For around $30,000 you get a hot hatch that’s high on the fun-to-drive meter.

What’s New For 2018

The Golf GTI remains unchanged for 2018 except for the packaging and available equipment for each model. It does get new LED tail lamps and a different infotainment system is available.

Features & Options

The 2018 Golf GTI ($31,165 as tested) comes standard with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power-reclining front seats, leatherette upholstery, 17-inch alloy wheels, a moonroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, and ambient cabin lighting. Our GTI SE tester had LED headlights, an eight-inch infotainment screen, blind spot monitor, and automatic emergency braking.

Interior Highlights

The Golf GTI SE interior is simple and well laid out. The controls are easy to use and the touchscreen nicely controls the navigation and Fender premium audio system. The cabin is high quality and there’s enough soft touch materials throughout to make it comfortable. We would describe it as distinctly European, comfortable, and the SE trim is especially sporty.

The seats provide ample support and comfort for longer trips in the hatchback. There’s a handy bin ahead of the shifter, perfect for a cell phone. The power-reclining front seats offer up the perfect driving position for a compact hatch. The rear seats offer plenty of room for average-sized adults and are also comfy for longer trips. There’s ample head and shoulder room too, thanks to the higher hatch roof. There’s also a convenient folding rear armrest/cupholder with a pass-through to the back. Behind the rear seats, it comes with 22.8 cubic feet of cargo space, easily accessible through the rear hatch. With the seats folded flat, it offers up a class-leading 52.7 cubic feet of space.

Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs

The front-wheel drive 2018 VW Golf GTI SE is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 220 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque. It comes mated to the optional dual-clutch direct shift automatic gearbox (DSG). EPA fuel economy estimates are 24/32 city/highway and 27 combined with the automatic gearbox.

Driving Dynamics

Our tester came with the dual-clutch DSG automatic and it made us forget about wanting the 6-speed manual rower. The DSG comes with steering wheel shifters for crisper gear changes simply by touching the paddles. VW’s DSG is sweet and one of the best automatics on the planet. They call it an automatic, but mechanically and internally, it works like a manual gearbox; in a practical sense, it’s a super-sharp automatic.

The GTI trim is fun to drive in the city and we could easily get around slower traffic. We chucked it around the tight corners on our commute from the mountains west of Denver where the GTI feels right at home. The GTI’s steering was responsive and the upgraded brakes made it far more capable and enjoyable in the curves. We pushed the GTI hard and it accelerates quickly when the turbo spools up to utilize every bit of the available 220 horsepower. The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine makes this hatch one of the quickest compacts in its class. 

Conclusion

The 2018 Volkswagen Golf GTI is a fun hatch that’s also practical with plenty of utility. It absolutely dials up driver engagement, and we like the DSG automatic better than the 6-speed manual. There’s a lot to like and we would recommend it for those wanting a sporty commuter and a fun drive to and from work. Overall, the Volkswagen Golf GTI lives up to its hot hatch heritage and instills plenty of driver confidence.

Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. Follow his work on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy

2018 Volkswagen Golf GTI Gallery

Volkswagen Golf GTI Official Site.

Photos: Volkswagen of America, Inc.

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Volvo Expanding On Demand Fuel & Wash Services In Seattle

Volvo’s semi-goofy idea of turning your car into a smartphone loaded with handy apps is moving into the Seattle, Washington area to test things out. This makes sense, not just because there’s a lot of tech-savvy people in Seattle, but another, much more indigenous reason: Scandinavians. Scandinavians are the number one ethnic group in the Pacific Northwest. In Seattle proper, there are so many ‘Sons, ‘Ssons, ‘Sens, and the occasional ‘Dottirs running around it can feel like you’re living in Tromsø in northern Norway.

Besides all the blonde hair and blue eyes, the other way you can see that Scandinavians are the number one ethnic group is cars. You see hundreds of Volvos and Saabs running around. So whether Volvo knows it or not, the Pacific Northwest is a perfect testing ground for any of their products.

Digital Ecosystem

After a successful run in San Francisco, Seattle developed into the second city in Volvo’s growing “digital ecosystem” program. This allows owners of 2015-and-a-half and newer Volvos to do things like order fuel and get their car washed wherever it’s parked in Seattle.

“First San Francisco, now Seattle, and soon many more Volvo owners will have access to concierge services via an app,” noted Anders Gustafsson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Volvo Car USA. “This is another example of how we are using connected car technologies to make life less complicated for our customers.”

This digital ecosystem, which Volvo says is expanding (they aim to make the thing some sort of near-worldwide standard eventually) connects car owners with services via a smartphone app. That app, coupled with exclusive connected car platforms and strategic partnerships with companies like Filld and STRATIM, means filling the tank or having the car cleaned is just a tap away on your smartphone. As you would expect, you can call up these services at any time, day or night, say while owners are working, sleeping, or even traveling abroad.

Photo: Volvo Car USA.

Time Specific Features

Volvo says they are the only automaker with an ecosystem of these connected technologies. Yes, I agree “ecosystem” is a very pretentious term, but the idea of connecting a car with cloud storage, your cell phone, and integrating third party companies into one unified system is technically sweet. And Volvo isn’t messing around with this whole idea, oh no. They didn’t just kluge something together in a back room in a Kongsberg factory. No, Volvo went and dialed all this up at their Mountain View digital center in Silicon Valley. There they were able to accelerate development through recent technology acquisitions and take advantage of recent investments at the facility. This will prepare Volvo as they add new services as customer demands grow and change.

The other implication here is that when connected through your mobile device, Volvo’s digital ecosystem provides a time-specific location of your car. That means Volvo’s authorized partners can provide the requested services without interacting you directly.

Practical Application

I could see where this might come in very handy. You go into the office, call up the app, tap-tap-tap, and while you’re in that endless Friday meeting with the budget gargoyles from the 12th floor, your Volvo is getting all nice and shiny and clean for the weekend.

“The ecosystem that powers Volvo Concierge Services is unique to Volvo. It shows how the company is redefining the consumer experience around convenience by leveraging technological building blocks from the car to mobile,” explained Atif Rafiq, Chief Digital Officer, Volvo Cars. “We are at an exciting time when cars can be better integrated into daily life.”

In other words, yesterday San Francisco, today Seattle, tomorrow The World.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. 

Photos & Source: Volvo Car USA.

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Inside Brembo’s Hybrid Material Braking System For The 2019 Corvette ZR1

The 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 arrives this spring as the most powerful Corvette in history. The LT5 6.2-liter supercharged V8, complete with 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft. of torque, boasts an intercooled supercharger system with 52 percent more displacement than the Z06’s LT4 supercharger. The aerodynamic features, including two different rear wings, help the ZR1 achieve tremendous downforce and a top speed in excess of 210 mph.

The 2019 Corvette ZR1 is lightning quick and getting it moving isn’t an issue, but what about controlling it? That’s where Brembo comes in with a uniquely designed “hybrid” braking system.

Special Treatments

Many of today’s performance and muscle cars are equipped with Brembo brakes: The Ford GT, Dodge Challenger and Charger Scat Packs, Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE, Subaru WRX STI Type RA, and the Mazda MX-5 Miata all utilize a Brembo setup to amplify their individual performance attributes. And now the 2019 Corvette ZR1.

“Consumers have very high expectations for modern performance cars, not only for straight line speed, but for all driving attributes – including braking,” explained Dan Sandberg, Brembo North America President and Chief Executive Officer. “All of the work Chevrolet did to maximize the acceleration and cornering potential of the ZR1 would be useless if the car didn’t also have a brake system that could perform equally as well, lap after lap.”

Front six-piston monobloc calipers with carbon ceramic discs (394mm x 36mm), and rear four-piston monobloc calipers (390mm x 32mm) with two-piece, carbon ceramic discs comprise the ZR1’s Brembo system. The front and rear brake pads include new formulations from Brembo’s R&D Center for better stopping power and pad wear. The size of the fixed aluminum calipers hasn’t changed from the Corvette Z07, but the brake rotors and friction materials are enhanced to handle higher thermomechanical loads. This attribute is vitally important and separates the ZR1 from the rest of Brembo’s portfolio.

“While Brembo carbon discs are also found on other supercars, the ZR1 discs have a specialized heat treatment for improved energy and thermal management,” Sandberg said. “These specialized brake discs are paired with Brembo monoblock aluminum calipers and a unique Brembo-developed friction material found only on the ZR1.”

Photo: Chevrolet.

Hybrid Theory

The ultimate challenge was designing the ZR1’s braking system to handle both the track and the street. Each environment presents its own individual demands for a performance car. Brembo has long held the “from racing to the road” mantra, and Brembo’s engineers were again tasked with putting that belief into the ZR1’s braking components. The maxim stems from the idea that what is accomplished on the track can be transitioned to the street. In the case of the Corvette ZR1, it’s most wonderfully seen in the actual substance used to construct the brakes.

“Internally, our engineers like to call the new brake pad material our “hybrid” material, meaning it is a hybrid between traditional road materials and our racing friction materials,” Sandberg revealed. “While the pads on the Z07 are a great performer, these Brembo hybrid pads offer a higher level of friction output and can operate in a higher temperature range, giving the driver confidence in the brakes lap after lap.”

Photo: Chevrolet.

Dedication & Innovation

The beginnings of Brembo’s story are humble enough: Emilio Bombassei, father of the group’s current president, put together a small mechanical workshop near Bergamo, Italy in 1961. They conducted business with vehicle and motorcycle manufacturers in Europe, but in 1975 were approached by Enzo Ferrari. He needed a braking solution for his Formula 1 racers. As the old adage goes, the rest is history. Yet, that “do-it-yourself” mindset is still prevalent at Brembo’s facilities today, just like it was in 1961 at Bombassei’s shop.

“The pads mentioned earlier are a good example of where Brembo’s desire to remain at the forefront of technology forced us to try something new,” Sandberg said. “When we started developing the ZR1, the global marketplace didn’t offer a friction material that matched our performance targets, so we set out to develop our own.”

Brembo operates in 15 countries on 3 continents, with 24 production and business sites, and about 9,000 employees, 10 percent of whom are engineers and product specialists active in R&D. As the automotive industry moves toward electrification and autonomy, the entire scope of how cars are designed, engineered, and manufactured will change. According to Sandberg, innovation will be the key in addressing those challenges successfully.

“Today’s cars are evolving dramatically from product cycle to product cycle, and customers want to see advancements in safety, performance, efficiency, and sustainability with each successive model,” he said. “We continue to look for technologies that will complement the car of the future, all while retaining the unique character and brand identity of Brembo.”

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan.

Source: Brembo North America.

Cover Photo: Chevrolet.

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Redux: Eastern Spirit revisits the Suzuki GS550

If you’ve been reading these pages for a few years now, you might recognize Eastern Spirit Garage from Poland. Every year or so, Sylwester turns out a beautifully constructed custom from often unpromising source material—notably the Honda CX500 or Suzuki’s GS series.

He has an eye for a good line; a CX500 from five years ago was a textbook example of a modern day cafe racer. Industrial designer Charlie Trelogan even used it for his seminal piece on cafe racer styling.

Eastern Spirit are now back with a new build, a GS550 inspired by a similar Suzuki that was a huge hit on EXIF a year ago. “We put the blue GS on display in Warsaw and our client Zbyszek saw it,” says Sylwester.

“He contacted us to buy the bike, but it was already sold to a client in the UK. Zbyszek liked the bike so much, he wanted an exact replica, but I convinced him to make some changes and get different paint.”

The GS series was Suzuki’s first foray into four-stroke engine technology—and they got it right straight off the bat. The GS750 big brother was a favorite with road testers, and the GS550 was no slouch either: it was faster than the Honda CB550F Super Sport and even Suzuki’s own GT550 two-stroke.

Unfortunately, any GS still on the road these days is likely to be pretty tired, and so was the donor bike that Eastern Spirit finally managed to locate. So they tore down and rebuilt the 549 cc inline four, restoring the brisk original performance.

There’s a full complement of new gaskets and seals, plus new valves and piston rings, and a new clutch. A coat of gleaming high-temperature metallic black paint makes sure the outside looks as good as the inside.

The suspension has been rebuilt too, with shortened forks fitted with new internals and shorter and stiffer springs. Leveling out the stance are new YSS shocks at the rear.

The stock GS550 brakes were good for the day, but Eastern Spirit have gone for an upgrade with twin floating discs at the front—from a GSF750 Bandit, they suspect—fed by a front master cylinder is from a Honda VFR.

At the back are Tokico two-piston calipers from a Bandit 600, in full view thanks to the short, hand-made muffler, and hooked up to a Yamaha R1 master cylinder. Getting the brakes and reservoir to fit meant rebuilding the swingarm.

“The bike is very similar to our previous GS550 in terms of architecture,” says Sylwester. “But we decided to lower the back of the frame to get a more classic shape.”

Visual distractions are minimized: there’s a simple Daytona speedo, the electrics are well hidden, the footpegs are custom-made and there are simple new aftermarket levers on the bars, modified to fit.

The tank and the new tail unit are finished in seven layers of Rolls-Royce paint, for a remarkably lustrous finish, topped off with a simple knurled fuel cap.

The effect is sharp and luxurious. And as crisp as a cold shot of the Belvedere vodka made a few kilometers to the east of Sylvester’s workshop. More, please.

Eastern Spirit Garage on Facebook | Instagram | Images by Lukasz Kus

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BMW X7 Enters Pre-Production In South Carolina

BMW recently announced that pre-production versions of their upcoming X7 are rolling off the assembly line in Spartanburg, South Carolina. This is an all-important test to make sure the line is working as it should, that the pre-production vehicles bolt together as planned, and all is well and good in BMW land.

The BMW X7 is a uh . . . just what is a BMW X7?

Sports Activity Vehicle

The X7 is the Bavarian car company’s top-of-the-line, extra-huge, extra-boxy SUV/crossover/thingo. It’s about the size, weight, and shape of the Brandenburg Gate and BMW calls it a Sports Activity Vehicle or SAV, a terminology applied to other vehicles in their lineup. Essentially, it’s the BMW crossover version of the 7 Series sedan: The biggest thing you can buy with a roundel on the hood. Actual volumetric specs are not given, but the photos seem to indicate this thing is large enough to haul any one family and all their stuff. It’s brutalist architecture on wheels.

BMW says the production version of the SAV (gag) should be out by the end of 2018. Before we get there, however, the X7 will undergo multiple tests in “partially extreme conditions.” I thought extreme was a nominal state, it either is or isn’t. But I guess BMW, or the engineers responsible for the X7, are fine with “partial” extremes.

Precise Processes

Since the X7 pre-production models are using the same assembly line as the X5 and X6, the production of these pre-series models serves to make sure everything works as it should, and to optimize future series production. BMW has a specially trained team of production engineers to make sure everything is completely integrated into the line. As you would expect, this is a long and exacting process that has to be just right in general, and things get particularly fastidious since we’re not just dealing with engineers here, we’re dealing with German engineers.

First the pre-production models are built at BMW’s Spartanburg plant. Then they are handed over to development department specialists, and the fun really starts. All the bits and pieces are certified for homologation and production. The approved bits, pieces, sub-assemblies, and then the entire pre-production X7 is subjected to a set of diverse testing routines, such as endurance drives through Death Valley and the snow covered slopes of Scandinavia. During all this, the pre-production model is fitted with a camouflage wrap, even while it is still at the plant. The striking, striped, dazzle camouflage is designed to conceal the new SAV’s final look as far as possible.

Photo: BMW Group.

Under Wraps

All car companies do this, but what I want to ask is why BMW is mentioning how important this is when there are pictures all over the place of the new X7. Maybe someone from the pre-production engineering team should ring up the marketing group and see what’s up. Anyway, once the pre-production crew makes sure all the t’s are crossed, i’s are dotted, tolerances are confirmed, and calipers are safely tucked away, BMW’s Spartanburg plant will be all set to start cranking X7s out like so many sausages.

Full Scale

The X7 is the fifth model produced at the BMW Spartanburg plant, where all X models are built. Spartanburg is BMW’s largest plant in the world and cranked out more than 411,000 vehicles in 2016. BMW says 70 percent of the vehicles produced in Spartanburg are exported to 140 countries across the globe, making BMW the largest vehicle exporter in the USA in terms of export value. I assume BMW means “largest vehicle exporter” in reference to automobiles, because Boeing exports a ton of vehicles, and since their entry level model starts at over 100 million dollars, I bet they beat BMW in terms of “export value.” That said, if there’s a real call for what BMW makes at Spartanburg, the annual production capacity is around 450,000 vehicles, more than enough to handle worldwide demand.

“We are proud to produce the BMW X7 here in Spartanburg, the home of our X models. This is a very special vehicle and our employees are looking forward to yet a further member of the X family,” said Knudt Flor, Head of the BMW Group Spartanburg plant. “Together with the BMW X7, a total of five BMW X models will be exported from Spartanburg to all four corners of the globe.”

Technical details for the new X7 will be announced later this year.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. 

Photos & Source: BMW Group.

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Most Driver Friendly States of 2018

It’s officially 2018 and that means our annual resolutions are in order. Be it losing weight or advancing in a particular career, a new year always represents a clean slate. One resolution worth making is a commitment to travel more. Doing so might actually help your other resolutions. According to WebMD, not having a break from work will take its toll. They cite a 2005 study from the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin that found women who neglected regular vacations were two to three times more likely to be depressed compared to women who took them.

And men, we should be mindful too. WebMD points to a study that followed over 12,000 men for nine years. Those who neglected vacations were at a higher risk for heart attacks. That said, if your goal is to get away and travel more in 2018, then it’s for the best. The National Council for Home Safety and Security put together a list of the most driver friendly states in 2018, which was published on their official site, Alarms.org. Their findings will help you plan a relaxing, safe, and cost effective getaway.

Cheapest Gas

One of the biggest factors when traveling is fuel cost, but it might be worth taking a tour of the southern United States to really maximize your tank. Alarms.org finds gas below the Mason-Dixon Line requires less from your wallet because of a greater concentration of oil refineries and lower gas taxes. Overall, Alabama has the cheapest gas per gallon at an average of $2.26, followed by Mississippi and South Carolina, both at $2.27, Texas at $2.29, and Oklahoma between $2.29 and $2.30. This means a visit to The Alamo in San Antonio or the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Alabama will be more affordable.

There’s Myrtle Beach to catch some sun, and the Rock & Blues Museum in Clarksdale to get your music fix. Both can be reached for less money at the pump than attractions in other states.

Best Driving Records

Safety is always a concern so it might be worth seeking out a vacation spot where motorists are more cautious. Alarms.org researched states with the lowest fatal crash rates, calculated on the number of road fatalities and fatal crashes, adjusted for average daily traffic counts. Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Minnesota took the top three spots, followed by Massachusetts and Wisconsin. Alarms.org says there isn’t a single identifying characteristic they could find that made these states the safest, although they theorize it might have something to do with winter.

“Most of the states with safer highway ratings are in the north and have lower average temperatures,” Alarms.org writes in their study. “Perhaps colder temperatures and hazardous weather conditions prompt residents to drive more slowly and carefully than those in warmer states.”

This means (hopefully) a trip to Minneapolis to see Super Bowl LII or to Lambeau Field to watch the Packers should be a safe one. If on the way, you are passing through The Mitten and have car trouble, us Michiganders will gladly help. Alarms.org finds Michigan has the lowest average car repair costs in the country. Also, go Lions.

Most Scenic Drives

While Alarms.org admits this is subjective, they give some solid suggestions. Topping the list is the Blue Ridge Parkway through Virginia and North Carolina. Blue Ridge Parkway, which spans 29 counties and nearly 470 miles, is known for its stunning views of the surrounding Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains. Others on the list include the Cades Cove Drive through Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire.

While it may not necessarily make any lists on this topic, we have always enjoyed our drives from Phoenix, Arizona to Los Angeles, California on Interstate 10. The desert can be really peaceful and beautiful, especially in the early evening.

Happy Trails

Wherever you go in 2018 and whoever you go with, we wish you safe and enjoyable travels. We hope you have an opportunity this year to take a vacation with your loved ones. Here’s to a healthy and prosperous 2018.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation and studies Mechanical Engineering at Wayne State University.  

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