Volkswagen Golf Mk4

Launched in October 1997, the Volkswagen Golf Mk4 (or VW Typ 1J) was the best selling car in Europe in 2001 (though it slipped to second place, behind thePeugeot 206, in 2002).

The Mk4 was a deliberate attempt to take the Volkswagen Golf series further upmarket, with a high-quality interior and higher equipment levels, to compete with the Audi A3.

Overall the level of maturity of the design and its target audience were also evident — the humorous plays on the game of golf which resulted in special edition models of the three earlier generations being called "Golf Ryder", "Golf Driver", not to mention the GTI's "golf ball" gearlever knob were dropped, and replaced with a more subtly styled golf ball knob.

The Golf Mk4 was a significant car in its class. As with its big brother, not only was it the first step of Volkswagen moving its products upmarket to plug a gap between the mainstream machines and the premium cars, with SEAT and Škoda taking over as the mainstream in a new level of interior quality and sophistication never seen before from a mainstream brand in the class. In fact, the quality of the Golf was on a par with its sister Audi A3 from the year before, but cost considerably more than other cars in its class.

The latest model remained faithful to the Golf concept but included some of the new "arched" styling themes first seen on the Mk4 Passat.

Golf Cabriolet

As with the Mk2 Golf, Volkswagen did not make a convertible version of the Mk4 Golf. Instead, they face-lifted the front bumper, fenders, grille, and hood to resemble Mk4 Golf styling but to fit a Mk3 chassis. VW managed to incorporate some non-structural Mk4 parts as well such as fender repeaters, headlights, side mirror caps, rear license tag lights, 3-spoke steering wheel airbag, etc. The rear also received a redesigned bumper with the number plate tub moved from the hatch and a Mk4 handle with a larger VW emblem above it to resemble the rear of a Mk4 Golf. The interior largely remained the same as a Mk3 interior save for a Mk4 style 3-spoke leather steering wheel, a textured dashboard (also known as "dimpled dash" or "shark skin dash"), heavily bolstered front seats with incorporated side airbags, and the hazard switch relocated from the steering column to the instrument panel. The interior lighting in the cabin was switched to the blue and red hue found in the Mk4 and some of the more familiar Mk3 parts were chromed such as the inner door handles, emergency brake button, door strikers, front seat belt anchors, key lock cylinders, and shifter button in automatic transmission equipped cars. There are some technical carryovers, as well, the main one being the immobilizer and engine computer from the Mk4 Golf being used with the older Mk3 engine mechanicals.

Although the redesigned Golf Cabriolet looks like a Mk4 Golf, it is based on the Mk3 chassis and this causes a bit of confusion on how it should be designated. VW enthusiasts in Europe call it a Mk4 Golf Cabriolet while VW enthusiasts in the United States call it a Mk3.5 Cabrio.

GTI 25th Anniversary Edition (2002)

The GTI 25th Anniversary Edition was a special version of the Golf GTI, for the European Market to commemorate the first GTI, launched in 1976. This model had 3 paint color options: Tornado Red, Reflex Silver, and Black Magic Pearl.

At the time of its launch, it wasn't confirmed whether Volkswagen was going to sell this special edition model in the United States.

A similarly equipped version of the GTI, called the GTI 337 Edition, was officially introduced at the New York Auto Show and made it to dealers late May 2002 to the US & Canadian markets. The price of the GTI 337 was $22,225 in the U.S. and $32,900 in Canada. Only 1,500 units were produced for the US market with an additional 250 for the Canadian market. This model came painted exclusively in metallic Reflex Silver. Both the GTI 25th anniversary and the 337 editions were equipped with many extra features not included in the standard GTI. They included: 18x7.5" BBS RC Wheels with special ball peen finish, perforated leather shift boot and handbrake, red and black seat belts, Red and Black upholstered Recaro Le Mann seats, factory body kit (front valance, sideskirts, hatch spoiler, and rear valance), 02M 6-speed manual transmission, larger front brakes (312mm) with Red Calipers, lowered sport tuned suspension, and brushed aluminum interior trim. These models were never equipped with a sunroof as to take the car back to its roots, the Mk1 GTI, and improve handling and performance. However, one instance of the 337 edition is known to have been special ordered with a sunroof.

GTI 20th Anniversary Edition (2003)

Following the initial commemorative anniversary edition GTI produced in Europe in 1996 celebrating the introduction of the GTI model in 1976, and the overwhelming popularity of the 25th anniversary edition GTI produced 2001 (known as the GTI 337 in North America when released in 2002), Volkswagen of America produced 4,200 so-branded "20th Anniversary Edition" GTIs and 4000 were shipped to the United States and 200 to Canada. This event, in 2003, marked the 20th anniversary of the GTI's first introduction to the U.S. and Canadian market, some 7 years after the GTI was introduced to the European market. Several special features distinguish this new GTI from the rest of the pack.

On the outside, the 20th Anniversary edition came with throwback red-lettered GTI logos on the left front and right rear. The rear was also accompanied by a vintage-look chrome rabbit. Blackened headlights added a distinctive look, while Votex front, rear, and side skirts along with a hatch spoiler and special edition 18" OZ Aristo alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sports complete the exterior transformation. These models were produced only in three colours: Imola Yellow, Jazz Blue and Black Magic Pearl. Distribution of production was 50% Black magic pearl, 25% Jazz Blue and 25% Imola Yellow.

Inside, a few accents were noticeable. Unlike other models, there were no options offered. The only true option was ESP, Volkswagen's stability control feature. All "20ths" had a sunroof, black headliner, golf ball shift knob, black leather steering wheel with silver stitching, black leather shifter boot with silver stitching, perforated leather covered hand brake handle, and sporty black cloth Recaro bucket seats with silver stitching accents and red GTI emblems embroidered in the middle of the back rests. Aluminum trim came standard, complete with a numbered nameplate above the center console identifying the exact production number (US production only) of the vehicle. Volkswagen's premier 8-speaker Monsoon stereo system was also standard.

Mechanically, the 20th Anniversary Edition GTI is nearly identical to the GTI 337 Edition. A 6-speed manual 02m transmission marked the most notable departure from the norm, and upgraded suspension stiffened up the ride and lowered the car approximately 30 mm (lower sport springs and revised bushings in the rear). Upgraded disc brakes front (12.3" vented rotors) and rear (10.3" vented rotors) helped bring things to a stop, while red powder-coated calipers added a bit of flair to the package.

Starting in 2002 with engine code AWP, all of the models of the GTI's 1.8T increased in factory boost pressure and horsepower from 150 bhp (110 kW) to 180 bhp (130 kW). The 20th Anniversary GTI was not available with the VR6 engine.

R32 (2003)

In 2002, Volkswagen produced the Golf R32 in Europe as a 2003 model year. It was the World's first production car with a dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) — available for the German market. Due to unexpected popularity, Volkswagen decided to sell the car in the United States and Australia as the 2004 model year Volkswagen R32. Billed as the pinnacle of the Golf IV platform, the R32 included every performance, safety, and luxury feature Volkswagen had to offer, including the all new 3.2 litre 24-valve VR6 engine (ID codes: BFH/BML), which produced a rated motive power output of 177 kilowatts (241 PS; 237 hp), and 236 lb·ft (320 N·m) of torque. Further additions included Haldex Traction-based 4motion on-demand four-wheel drive system, a new six-speed manual transmission, independent rear suspension, Climatronic automatic climate control, sport seats from König with R32 logos, 18" OZ Aristo alloy wheels (Ronal produced the wheels towards the end of production),Electronic Stability Programme, larger 334 mm (13.1 in) disc brakes with gloss blue painted calipers, sunroof (for the US), and model-specific bodywork additions.

For Australia, two hundred "Edition 200" cars were produced, each uniquely plaqued and available in three colours: Black Magic Pearl, Deep Blue Pearl and Reflex Silver.

For the US, Tornado Red was an available fourth colour. The distribution of US-spec R32 colours were:

• Deep Blue Pearl: 40%
• Reflex Silver: 35%
• Black Magic Pearl: 15%
• Tornado Red: 10%

Although the R32 looked similar to the 20th Anniversary GTI, it shared most major components with the 3.2 litre Audi TT, including the engine, four-wheel drive system, and both front and rear suspension geometries. For the US, five thousand cars were produced and intended to be sold over a two-year period. The allotment sold out in 13 months.

The R32 is capable of 0-100 kilometres per hour (62.1 mph) in 6.6 seconds, reduced to 6.4 seconds with the Direct-Shift Gearbox. Clearing the quarter mile in 14.1 seconds at 99.2 mph (159.6 km/h), the R32 edges out its third fastest sibling, the top-of-the-line Phaeton 6.0 litre W12 (414 bhp), by a tenth of a second at the 1,320-foot (402 m) mark.

It has a high resale and used-car value; the Kelley Blue Book used car retail price (the price an individual might expect to pay for one from a dealer) for a model in excellent condition with low mileage exceeds the original retail price of the car in many cases, making it one of a few recent cars that have actually approached an increase in value. This premium can be explained mostly due to scarcity, both of the cars themselves due to low production and importation, and especially ones that still have low mileage.