This rare, perfect 1992 Volkswagen GTI with 53,000 km is a good match for our editor-in-automobile. Chief’s needs. This hatchback weighs 2,505 pounds and is the last of the second-generation GTI 16Vs. It is powered by a noisy 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 134 horsepower. Until Saturday, January 28, you can bid on this item at an auction. It comes with the BBS wheels and the Recaro seats that came with the car. When you see your first car sold on Bring a Trailer, you start questioning the saying that you can’t go back in time. A box-shaped piece of my past, a 1992 Volkswagen GTI 16V with 52,000 km, stares back at me from my laptop screen. Only the Tornado Red paint makes it different from my first car. The other colors are white, black, and Montana Metallic, which looks like teal. Okay, it’s different from mine. My 1990 model had black trim around the back window and built no third brake light. On the other hand, my car had the same well-bolstered Recaro seats with electronic height adjustment and two-piece BBS RMII cross-spoke wheels that looked like the considerably more expensive three-piece BBS RS wheels. VW’s Mexico plant made its last GTI for the US market, the second generation. Before it closed in 1988, the company’s plant in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, made Golfs and GTIs from the second generation. When it came out in 1987, the 16V had a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that produced 123 horsepower. In 1990, the engine’s size was increased to 1984 cc (2.0 liters), giving it 134 horsepower and 133 lb-ft of torque. VW changed the car by giving it a grille with four headlights and big bumpers. Due to its high compression ratio of 10.8:1, our sister publication Road & Track missed the four’s desire for premium when it tested one in 1991. C/D has yet to try one. An R&T tester drove the 2505-pound 16V, which was powered by 87, and hit 60 mph in 8.4 seconds (VW claimed 7.8 seconds). Even by today’s standards, the engine could be more pleasant (30 years ago). The power peak at 5800 rpm sounds harsh, and the redline at 6300 rpm isn’t exactly a reason to celebrate. The gears are short, and the shifts are easy and smooth. The four speeds up to 80 mph on the highway with a steady 4,000-rpm buzz. The best thing about the old GTI 16V is, without a doubt, how it drives. Even though the ride is rough and the car isn’t built well, the 195/50R-15 tires send a lot of information to the four-spoke steering wheel. The original tires on the 16V would have been Pirelli P600s, but the one up for auction has much better Michelin Pilot Sport 3 summer tires.
