Hands Up if you Think my Jetta is So Beautiful

So beautiful, my Jetta.

It’s a 1999 VW Jetta, Wolfsburg edition.
A 2.0 L 5-spd manual, outputting 115 hp and 122 lb.ft.

Hit this milestone this week.

That’s miles, so therefore: 286,101 km.

Well, almost hit.

2 miles away from a great photo for a blog header, that my airhead self totally forgot to take, until I was 30 miles too late.

 

 

The GSR – A Special Edition of a Special Edition

In the 1970s, VW produced a Special Edition Beetle, a GSR – Gelb Schwarzer Renner – Yellow Black Racer.

40 years later, it’s the 2014 GSR.

Only 3,500 made.

Went for a quick run while in Napa, California last fall. It was at VW’s 1.8L Diesel Turbo & Jetta launch, so once around the drive loop at the day’s end.  That drive loop.

It’s a 2.0 TSI 4-cylinder engine, outputting 201 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque.

Handles and launches, all of it, exactly as you’d expect; VW’s heart went into this car.

The 2014 GSR Beetle
Starting at $33,635

 

 

VW’s All-new 1.8L Turbo in the 2014 Jetta

Driving in Napa Valley CA looks like this.

[another video: Driving Elation]

I was with Volkswagen, to test their all-new 1.8L engine, and the 2014 Jetta.

Plenty of kick, handles precise and direct, nice note.

2014 Volkswagen Jetta

1.8L TSI Turbo – 170 hp & 184 lb.ft

Note: to get the new 1.8L engine, you have to bump up to the 3rd trim level, Comfortline. The base 2.0L Jetta is starting at $14,990, the 1.8L Comfortline is +$7,000-ish, totalling about $22,000.

Do it, never mind the old 2.0L engine, spend the money with an art-of-long-view.  Here’s my full review on Autonet.ca.

NO SCREEN

Yes I’m yelling, it’s that rare. And that tipped me over: I’d buy this car, this model year. I’ll guess this will be one of the last times that a Jetta can be ordered without a screen.

Plus, the new 1.8L engine; VW’s ergonomic elegance; and an exterior styling that will wear well over time, because it too, is minimal. No GPS; barely any aids, with cruise control being the fanciest; and available in manual.

Then tada – this would be my car for the next 15 years. An great commuter between test vehicles, and a fun week-off car.  And I’d seriously consider the diesel.

It was maybe my best-test-day to date.

They had 50! cars lined up, more than half were manual, rare; and also rare was, there were more cars than journalists, so I was alone all day… no passenger time, no passenger.

Called this video, “Driving Elation”.