AUTOMOTIVE NEWS: R.I.P. VW GTI ... After Seven Generations, The Benchmark of Hot Hatchbacks Has Su

The year was 1976 and I was seven years old as I roamed about the showroom floors of Ernie Von Schledorn's Volkswagen dealership on Main Street in Menomonee Falls, WI, when I chanced upon a well read copy of AutoBild (German car magazine) and the red pinstriped 2-door black beauty that adorned its cover. As my parents signed on the dotted lines for a brand new Rabbit diesel, I interrupted to ask the dealer what this car was. 'Ah, that's the Golf GTI," he replied with a giant grin on his face.

"What's a Golf and what's a GTI?" I asked.

"That's the sport version of the car your parents just bought."

"Can we get one of these instead?" I enthusiastically asked.

To my amazement, my parents didn't shush or shun me, for they too were enthralled by this red pinstriped black beauty.

"Unfortunately, they're not available here yet." ... my first long distance love affair had begun.

By all accounts, the Volkswagen Golf GTI (Gran Tourismo Injection) has been a three door hatchback since its introduction at the Frankfurt Auto show in 1975. It wasn't until 1983 that the "Rabbit" GTI was formally introduced to the American market. It was light, had a cavernous interior and carved corners like a scalpel, albeit somewhat terrifying when applying the god-awful brakes that didn't seem to work. Styled by Georgette Giugiaro's ItalDesign, one tends to forget how airy cars from the late seventies had been. Low belt-lines meant vast greenhouses with visibility the likes of which inspired rally style racing through traffic laden streets. Weighing in at under 1,750lbs, the 1.8L four-cylinder engine produced an ample 112bhp which propelled the Mk1 GTI to an instant cult icon stature that inspired ear to ear smiles and a new genre ... the "Hot Hatch".

The second generation GTI or Mk2, saw the introduction of the 1.8L 16valve, 137bhp 4-cylinder that was upgraded to take on the new car's added weight and size. Still loads of fun to drive, this new GTI took on a slightly more practical approach without losing its sporting nature and was even fitted with brakes that worked. Although not as iconic as the Mk1, the Mk2 has become the most sought after generation.

The Mk3 and Mk4 GTI's were a bit of a bland disappointment. Sportiness and good 'ole fun gave way to sophistication and luxury. Volkswagen began to move upmarket and both of these cars were too heavy, boring and lacking a nimbleness that was synonymous with the GTI nameplate. A highlight of the Mk4 series was the 2003 Golf R32, being the world's first production car featuring a dual-clutch gearbox (DSG), it was a riot.

Upon receiving more "I want this!" demand letters than Santa gets from sniveling children each year, VW released the 2006 Mk5. With entirely new bodywork that harkened back to the original's sporty nature and adorned with red pinstripes & tartan seats, this new version corrected the previous two generation's blandness with a turbocharged 2.0-litre TFSI engine that produced 197bhp and was accompanied by a beefed up suspension that matched superbly with its new powertrain to purists' delight. The R32 went on sale in the US in 2007, featuring an updated 3.2-litre VR6 engine producing 247bhp. Complaints over quality and cheap interior issues naturally arose. It was also the first time that the 4-door variant was offered to the US market.

The Mk6 GTI was penned by VW's chief designer Walter de'Silva. Having edgier lines and better aerodynamics, the car looked (arguably) miles better than its predecessor. Following criticism of the downgraded trim quality of the Mk5, the interior was overhauled to match the quality of the Mk4, while keeping the tartan seats and user friendliness of the Mk5. The standard car received a turbocharged inline 4-cylinder, good for 211bhp, with the Golf R housing a 256bhp turbocharged TFSI inline 4 engine. Everything was carefully thought out and executed ... the era of the most perfect "all-around" car in the world had begun. Efficient, well made, fast as fuck, practical and fun as hell to drive were the hallmarks of the sixth generation GTI.

We now come to the current generation of GTI, the Mk7. Power comes either from a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine (TSI) with 220bhp or an upgraded performance version boosting 230bhp, both producing 260lb-ft of torque. Acceleration times for 0-62mph runs are quoted at 6.5sec and 6.4sec, respectively, while achieving EPA highway mileage of 39.2mpg. With the fitting of VW's trick front differential, dubbed VAQ, virtually all torque steer has been miraculously eliminated. A properly quick little sport's car this is! ... and here in lies the problem ... sport's cars don't have four doors!

VW has chosen to scrap the 2-door version for the US market with Europe possibly following suit for the next generation. VW sites that the 2-door model only makes up 20% of all GTI sales and have therefore, deemed it unnecessary. Twenty percent seems nothing to snuff at, as I happen to be in that 20%.

I am lucky enough to have a black Mk6 with a 6-speed manual and tartan seats as my daily driver. I bought the car on my 47th birthday from the dodgiest dealer in New York City that I could find. To my good fortune, no one in New York wanted a stick-shift, 2-door GTI.

Loaded up with all my belongings, I then proceeded to drive nearly 2,000 miles to Denver CO. Cruising at 75-80mph, I averaged 36mpg. With my 6'4" frame, this has been the only car I've owned that passed the dreaded; "Set my seat up for how I want to drive and see if I fit in the back seat," test. When I showed up in Denver, one of my roommate's, Judd, asked if I had brought a trailer with me as I hauled in the tonnage of stuff I managed to cram into this fine 2-door ... I had not.

I am a bachelor with no intentions of having kids and two doors suit me just fine. Noticing all the other GTI's on the road (as all good GTI drivers do) I can't help but notice nobody sitting in the passenger seat, let alone the rear seat. I want a practical sports car, a poor man's shooting break, if you will. If I'd have wanted a sports sedan, I'd still be driving a BMW.

The extra doors on a GTI are like Justin Timberlake's superfluous second sets of trousers. Why? Whip it out if you're gonna unzip, Let's get to the goods!

Keep the 4-door (5-door) as an option. Fine ... but please, Volkswagen, please don't kill the GTI! Two (3-doors) doors are all some of us need.

Working title: Volkswagen has succumbed to meandering blubber folds who can't seem to reach the back seat due to their constricted movements or who are too bloody lazy to walk around the back to the (perfectly practical) hatch to stow their crumpets, lard & putters. Fair thee well 2-door GTI and thank you, Jeremy Clarkson, for joining the "designed for the American market" ideology ... meh, how I hate those words. The GTI is dead, replaced by the 4-door fat-ass something or another.