VW Golf GTI Generations DRAG RACE

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We have actually got our hands on EVERY generation of GTI, and they're about to go head-to-head in a legendary drag race!

We've split it into 2 heats up – the Mk 1, 2, 3 & 4 in the very first heat, after which we'll have a 2nd race with the 5, 6, 7 and 8.5 to see simply how the Golf GTI has progressed over the years!

All of it starts with the Mk 1. It's powered by a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder that produces 110hp and 140Nm of torque. This power is sent out to the front wheels through a 5-speed handbook, and the car weighs in at simply 810kg. When it was brand-new, it cost around ₤ 6,500.

The line-up then increases to the brand-new Mk 8.5 edition. This is powered by a 2-litre 4-cylinder turbo that puts down 265hp and 370Nm. This power is directed to the front wheels by means of a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and it weighs 1,391 kg. As brand-new, the vehicle costs around ₤ 39,000.

So the more recent cars and truck is most likely to win, but will any of the older designs spring a surprise? There's just one method to discover … LET'S RACE!

Comments

79 responses to “VW Golf GTI Generations DRAG RACE”

  1. @kaumohlamonyane272 Avatar
    @kaumohlamonyane272

    South Africans will go crazy for this one🇿🇦

    1. @SiyabongaNdlovu-p6q Avatar
      @SiyabongaNdlovu-p6q

      𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚

    2. @bradley2755 Avatar
      @bradley2755

      Especially the Jozi boys🥳🇿🇦

    3. @ClaytonTheGeneral2.0 Avatar
      @ClaytonTheGeneral2.0

      I liked before watching. 🇿🇦

    4. @bradley2755 Avatar
      @bradley2755

      Especially the Jozi boys🥳🇿🇦

    5. @serhadsidar9459 Avatar
      @serhadsidar9459

      😑

  2. @Colourmaster2014 Avatar
    @Colourmaster2014

    Mark 1 is gold

    1. @WaseemKhan-iu4bh Avatar
      @WaseemKhan-iu4bh

      Mark 2*

    2. @ryano8768 Avatar
      @ryano8768

      It’s white isn’t it?

    3. @Colourmaster2014 Avatar
      @Colourmaster2014

      @@WaseemKhan-iu4bhnah mark one

    4. @abdulmoeez8629 Avatar
      @abdulmoeez8629

      nah its white

    5. @MasterAdamonia Avatar
      @MasterAdamonia

      Reminds me of my grandpa, that man taught me half of things I know. God bless his soul, good memories. Also first car I’ve driven xD Must have stuck in my muscle memory, when I was buying my first car 15 years later, VW felt best under my hand, so that’s what I took.

  3. @bafanamachika5495 Avatar
    @bafanamachika5495

    Golf R generation drag race please mk3 vr6 included

    1. @chrism869 Avatar
      @chrism869

      Yes we need that

    2. @hassyg4083 Avatar
      @hassyg4083

      no

    3. @karim3773 Avatar
      @karim3773

      Agree

    4. @BullyBoxer Avatar
      @BullyBoxer

      @@chrism869 no more hideous modern VW please .🙏🏼

    5. @Fox-2-2025 Avatar
      @Fox-2-2025

      Yes, please

  4. @IAmTbang96 Avatar
    @IAmTbang96

    “Has Sam got a manual” is one of the most iconic moments in Carwow history.

    Didn’t know I needed this, but now I’m going to push it and ask for every variant of R. From the VR6 to the current R.

    1. @AaronsAnglingJourney Avatar
      @AaronsAnglingJourney

      🎉

    2. @samedwards5171 Avatar
      @samedwards5171

      Add a Scirocco carwow and Passat r

    3. @matthewnorman9803 Avatar
      @matthewnorman9803

      Good luck because I did 389 days of asking and they didn’t do it, so they won’t listen to you

    4. @krozellabiton Avatar
      @krozellabiton

      ​@@samedwards5171racing Passats would be very interesting, i see we add the Tiguan to the wishlist

    5. @user-wx5rd3kz6r Avatar
      @user-wx5rd3kz6r

      They can borrow my (non-factory) MK2 VR6.

  5. @carwow Avatar
    @carwow

    Sell your car for free with Carwow: https://bit.ly/–Sell-Your-Car-For-Free-3108

    1. @MrDJ2004 Avatar
      @MrDJ2004

      ha?

    2. @matthewnorman9803 Avatar
      @matthewnorman9803

      My Hyundai Getz could beat all those early generations cars

    3. @matthewnorman9803 Avatar
      @matthewnorman9803

      You should pull out the fuse to the cars with trc

    4. @mrsomeonewhoplaysgames Avatar
      @mrsomeonewhoplaysgames

      If only in australia😢 is it only supposed to be the uk

    5. @samueldenis573 Avatar
      @samueldenis573

      Really?

  6. @ZylonFPV Avatar
    @ZylonFPV

    1:38 – “drives the front wheels by a 5 speed gearbox”.. okay, why does it have 6 gears then?! 😂

    1. @nanotide82 Avatar
      @nanotide82

      Nahh 💀

    2. @MrPrime-mt8dd Avatar
      @MrPrime-mt8dd

      mistakes happen no big deal

    3. @raiNofchAosFPS Avatar
      @raiNofchAosFPS

      because he misses 3rd all the time so its a 5 speed.

    4. @hassyg4083 Avatar
      @hassyg4083

      @@MrPrime-mt8dd Zelensky made f16 mistake

    5. @jackfrombg4498 Avatar
      @jackfrombg4498

      Because they got the 25th Anniversary version with 6 speed manual and 4 wheel drive. And they didn’t mention that it has a Turbocharger. That’s why i don’t watch Carwow vids, they are made for kids.

  7. @miguel3642 Avatar
    @miguel3642

    Absolutely love the evil laugh from Sam hahahaaha

  8. @AutoAddictionMedia Avatar
    @AutoAddictionMedia

    Basically everyone in this episode: *talking*
    Sam: Hahahaha!

    1. @SunkItUp Avatar
      @SunkItUp

      Hallo AA Media

    2. @3zanobi Avatar
      @3zanobi

      hey AA media

    3. @hornet99923 Avatar
      @hornet99923

      Matt made a mistake , zelenski F16😂 error

    4. @victorstefan3780 Avatar
      @victorstefan3780

      oh nurburbing guy

    5. @hatim9733 Avatar
      @hatim9733

      Carwow: racing ever Golf
      MKBHD: reviewing every Samsung

  9. @florianhaffner3910 Avatar
    @florianhaffner3910

    You can never go wrong wit a Golf. Its both respectable and fun at the same time

    1. @hassyg4083 Avatar
      @hassyg4083

      the early models are. new ones boring af

    2. @NikosKalantasTouKabourdirhTouK Avatar
      @NikosKalantasTouKabourdirhTouK

      You can never go wrong with a golf

      which is K swapped

    3. @geronimooo260 Avatar
      @geronimooo260

      @@hassyg4083come on man 😂

    4. @richboy900 Avatar
      @richboy900

      Mk7 still a cracking car

  10. @andyborrett227 Avatar
    @andyborrett227

    Sam’s laugh is menacing when hes beating the other cars….. great video 😂😂

  11. @stigonetv58 Avatar
    @stigonetv58

    Sams villan laugh😂 when he passes Rory 😂

    1. @purwantiallan5089 Avatar
      @purwantiallan5089

      Why Rory’s car suddenly went on reverse after 2nd rolling race?

  12. @JackMaslovCZLive Avatar
    @JackMaslovCZLive

    The excuses and the reversing at the end after the braking test were hilarious. 😂 Couldn’t stop laughing

    1. @purwantiallan5089 Avatar
      @purwantiallan5089

      Why those Golf cars went reversing? Thats very funny.😅

  13. @lordraiden5398 Avatar
    @lordraiden5398

    In the early 90’s I had a friend with a MK1 Golf. Lowered on Neuspeed springs, Neuspeed front and rear swaybars, wider wheels and tires and more. This was when I learned how fun a slow car with a good suspension can be.

    1. @purwantiallan5089 Avatar
      @purwantiallan5089

      It actually can be engine swapped with the engine from Mercedes SLR McLaren.

  14. @thestigseuropeancousin7941 Avatar
    @thestigseuropeancousin7941

    Oh boy that mk4 is so clean! My first car was a mk4 golf TDI, yes the 1.9PD130. So the mk4 will always have a soft spot in my heart!

  15. @mthunzidube1423 Avatar
    @mthunzidube1423

    Damn that MK5 holding it down, cant believe it managed to beat the 6 and 7.5 in rolls and all of them in brake tests

    1. @BryceCzirr-jz7ju Avatar
      @BryceCzirr-jz7ju

      Something not right. 7 owns 5 with ease for most people.

    2. @darx3351 Avatar
      @darx3351

      @@BryceCzirr-jz7ju Almost identical power to weight ratio, and the automatic in the MK7 will eat a bit of the power coming to the wheels so nothing unlogical happening here

    3. @panda1412. Avatar
      @panda1412.

      Those mk5s don’t have 230hp it’s more like 245hp

    4. @muhammadmirza4283 Avatar
      @muhammadmirza4283

      this is because the mk5 and 6 is the edition 30/35 version with the bigger k04 turbos, whereas both the mk7/8 have the smaller turbos compared to their clubsport variants whcih have the bigger golf r turbos. Should have been mk5 ed30, mk6 ed35, mk7 clubsport, mk8 clubsport and it would be a different result.

    5. @muhammadmirza4283 Avatar
      @muhammadmirza4283

      @@BryceCzirr-jz7ju because he didn’t use the clubsport versions of the mk7 and 8 which would have absolutely smoked the both the mk5 and 6 easily. I have a mk7 GTI with golf r turbo which is the same as the clubsports and its running 370hp and 510nm, its an animal.

  16. @raffy57 Avatar
    @raffy57

    This MK3 is no 16V, the “16V” badge is missing and they clearly announce 115 hp, which is the power of the 8V. The 16V has 150. I had a 8V and got crushed by a MK1 just like in this video. A 16V would have been in front of the MK1 and MK2 and maybe even of the MK4, due to the lesser weight.

    1. @almiriljazi9401 Avatar
      @almiriljazi9401

      also when they showed the engines, mk3 and mk2 footage were switched

    2. @joakimragnarsson685 Avatar
      @joakimragnarsson685

      Yep, mk3 16v was 2,0 150. Sorry they didnt had that one. Or the mk1 with 1,8 8v.

    3. @skillandluck Avatar
      @skillandluck

      This is 16v block. Are you blind?? Huge block!!!

    4. @jpfigueiredo Avatar
      @jpfigueiredo

      Came here for this. How hard would have been to find a 16v MK3?
      Or, at least, acknowledge in the fact that there is one.
      Quite unfair, especially as they’re going with the 16v MK2.

    5. @paul5683 Avatar
      @paul5683

      The infamous 2.slow.

  17. @2x4jonno Avatar
    @2x4jonno

    I love how these guys are starting to become our new Top Gear for this generation. Nothing will replace the OGs. More episodes like this and banter are making these top!

    1. @prasannaswamy8459 Avatar
      @prasannaswamy8459

      i agree. wholeheartedly. Matt Watson for the win!

    2. @zacherius137 Avatar
      @zacherius137

      Top Gear had top notch writers for the show taking care of most of the ‘banter’.

      I think Carwow just wings it.

  18. @NVidiero Avatar
    @NVidiero

    I have a mk6 gti and i love the perfect mashup between a useful and practical daily and a fun car to drive on weekend getaways

  19. @SakuraValory Avatar
    @SakuraValory

    As a 50 years old man, I must admit that Golf I, Golf 2, and Golf 3 brought a happy smile on my face, reminding me of all those “childish” things we were doing. Golf 4… I kind of still like it, but there was no emotion involved. Golf 6 I will always associate with the crappy gear box!

    1. @vukkukulicic2507 Avatar
      @vukkukulicic2507

      Hard to belive you are 50 with that pfp

    2. @carlospacheco8640 Avatar
      @carlospacheco8640

      N/A will always have more emotion than any turbo car is why. My MK5 rabbit feels the same way as the old ones due to my wonderful N/A 5 cylinder.

    3. @manilove2pwn Avatar
      @manilove2pwn

      AS A BOT i think you meant

    4. @TheCompyshop Avatar
      @TheCompyshop

      What crappy gearbox? The mk6 had an amazing gearbox

    5. @elman02 Avatar
      @elman02

      ​@@vukkukulicic2507 its a bot that’s copypasting other people’s comments

  20. @Beautiful-ModelBarbara-Hut-s1j Avatar
    @Beautiful-ModelBarbara-Hut-s1j

    The MK3 GTI 16 V has got a 150 hp/180 Nm, and the MK4 GTI 150 hp, in Editions 180 hp

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