Volkswagen Golf GTI II 165

The successful Golf GTI (or, in the US, simply “GTI”) was continued with the Mk2 as a sporty 3- or 5-door hatchback. Like late Mk1 GTIs, it featured a naturally aspirated Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injected 1,781 cc (1.8 L; 108.7 cu in) Inline-four engine developing 112 PS (82.4 kW; 110.5 hp).

In 1986 (1987 for North America) a Golf GTI 16V was introduced; here the 1.8 litre engine output was 139 PS (137 hp; 102 kW) at 6,100 rpm (or 129 metric horsepower (95 kW) for the catalyst version) and 168 newton-metres (124 lbf⋅ft) at 4,600 rpm of torque, the model was marked by discreet red-and-black “16V” badges front and rear.

US/Canadian GTIs were later equipped with 2.0, 16-valve engines, available in the Passat and Corrado outside North America. In 1990, like the Golf, the GTI was given a facelift, and the “Big Bumper” became standard on all GTIs. This was maintained through the rest of the Mk2 model era. In 1990 the GTi G60 was also introduced featuring the 8v 1.8 with a G60 supercharger this version is not to be confused with the very rare G60 Limited.

For the South African market, Volkswagen SA added a 2.0 8v engine in January 1992, the same engine which would go on to be used in the Mk3 model launched later that year.

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