First, there was the CRX. Then the Sentra SE-R. Eventually came the Civic Si, and recently, the segment reached full form with the all-conquering Impreza WRX and Lancer Evolution. But amidst all the sport-compact madness, few probably know that the first one to make an interesting, fun-to-drive small car wasn't Honda, Nissan, or even Subaru. It was Volkswagen. A German. Who else?
As any cosmopolitan knows, the restrictions of European streets and gas prices inspire a continent of smaller-scale mainstream transportation than found here. Like Japan, compact cars have long been their specialty, but unlike Japan, going fast was always a top priority, and the tuning of most Euro cars reflects this. This goes for the car that's credited as being first on the scene: the 1983 Volkswagen GTI.
Where's the GTI now? Somewhat forgotten in this day and age, it's still alive and kicking. Still a two-door hatchback, it's part of the Golf family, which is part of a larger family that includes VW's Jetta and Beetle. In terms of country or continent, the family is rather small, consisting only of this trio of vee-dubs and BMW's beloved Mini Cooper.
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