We happened upon an impressive, chaotic scene during the Volkswagen GTI’s stay with us.  An import custom-car show had just closed for the night, and the roads were filled with bespoilered and bewinged compacts, all painted bright colors, cruising slow and throbbing bass into the night.  The GTI actually fit in reasonably well with this crowd, as our test car was painted in vivid “Tropic Orange Metallic.”  But after a few minutes of 10-mph cruising, we’d had enough of wasting the driving-oriented GTI.  We got out of line, sped past the show cars, and found a curvy little road to play on.  Splashed through a mud puddle and took the shine off that paint job, too.  And the GTI was happy.

The Volkswagen GTI comes with a long history behind it.  The original Rabbit GTI was a boxy little hatchback with a few hot-rod cues and a lot of hot-rod substance beneath the style.  It was a revolutionary idea in 1983, and a huge hit.  In the mid-Eighties, it grew into the slightly larger Golf GTI, which faithfully and reliably carried the sporty-hatchback banner for VW until a few years ago, when the GTI became a separate nameplate.  Starting mid-2001, all GTIs will feature a side-curtain style airbag that covers front and rear side windows when it deploys.

The practical, mini-wagon design has always been a GTI hallmark.  It shares its basic structure with the Jetta, so at a glance they’re similar; a smoothed-off Volkswagen face and big VW badge dominating the grille up front.  Look again, though, because the Jetta and GTI don’t share any frontal bodywork.  The GTI has a more playful face, with teardrop-shaped headlamps instead of the Jetta’s rectangular units. Headlamps, projector-style foglights, and turn signals are grouped behind a single clear lens.  The narrow grille and flat hood have been featured on GTIs since the beginning.  The stubby, vertical tail will appeal only to lovers of hatchbacks and station wagons, and Volkswagen’s signature center-mount antenna juts up from the roof like a bee’s stinger.  Large five-spoke aluminum wheels in 15″ through 17″ sizes are available.  The GTI is subtly aggressive and sporty–subtle enough in fact that only car people are going to immediately recognize it for what it is.

The interior matches that of the comfortable Jetta.  The blue-on-red gauges are the same, as are the well-positioned seats and pedals that were designed for heel-toe downshifts.  Our test car had an appealing light-dark-light color scheme, with beige cloth on the pillars and roof, traditional matte black Volkswagen plastic covering the dash, and then lighter colors below.  It’s much airier than the usual somber black Volkswagen interior. There’s room for four, and folding rear seats allow the hatchback to be turned into a small station wagon (remember the Volkswagen commercial in which a GTI swallowed a discarded La-Z-Boy?).  We had only one gripe; the floormats had a habit of sliding under the pedals and lodging there.  We chucked them into the trunk after an hour.

From the inside it looks like big brother Jetta, but the GTI has a hot-rod soul, whether it’s powered by the 150-horsepower turbocharged four in our GLS test car, or the 174-horsepower V6 in the GLX.  It may look like a grocery-getter, but the GTI is an aggressive car that doesn’t like to sit in traffic.  Our test car was happy to spin the tires with little provocation, and it had the smaller of the available motors.  The 1.8 liter turbocharged four features five valves per cylinder for improved breathing at high revs, and it’s torquey for its size as well.  A smooth-shifting five-speed manual is standard in all GTIs, with an automatic available.

Around town, the sporty Volkswagen prefers open road to congested traffic.  Visibility is good, and it’s easy to maneuver, but it just doesn’t feel happy unless it’s being pushed hard.  Independent front and beam-axle rear suspension and four-wheel disc brakes enable it to make the most of whatever twisty road it’s thrown at.  ABS, traction control, and a limited-slip differential are standard.   The GTI feels slightly softer than competitors like the Ford Focus hatchback.  Although the Focus gives away a bunch of horsepower to the VW, the little Ford is likely to keep up in the turns thanks to its greater stability.  Up-and-down motions, while perfectly acceptable in your average car, make the GTI feel a little more unsettled than a sports car ought to.  It seems to be going out of its way to attack the corners, jumping on them rather than staying perfectly planted.  The precise steering and quick reflexes are nonetheless on par with GTIs of the past, as well as the current competition.

The GTI is available in GLS and GLX trim levels, which are equipped with four- and six-cylinder engines, respectively.  Cruise control, sunroof, Audi/VW’s cool switchblade key fob, the Side Curtain airbag, and power windows are all on the standard equipment list.  Most of the GLS’ options–including a Monsoon sound system and leather interior–are standard on the GLX.  GTI prices start at $19,800 for a GLS.  To get the V6-equipped GLX the base jumps to just over $23,000.  Our GLS test car stickered for $20,470 with the leather interior and Monsoon sound system.

Sure, you’ll see plenty of them tricked out with big wheels and bigger subwoofers, cruising at ten miles per hour with a caravan of import hatchbacks, because the GTI’s handsome, blank-slate styling, great road manners and familiar nameplate appeal to customizers.  And that’s a good thing.  Just remember to let it loose on a twisty road once in a while, because it’s also a delightful car to Drive, with a capital D.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Volkswagen GTI GLS1.8T, which we tested.

Length:     164.9 in.
Width:        68.3 in.
Height:        56.9 in.
Wheelbase:    98.9 in.
Curb weight:    2860 lb
Base price:    $19,800
Price as tested: $20,470
Engine:     1.8 liter turbocharged four-cylinder
Drivetrain:     five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Horsepower:     150 @ 5700 rpm
Torque:     155 @ 1950-4500 rpm
Fuel capacity:    14.5 gal.
Est. mileage:    24/31

6/2009 update:  The GTI is an expensive used car; it’s held its value better than many of its contemporaries.  That said, it’ll return the favor in fun-to-drive-ness.