My GTI is simultaneously too fast and also not fast enough.
I am constantly afraid of getting stopped for speeding again while driving it not even close to as aggressively as I would like to be able to - or as hard as the car can handle.
Yet at the same time, it isn’t scary-fast to the point that any subtle prod of the go-pedal is met with terror; which while not at all what I want in a daily driver, would at least make driving it interesting.
I need to do some handling mods still, but honestly I wish it had like 50 fewer HP. Yes, I want my GTI to be slower.
No one makes my ideal car anymore. The GTI used to be the standard bearer for this segment, and I am not at all arguing that it is a bad car. Far from it. It is truly exceptionally well rounded. And when I am just stuck in traffic commuting, I absolutely appreciate that it can driven like an appliance without fussing that I cannot let it run.
But when traffic is clear and I have the space to drive hard, I am very aware that the speeds being achieved are likely going to cost me. Just this morning I had an open run to merge onto the highway and did so fairly hard. I was well past the posted limit before I was even halfway onto the ramp. So instead of being able to continue charging toward the freeway, I had to back out and let it coast so I wasn’t flying past everyone at over 100 MPH.
Anyone have any idea what to buy or start with to build into a ~2500-pound FWD, manual, hatch, with ~200HP NA, that also would have clean, uncluttered interior ergonomics and handsome, non-overwrought styling like my GTI?