Volkswagen Golf GTI Pirelli 2009 review

Right now you can get your grubby little hands on a red hot, limited edition GTI Pirelli that's going to knock your socks off.

With 169kW of power to call on instead of the regular car's 147, the Pirelli is just what the doctor ordered.

That car quickly achieved cult status and now, 25 years later, the new Pirelli is sure to set a few hearts beating faster too.

In Australia, the GTI is Volkswagen's best selling model.

With special 18inch Pirelli wheels and tyres, the Pirelli can sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds and has a top speed of 245km/h.

It's available in three and five door configurations and in a variety of colours . Inside, there are plenty of goodies too, but the highlight of the show has to be the special Pirelli sports buckets with their cool, tyre tread pattern that runs down the centre.

Drivetrain

The Pirelli's turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-litre engine is currently the most powerful four cylinder petrol unit offered by Volkswagen, but it comes only with VW's DSG gearbox. There is no manual.

Maximum power of 169kW is produced at 5500rpm and maximum torque of 300Nm is available across a wide band, from 2200 through to 5200rpm.

Chassis, brakes and ESP combine for a well-balanced package, fitted with the latest generation of 225/40 series P-Zero tyres.

The DSG box works like an auto, but it's really a robotised manual with two clutches and a computer to do the work of your left foot.

Believe it or not, it even blips the throttle on downchanges when you're in sport mode.

You've got the choice of leaving it in D, putting it into the more aggressive sport mode or changing gears manually, either with the shifter or tiny wheel mounted change paddles.

It's quick, there's no denying that, but we'd still prefer a manual, only because we find the drive more engaging.

Bumpers and side skirts are colour-coded, visually setting the GTI Pirelli apart from the standard GTI.

Driving

The Pirelli is quick, much quicker than a standard GTI, but perhaps not quite as quick as a WRX, at least off the line.

Corner to corner, however, there's not much in it.

Drive is through the front wheels with electronic stability control to keep things in check.

The steering is precise and the car responds quickly to the throttle, with strong roll on mid range acceleration where you want it.

You can push it hard through corners with confidence and the brakes are equally impressive. They're not Brembos, but they feel like them.

Give the price some people are going to say why bother? Why not get an R32 and be done with it.

We've driven both and we reckon the GTI is the pick.

It's lighter, feels more agile and is better suited to the demands of city driving with its turbo boost for short, sharp bursts of power.

Apart from missing out on a manual, our main gripe with this car concerns the ride quality

Compared to other Volkswagens we've driven, it's harsh and can even become annoying at times.

Volkswagen has always had the happy knack of delivering a smooth ride that magically firms up in corners, but not this time.

All is forgiven, however, as soon as you hit that first set of bends.

Golf GTI Pirelli is priced from $47,490 and $48,990 respectively for three and five-door models.