VW Golf GT: Taking the Super-Turbo for a spin

"AutoWeek" took the VW Golf GT, also known as the twin-charger due to its turbo and compressor, for a spin.

Driven by spiraling gasoline prices and ever stringent emission regulations, the push is on at Volkswagen to introduce a range of small engines, all with reduced fuel consumption and emissions, capable of delivering the sort of power one might expect of their larger-capacity cousins.

It’s a tough task, but if VW’s newest Twincharger engine (Aug. 29) is any indication, Wolfsburg could be onto something.

Fitted to the European-market Golf GT, the 1.4-liter four-cylinder uses supercharging and turbo­charging to boost output, picking up on an idea introduced by Nissan on its Japan-market March. The supercharger boosts low-end response and flattens the torque curve, while the turbo­charger strengthens the top end.

The result is serious pull off the line, with a sturdy 147 lb-ft of torque available from just 1250 rpm. The induction system makes the four-valve-per-cylinder unit extraordinarily responsive, extremely flexible and wonderfully linear well beyond the 2400-rpm peak where the supercharger begins to disengage.

GermanCarBlog, VW Golf GT

Source: AutoWeek, picture by GermanCarFans

VW Golf GT: Taking the Super-Turbo for a spin

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