• This 1988 VW Jetta GLI has an alluring exterior color scheme, a pristine inside, and delightful driving dynamics.
• Our fondness for the ’88 GLI dates back again to a street take a look at we did in 1989, exactly where we praised the sedan’s German engineering.
• This mildly modified instance at this time has a bid of $7500 on Provide a Trailer, and the auction ends on Sunday, April 3.
You will find nothing at all in particular special about this 1988 Volkswagen Jetta GLI. Collectors will most likely quibble over its minimal blemishes and gentle modifications, and the simple fact that its odometer at present reveals around 48,000 miles but Carfax studies a “mileage inconsistency” in 2016. Even so, as shortly as I noticed this GLI outlined on the Convey a Trailer auction site–which, like Motor vehicle and Driver, is element of Hearst Autos–I was immediately smitten with the smaller, sporty sedan and declared it our auction decide on of the working day.
I will have to admit that I’ve in no way driven a 2nd-gen Jetta GLI, which spans the 1985 by 1991 model yrs. Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped me from admiring them from afar, and this ’88 illustration on BaT has all the elements that make me want just one for myself. I am a big admirer of white vehicles. I assume the paint color appears to be like stylish and sporty. Combat me if you disagree. Anyway, this GLI’s Alpine White paint career with red and black accents strikes me as the quintessential combo. I also like the glimpse of its 15-inch BBS wheels. The automobile has a superior stance, too, with the vendor mentioning that it rides on aftermarket shocks and springs.
Bring a Trailer
What I imagine I really like most about this unique Jetta GLI is its pristine-hunting inside, exclusively the two-tone materials on the seats and door panels. The blend of black leather-based and gray cloth looks correctly racy, and the high-quality won’t look to be any even worse than what is within a brand-new GLI. The electricity-adjustable Recaro entrance seats from back again in ’88 are surely more supportive than the loose-fitting chairs in the 2022 product that concluded final in a comparison test as opposed to the new Honda Civic Si and Hyundai Elantra N.
Carry a Trailer
In inventory type, the 1988 Jetta GLI was powered by a DOHC 1.8-liter inline-4 that pumped out 123 horsepower. That electrical power was despatched to the front axle as a result of a 5-speed manual transmission. Again in 1989, Car or truck and Driver analyzed a single that went from zero to 60 mph in 9.3 seconds. Although that is ungodly slow by present-day standards–a adhere-shift ’22 Jetta GLI did the deed in 6.1 ticks–the ’88 design would not want to be speedy to be pleasurable. Furthermore, its .80 g of cornering grip and 180-foot halting distance from 70 mph (on tire know-how that is 30-in addition decades old, no fewer) are only .06 g and 6 ft shy of the new car’s marks.
JIM CAIOZZO
Michael SimariAutomobile and Driver
When our predecessors drove the ’88 Jetta GLI back in the day, they applauded its German engineering and claimed, “The total Jetta is larger than its particular person elements.” That new GLI stays a seriously excellent sport-compact sedan, but it is also oversaturated with tech and upscale features that can distract from the driving experience. For what must be substantially fewer money—the present-day bid on BaT is $7500 with 4 times to go—I’d fairly generate and personal an ’80s GLI than a manufacturer-spanking-new a person.
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