Hello, goodbye

2009 marks the end of the first decade of the 21st century and surely everyone out there has a car in his or her hearts and minds that is totally unforgettable or special. For me, it was an obvious choice – the Mk V Volkswagen Golf GTI. Sure, my ownership affair with the iconic hot hatch lasted only two years but right from the moment I first drove it at the international media launch in the South of France on a cold November afternoon in 2004, the GTI gives me a buzz whenever I had a drive in it. Yes a Ferrari F430 looks sexier and can go much faster but in the real world of front-wheel drive cars, the GTI is the unsung hero. The Mk V GTI was a quantum leap over the lardy and slow Mk III and IV. With the fifth gen, VW has rekindled the spirit of the original GTI.

The international launch was held six months before the GTI’s Singapore debut and after a spirited drive on the Paul Ricard circuit and the smooth, twisty roads in the area (where WilliamsF1 boss Frank Williams had the car accident that made him wheelchair bound), I knew I had to have a GTI for my next car – which I did. For two years, the daily commute was made more exciting by a Tornado Red five-door GTI. With every conceivable option specified as standard for local cars, the GTI was a joy to own and live with. Naysayers had doubts about its DSG’s reliability but it was totally faultless for two years. In fact the whole car was faultless during my ownership period other than the dodgy seat height adjustment motor. It was sad to see the GTI go in the end but at least I fulfilled my wish of owning a Mk V Golf GTI.

What’s your car of the decade? Tell us in the forum thread, discuss it and let’s see if others share the same sent.

Credits: Story by Raymond Lai