Oettinger Golf GTI Edition 35 put to the test

L intermittent, stuffy, conservative - a gray VW At first glance, golf exudes as much sex appeal as Angela Merkel's pantsuits. When the Volkskutsche attaches the GTI logo to its dress, the pulse of sports fans is slowly rising. An old acquaintance is now making the heart pound: Tuner Oettinger pours Tabasco under the sheet metal and tweaks the GTI special edition Edition 35 into a street-legal club sport weapon.

VW Golf GTI from Oettinger with 340 PS

A conspicuous carbon fiber accumulator with an integrated sports air filter in the engine compartment already visually reveals that this VW Golf GTI wants to make the dolls dance. Thanks to a special high-pressure petrol pump, larger intercooler and modified engine management, the EA113 four-cylinder now rocks with a whopping 340 hp instead of 235. A stainless steel exhaust, consisting of a middle silencer, a four-flow rear silencer and a downpipe with a 200-cell catalytic converter (the latter without approval) not only provides extra horsepower, but also accompanies you with a robust voice (total price: 2,490 euros)

Thanks to the increase in performance, the Oettinger-VW Golf GTI sprints from zero to 180 km /h 2.8 seconds faster than the production model from the starting blocks. With a maximum torque of 520 Nm (series: 300 Nm), the tuned Golf also delivers powerful intermediate sprints even in high gears. From 80 to 160 km /h in sixth gear it runs 2.6 seconds faster than the production 35 series.

Optimized for the Race track use

More lard under the hood is always possible. But what use is it if the front-wheel drive car scratches its hooves on the spot like a fighting bull. For optimal traction, Oettinger installed a Drexler lock in the VW Golf GTI. In connection with a 3.0 degree negative camber and a slightly opened track on the front axle, the hot Golf now hits hooks on ruts like a rabbit in escape mode. The snappy racing clutch is also rather unsuitable for city traffic (1,050 euros).

Comfort chatter about straight-line stability and suspension comfort is as much of interest here as silver cutlery on a camping holiday. With its tightly tuned, three-way adjustable KW Clubsport chassis, the Oettinger-VW Golf GTI thirsts for curves and eats the same with direct steering behavior.

Tuned golf depends on the competition

In addition to the suspension, that is a major concerngood grip level of the Dunlop Direzza 03G semi-slicks for impressive traction. Spinning wheels or pushing over the front axle under load? No result - the tuned VW Golf GTI Edition 35 pulls precisely out of the corners like a slot car on guardrails. In order to make the rear of the four-door more maneuverable and agile, a higher air pressure on the rear axle helps in addition to the slight toe-out (cold pressure: 1.8 bar at the front, 2.35 bar at the rear). With a test lap time of 1.13.3 minutes at Hockenheim, the Oettinger GTI outperformed the production model by an impressive 5.7 seconds. Conclusion: Oettinger has successfully transformed the VW Golf GTI Edition 35 from a gray Golf into a wolf in sheep's clothing.