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AUTO REVIEW

2017 Volkswagen GTI

By Steve Schutz, MD

In 1983, Volkswagen USA
breathed new life into its aging Golf
lineup by introducing a sporty GTI
version. Based loosely on the Euro-
pean Golf GTI, which had been
immensely popular since its launch
in 1976, the original GTI was rela-
tively underpowered but lots of fun
to drive. And like its continental
namesake, the American GTI be-
came an instant hit over here.

A quick aside: in 1984, your hum-
ble automotive writer bought a new
GTI days after finding out he had
earned an Air Force scholarship to
medical school. I drove it for four
years before trading it in on a “bet-
ter” car that was totally not better, a
move I regretted for a long time.
44 San Antonio Medicine • November 2017