The Golf is a Automobile, range known as compact, German mark Volkswagen. It is a car with forage ladder (versions tri-body exist but marginally in Europe). Appeared in 1974, five generations follow one another to the current version (platform Golf V) launched in 2003. Dominant in the range of compact in Europe, she will see appearing, as from the years 2000, an increasingly sharpened competition. She is appreciated for her reliability and her quality of construction (she represents one of the great successes of the " made in Germany"). The 5th generation of the Golf took again the name Rabbit first generation at the time of its entry on the North-American market.

The most remarkable version is the GTi Golf launched during the year 1976 (Golf MKI), it created the concept of sporting small car with fuel injection engine (contrary to the carburettor engines of the time). An engine of 1.6L of 110 ch in a case light and suspended well with a special decoration (compared to its contemporary model) made it possible to carry out high level performances for the time. The GTi myth had been born, it will know its hour of glory in the Années 1980 (the " bombinettes"), concept which will take again many other marks (in particular Peugeot with the 205 GTi and Renault with Renault 5 WP Turbomotor without injection but with turbo). In 1982, a more middle-class version (and more door) appear. The GTi Golf blunts its sporting character gradually, phenomenon appreciably accentuated by the appearance of an increasingly powerful competition. The engine becomes one 1781 Cm3 of 112 ch 5-speed gearbox, already used on the last versions of golf series 1. In the Nineties, the sporting range will rest on the one hand on a 1,8L regularly improved until the appearance of a compressor (engines of 160 ch), but a V6 version of 2.8L (then 2,9 L) also made its appearance and chapeaute sporting range, the VR6.

In 2005 Golf GTI is equipped with an engine TFSI 2.0 of 200 ch (turbocompressé). The V6 engine passes him to 250 ch in the R32 Golf. In 2006 the Golf a model integrates an engine of 1,4 L which innovates by using at the same time a compressor and turbo to develop 170 ch with a couple available as of the low mode. It is about the Golf TSI, which precedes the engines gasoline of the future: weak cubic capacity, low fuel consumption but effectiveness on all the beach of use of the engine thanks to the compressor which increases the couple with low mode, relayed with semi-mode by the effective turbocompressor higher in the turns.

There exists Golf having the transmission " intégrale" (by central visco-coupler). The most sporting version (the R32 Golf) integrates this device systematically. The behavior on wet road improves then appreciably.