VW's 'Hot Hatches' at New Performance Levels

The Volkswagen Rabbit, known as the Golf worldwide, was introduced in the United States in 1974 as a compact, front-wheel-drive car. The Rabbit was Volkswagen’s response to the growing popularity of small, fuel-efficient Japanese cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.  Rabbit’s spunky nature and great handling, and photos of it lifting an inside rear wheel during aggressive cornering made the Rabbit a VW icon. Remember, it essentially replaced the VW Beetle in the Volkswagen lineup. The 1976 model year saw the release of the Mk 1 Rabbit GTI, creating the “Hot Hatch” moniker. With more horsepower and even better handling, the GTI became an instant