#WeirdCarMastodon
#WeirdCar

A few weeks ago, I was at the Vancoufur car meet and slightly shy because my car, which is not anything sporty or flashy or classic or anything like that, felt a little out of place with all the cool cars around it.

I like it, a lot, but I feel like it doesn't fully align with the kind of stuff you see at car shows. It's not a "cool car", even in general "we like the weird lil cars" circles.

I said that to a friend and, much to my surprise, seconds later I was approached by this British gentleman who started asking me questions about it because this particular model is not sold in Europe and is not a popular or famous part of overseas VW culture.

That made my day, as I went on to explain what this car is and how it got here. Glad this British friend also learned something new!

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For those not in the know, this car is a "Golf City", basically a mk4 Golf with new bumpers and lights to give it a more modern, but controversial, look. In Canada, it was sold as an entry model alongside the mk5.

Other than the lights and bumpers, the car is essentially a Mk4 through and through, interior and all. It comes with the 2.0 8v engine that makes 116hp.

Golf Cities were manufactured in Brazil, and over there they had not only this base model but also a GTI version and some other special trims - the car was manufactured and sold in Brazil all the way into 2014! (Brazilians didnt get the mk5 and mk6 Golfs).

Like me, this car was made in Brazil and sent to Canada. It's not fast for Canadian road standards, but it's still fun to drive, practical and I like how it looks. I gave it coilovers and a new set of wheels and stickier tires <3

Hope you enjoyed this little piece of trivia! My favourite cars are cars that real people drive. I'll listen to you talking about your Camry for hours, while having little to no patience to hear someone bragging about their cool af sports car that costs gajillions.

@leggy2fast
It's a lovely car! PS, great wheels
@donaldham Thanks! Got them recently, I think they added a look to the look compared to the original set <3
@leggy2fast Oh I would have come over and talked your ear off about your wonderfully quirky Golf! What a weirdo it is, Brazil have been incredibly inventive with VWs. Love it!
@vwdasher Haha thanks! I do love talking about cars that people use in everyday life, and this is one of them :) I grew up in Brazil so I was surrounded by those quirky VWs, the Gol, Saveiro, Brasília, you name it!
@leggy2fast my dream Brazillian car would be any Gurgel! Such fun, innovative things! Or an SP-2. I have seen one here in Australia, super rare and gorgeous. Yours would get a crowd at any VW show here, it's such an oddball.

@vwdasher SP2s unfortunately became collector cars with a capital C so the prices are starting to go wild! I love them though, gorgeous cars. As for Gurgels, you can still find a few around! Particular favourite of mine is the Motomachine, with the acrylic side doors.

While I can't bring my car over to an event overseas, I'll make sure to take good care of so it's not forgotten! haha

@leggy2fast You better! 😆 It's a super cool weird VW!

@leggy2fast I promise you, there are plenty of car people out there who'd rather see a Brazilian+Canadian market VW Golf than any of the supercars.

My favorite event at Monterey Car Week is the Concourse d'Lemons: https://24hoursoflemons.com/concours-d-lemons/

Sadly, I cannot recommend the road trip due to fascism down here, but maybe if this storm passes.

Concours d'Lemons - 24 Hours of LEMONS

24 Hours of LEMONS

@overeducatedredneck When that guy showed up at the event to ask me about my car it made me smile from ear to ear because of that, good to know we're not alone in this!

Unfortunately I haven't been to the US for Those Reasons, but Lemons is a great event, the races too! In 24 I tagged along with a team that had a VR6-swapped Fiat X-1/9 (!!!). Poor thing didnt last long but it was fun :D

@leggy2fast I have only ever driven my parents cars and those in driving school, I never owned my own. But from the limited pool of cars I have experience driving, the best one in my opinion is probably the most boring of the bunch (my parents old Opel Zafira, compared to a mini cooper, some sporty audi and a hybrid BMW). It simply was so useful! No flashy tech inside, no powerful engine, but very efficient use of space, way more comfortable than the sporty stuff in driving school and more reliable than the car that replaced it.

I might not talk much about cars, but I definitely respect cars that prioritise utility over optics.

Also, that licence plate is on point 👌

@muellermeier My brother had a Zafira until, like, last month! As a married man with three kids and a dog, that car felt super right for him, so spacious and nice! Minivans/MPVs are great!

And thanks, leggy plate is very important!

@leggy2fast yes, a fantastic family car.