GTI... what's it stand for?

[Othix]

i feel like an idiot of asking. but i have to find out SOMEHOW huh? GolfTurboIntercooled? no... cuz you can get the vr6... Golf Technica International (kinda like subaru)...

[Wouter Melissen]

GT = Grand Touring or Tourer
I = injection

Maserati already had a GTI in the sixties -> 3500 GTI ... Maserati also already had a Bora, but that's a different story ..

[Dub'd]

GT = Grand Turismo + 'i' for injection

TT = Touring Turismo

VR = in-line

I think

[Kudosdude]

Dub'd -

Don't know where you got the idea that VR meant inline.

Click here

[Dub'd]

hello Kudo.... so what does the "V" and the "R" represent... in German?

[Lagonda]

VR6 engines are V6 engines that are build with a narrow angle (15° I think...) so they can be fitted in smaller cars. VR5 is the same but with one cilinder less I think (I'm not sure about this). But VR is NOT in-line.

[Wouter Melissen]

The 'R' might be for 'Reihe' which is German for inline .. making it a V-inline engine, which the engine is. A V engine with inline characteristics.

[Lagonda]

Originally posted by Wouter Melissen
The 'R' might be for 'Reihe' which is German for inline .. making it a V-inline engine, which the engine is. A V engine with inline characteristics.

Bingo ! zeer goed

[DasModell]

Originally posted by Lagonda
VR6 engines are V6 engines that are build with a narrow angle (15° I think...) so they can be fitted in smaller cars. VR5 is the same but with one cilinder less I think (I'm not sure about this). But VR is NOT in-line.

i think to remember that Lacia invented the small angle V6 engine ....

[Dub'd]

Originally posted by Wouter Melissen
The 'R' might be for 'Reihe' which is German for inline .. making it a V-inline engine, which the engine is. A V engine with inline characteristics.

Thank you Herr Melissen! I remember reading something like that in a local motoring journal way back in 1993 when Volkswagen released the first VR6 engine in South Africa.

[henk4]

Originally posted by DasModell
i think to remember that Lacia invented the small angle V6 engine ....

Lancia is responsible for the first V6 engine, a 1750 cc unit, based on an existing V8 design and developed in 1942. It was ready to be fitted in the first Aurelia, the B10, when it was launched in 1948. The blockangle however is 60 degrees. Lancia had been working on V engines since the first world war, producing V12's and V16 for aircraft. Later on V8's were developed, for automotive purposes, first 60 later 45 degree. There was also a V12 with either 30 or 22 degrees angle, quite small already.

The V8 was later halved for use as V4 in the famous Lambda.

The Aurelia V6 was continued in the Flaminia, while a V4 version was used in the Appia. Strangely a boxer 2 litre was used in the contemporary Flavia. The breakthrough in engine design came with the Fulvia, successor to the Appia, still having a V4, but under a 13 degree angle. This allows the use of one overhead camshaft, dealing with the valves in both rows through extended rockers. The engine has one cylinder head, which makes it look like an ordinary in-line engine.

VR indeed means V-Reihe (Vau-Reihe), or V-in line, but it was not invented by VW but indeed by Lancia.

[henk4]

Originally posted by Wouter Melissen
GT = Grand Touring or Tourer
I = injection

Maserati already had a GTI in the sixties -> 3500 GTI ... Maserati also already had a Bora, but that's a different story ..

There is more to this,

Peugeot used the abbreviation TI for its 404 versions fitted with injection engines. T could have stood for Touring but given the use these cars (and the successors 504 and 505) had it could also have meant Taxi.

To confuse things further BMW launched a sports version of its 1800 sedan in 1965, which was named 1800TI. (giving 110 BHP comapred to the 90 of the 1800) However it was fitted with 2 double Weber carburettors, but it can safely be assumed that BMW was aiming at Alfa Romeo drivers, where even the modest Giulietta and later the Giulia had very famous TI versions. And had double Webers!.

The use of the abbrevation GTI became popular after the introduction (and the success) of the Golf I GTI in 1976, (?), which became the archetype of the hot hatch.