2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI & 2023 Nissan Z

Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

Ride shotgun while we chase Autobahn speeds in the Volkswagen Golf GTI...

Followed by a "Your Drive" deep dive into a one-of-a-kind Jeep... We'll go "Over the Edge" with a racing series for Carrera owners only... Ending on a shakedown of the new Nissan Z, down to the last letter!

So, come drive with us, next!

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

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First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

JOHN: When the all-new Mark 8 Volkswagen Golf arrived last year, we got so excited, we skipped the main course and went right to dessert with a track test of the delightful Golf R. Now, with our high-performance sweet tooth satisfied, it's time to turn our attention to the more affordable GTI.

So, let's find out, if this iconic hot hatch still nourishes our appetite for budget-friendly fun!

♪ ♪ The Volkswagen GTI has been around longer than the Internet, 1975, to be exact.

Back then, there was no Googling what exactly a hot hatch was, or clicking through the endless debates of whether the GTI was indeed the start of the concept.

But none of that matters to us, as we're on a roll, going full tilt around Savannah's Roebling Road Raceway in the 2023 edition of the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Even after all those years, it's still a barrel of fun to throw this little car around a track.

Not too much body roll, very little understeer, and a nimble well-balanced chassis.

The suspension is marginally stiffer, but doesn't necessarily feel any harsher, just more eager.

Compared to the Golf R, it's down about 75 horsepower and it doesn't have all-wheel-drive; but that doesn't seem to dampen the fun factor in any way.

It does have a torque-sensing limited slip differential, which really helps it make the best use what power is has.

That's 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, outputted from the 2.0 liter I4 turbo.

Up 13 horsepower and 15 additional pound-feet of torque over last gen; gains coming from higher pressure fuel delivery and reduced friction for internals.

A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, 7-speed DSG the auto-shift option.

With the manual, and despite a very soft clutch, it was plenty quick off the line, and the throttle is just as responsive as always.

We hit 60 in 6.0 seconds flat; the quarter-mile taking 14.5 seconds at 100 miles per hour.

The direct shift automatic will shave a few tenths off those numbers, if that's your priority.

Drive-modes are limited compared to the Golf R, but they're simple to use and are much more than just suggestive.

Plus, Individual mode offers a lot of customization, if you're willing to do some menu diving.

The GTI still manages to be a great daily driver, despite its abilities when you crank things up on your favorite set of twisties, or race track all the better.

You really do need to pay attention to speeds more than you used to, as they pick up quickly, and can approach numbers with serious legal consequences before you know it.

Despite its reputation and capabilities, the GTI has an uncanny ability to blend into the surroundings like an unassuming commuter car; and if you're into it enough to call it a Mark 8, you'll probably notice a slight change in the GTI's badging, LED lighting another big departure, but otherwise not all that different from before.

Autobahn trim comes with 19 inch alloys with summer performance tires, Good Years in our case, which provided excellent grip on the track, and held up great through multiple track days.

Inside, there's a good mix of old and new.

Lot of touch sensitive controls.

We'd rather have physical buttons and switches, but it's very modern and everything in here works great, and is within easy reach.

Front seats are terrific, and when sitting in the driver's seat, just about everything feels just right.

The one outlier is the shifter.

Some of our staff prefer a traditional round knob over the squarish shape of this one.

With the manual, Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 23-City, 32-Highway, and 27-Combined.

We averaged a fine 30.2 miles per gallon of regular.

That's an average Energy Impact Score of 11.0 barrels of yearly oil use and 5.5 tons of CO2 emissions.

VW no longer sells the standard Golf in the U.S., just Golf R and GTI versions.

But, there are three GTI trims to choose from, starting with S at $31,625, SE at $36,425, and $40,165 for the top Autobahn.

Much like the original did for us all those years ago, the 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI demonstrates just how fun and practical a front-wheel drive hatchback can be.

While, we can pick at a few minor things about the latest Mark 8 GTI, it's still glued to the original "Sport Golf" concept.

It's the car that introduced so many Americans to the pure joy of driving, and that joy continues, as we've learned to never underestimate the VW GTI.

♪ ♪ Performance car makers love to tout how similar their road cars are to their race cars.

But what you may not know is some brands will straight up sell you their race cars.

Well, this week our "Over the Edge" guy Greg Carloss gives a behind the scenes look at customer racing with the Porsche Carrera Cup.

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: The Porsche 911 GT3 is essentially a race car for the street, of course, safety and emission standards prevent Porsche from selling this GT3 Cup car for road use.

But they will sell it to those who are willing to race it.

When Porsche was developing the 992 generation of the 911 GT3, their Motorsport team was right there offering suggestions.

The result is a street car with a racecar's personality and a racecar with a street car's approachability.

That made it the perfect vehicle to bring the Porsche Carrera Cup to North America.

RACE BROADCAST: WeatherTech Laguna Seca we are green!

TROY BUNDY: So, Carrera Cup is one-make series that's been running globally now around the world for 30 years.

Super Cup is celebrating their 30th year and that's where it started.

It's now moved across to about 20 countries.

So basically, you buy the race car, it's not a license but it's essentially a license to get access to that program and then Porsche MotorSport North America comes along with our support program and then you get technical support, parts support, marketing...

So, it's literally arrived and drive.

Come here and enjoy your racing experience as best you can because we take care of everything else for you.

GREG: The Carrera Cup North America visits iconic places like Watkins Glen, Road America and of course, the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca.

2022 marks the series' first visit to California's Monterey County and the field of more than 30 cars is split into three classes: The Pro class is made up of drivers 35 and younger, while, the Pro-Am and Am classes are geared toward the gentleman drivers who don't make a career of racing.

As all three classes fight for position on these historic hills, it's easy to spot the Pros and the Ams just by driving style; something grizzled veteran, Leh Keen has developed for two decades.

RACE BROADCAST: Great opportunity to maneuver as you'd expect from the highly experienced 311RS driver in the bright red number 12, Leh Keen.

LEH KEEN: I used to race professionally...pretty heavy.

I retired in 2016, but then my buddy Ryan Gates started 311 RS MotorSport and asked me to drive The Pro class, you know, the top ten guys in the pro class are really, really good, fast guys.

So, that core group there, those guys can go race anywhere pretty much and be competitive.

So, it's a really competitive race series all across the three classes.

ANDY KILCOYNE: We've got three drivers competing in the Pro class, two guys in the Pro-am class.

And then, we've got a handful of drivers that are running in Am that are not necessarily full season entries, but you know they're gentlemen so they're busy businessmen that aren't able to commit, you know, to a full schedule.

GREG: In a one-make series like the Carrera Cup, all the cars are exactly the same.

So, at the end of the day, it comes down to the best driver with the best setup.

TROY: So basically, all they can do is change, you know, ride heights, tire pressures, a little bit of suspension, a little bit of aero, but that's essentially it.

It's all down to the driver, what they can get out of the car.

ANDY: There's not a lot of adjustability, so it comes down to not making mistakes and you know, that's great for teaching drivers of all levels, and crew how to be successful at this level will really allow you to be successful at higher levels.

GREG: Twenty-four-year-old Parker Thompson is one of the drivers hoping his success in the Carrera Cup takes him to the next level.

PARKER THOMPSON: What I'm hoping to get out of this is a relationship with Porsche.

So obviously, hopefully, after a couple race wins I'm on their radar... My hand is up, I'm calling Germany and I'm saying, "Hey, you guys need a Canadian on your team?

He's fast.

He's well-spoken and he's putting in a job application every year."

RACE BROADCAST: It's a perfect double for Parker Thompson and JDX racing!

GREG: Parker went on to win both races that weekend and was eventually crowned Pro class champion when the 2022 season wrapped up in October.

So, next time he calls Germany, they might just pick up.

JOHN: The automotive aftermarket is a bustling business, paying off with the satisfaction of making our rides truly unique.

On this week "Your Drive" Dan Maffett takes a deep dive into the vintage-inspired jeep concept now customized for duty.

♪ ♪ DAN MAFFETT: Easter Jeep Safari in Moab draws thousands of enthusiasts to its slick rock trails, and every year, Jeep unveils several concept vehicles just like this one behind us that we're lucky enough to have in the studio.

You may be wondering to yourself, what is a concept car?

A concept car is a statement by the brand to signify where they're going.

They take the best technology and the best designers they have at their disposal and design a perfect vehicle.

Now, every project that comes through our shop has to have a theme.

We sit with the customer, we draw out every idea they have, and we pick a concise theme from beginning to end, so that way when we're done, we have a very complete project that works together.

Now, the theme of this project is unmistakable: It's designed after the original and the iconic Willys Jeep.

You can see it has these steely wheels, the half doors, the winch up front and even the ragtop on the top.

Now, if you're going to customize your project at your home, you're going to need products to do so.

Most manufacturers produce their own in-house products.

Jeep has the JPP line.

They have everything form modular doors and roofs like that, all the way down to winch accessories, suspension, interior kits.

They even have reinforced hinges for the tailgate where your spare tire sits, so if you go up a bigger tire, you don't have to worry about your door sagging.

With that bigger tire, you're going to need a third brake light relocator bracket just like this.

Now, with any modification, you do to your project, you're going to want to take the time to plan it out, so you have a concise idea from beginning to end.

Last thing you want to do is finish your project, look at it, and be scatter-brained and be all over the place.

Now remember, no matter what you do, you want to pick the products for your intended use.

So, if you're going to rock crawl, or just look cool driving to work, you want to pick the products that best benefit that drive.

Any questions or comments, hit us up, right here, at MotorWeek.

JOHN: Stephanie Hart shows us the latest leads on this week's MotorNews!

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: We're back from the Windy City with the biggest news from this year's Chicago Auto Show.

Toyota unveiled the 2024 Grand Highlander, a stretched crossover SUV with a true adult-sized third row.

It will be available with three powertrains, including Toyota's Hybrid Max rated at 362 horsepower.

Volkswagen showed a pair of fresh faces, the three-row 2024 Atlas and two-row Atlas Cross Sport.

Additions include adaptive headlights and a new powertrain, along with a redesigned interior that's more elegant, featuring more tech.

Both are still made in the USA.

For its U.S. debut, the new Subaru Crosstrek wears familiar but smoother styling, bolstered by a 10 percent stiffer chassis.

A CVT joins all-wheel-drive as standard.

Screens dominate the interior, with an available 11.6 inch vertical unit, home to optional STARLINK navigation.

Jeep celebrated its off-road heritage with the 20th Anniversary Edition, available on the Wrangler Rubicon 4xe and 392.

Each has special graphics, badging, unique grilles, a suspension lift, all-terrain tires and beadlock-capable wheels.

Ram hit the show floor for the first public viewing of their 1500 Revolution EV pickup concept.

It serves as a precursor to the production version, now officially known as the 1500 REV, expected to arrive late 2024.

Meanwhile, Tesla received some unexpected flak during this year's Super Bowl.

A 30 second ad called for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to outlaw Tesla's Full Self-Driving feature.

The ad, made by The Dawn Project, played only in select cities.

This is not the first time Tesla's FSD has been scrutinized.

A California Senate Bill regulates the language used to describe autonomous driving features; and even the U.S. Justice Department has requested information related to FSD features.

And that's it for this week's MotorNews!

JOHN: In our world, the fastest way to get a grin is to hit the road for another QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: When the Chevrolet Bolt EUV arrived in 2022, we found it to be surprisingly fun to drive.

However, it wasn't exactly an attention grabber.

The Redline Editions, new for 2023, are a little more extroverted.

Redline treatment is available on both the LT and Premier trims as a $495 upgrade.

They stand apart with sporty black wheels, mirror caps, badging, and red accents like the hash marks on the 17 inch rims.

Inside this Premier Redline are perforated leather-appointed seats, held together by red stitching.

The same can be had on the LT Redline with optional packaging.

Upfront on both is a clear 8.0 inch instrument panel, and 10.2 inch infotainment touchscreen.

Both Redlines are powered by the EUV's sole powertrain, a single electric motor with 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque.

They're front-wheel-drive only with an estimated 247 miles of range from a 65 kilowatt-hour battery.

While, a fully-loaded Premier Redline can top $38,000 with delivery, they start under $34,000, and LT Redlines start just over $29K before incentives.

A great bargain for first time EV-ers.

With the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Redline Editions, you don't have go boring when buying electric on a budget.

And we'll have more QuickSpins, soon!

JOHN: Most people would agree that the original Nissan 240Z was the car that legitimized Japanese sports cars here in America.

But much has changed over the last 50 years, a small sporty coupe is certainly not as popular as they once were, and the Z went from leading that pack to barely remembered.

So, it's Time to see what kind of an impact an all-new Z car will have in the modern performance car landscape.

♪ ♪ If you're old enough to remember the original Datsun 240Z, congrats, you've lived a full and hopefully rewarding car enthusiast life; as did the last generation Nissan 370Z.

It saw a full 12 years before quietly slipping away in 2020.

The new 2023 Nissan Z does away with the numbers in the name; fitting, as this car is about much more than just numbers.

The family lineage of this 7th generation Z is obvious, without any further review required; as there's less of a design theme and more of a greatest hits collection of previous Zs.

There's the long nose of the original, eye-like headlights of the 240ZG, and taillights reminiscent of the '90s 300ZX; plus, a subtle hood bulge and black roof; though sorry, no T-tops.

Same exact wheelbase as before, but there's a new chrome roof spear, and either 18 or 19 inch wheels.

Available in Sport and Performance specs, it's the Performance that gets the 19 inch wheels along with a mechanical limited slip differential, more aggressive suspension tune, sport muffler, front chin spoiler and rear spoiler.

But, the Z launches with this special Proto Spec edition, limited to just 240 units.

It sports unique 19 inch wheels, yellow brake calipers, upgraded leather seating, yellow trim, and even a distinctive shift knob.

The really good news is you don't have to pay any extra to get max power.

All Zs come with a 3.0 liter twin-turbo V6.

It's not the first turbo-charged Z, but it is the first Z to come exclusively with boost; rated at 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque.

And yes, it's the same VR30DDTT engine, you can get in Red Sport Infiniti's.

That's a substantial jump over last gen's standard 332 horsepower; and with those turbos, torque delivery is noticeably more intense.

The interior is far more modern than retro, with a center multimedia screen that is either an 8.0 or 9.0 incher, while the gauge display is more than 12 inches.

Though, we were glad to see they still incorporate a trio of analog dials on top of the dash, because who doesn't like to monitor turbo speed?

In the console, is either a short-throw shifter for the 6-speed manual; or an electronic gear selector for the 9-speed automatic transmission.

Even with the manual, there is launch assist to help you make a quick getaway; and putting it to use, got us to 60 in 4.5 seconds, eight/tenths quicker than the last NISMO tune 370Z we tested.

The clutch is firm and the shifter is solid and works well, provided you don't try and force it too aggressively.

The engine sounds precise and sewing machine-like more than raw powerful, but is feels hella torquey throughout the 12.9 second quarter-mile, which we finished at 108 miles per hour.

All of that torque makes for easy burnouts, but it also powered some quick trips through our handling course.

It understeers early at turn-in, but power is smooth for providing the subtle inputs you need for maintaining a good pace.

Compared to the Supra it feels softer but also less twitchy.

The stability systems let you have quite a bit of fun before stepping in.

Underneath is the same basic double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension setup from last gen, but tweaked of course, with revised geometry and upgraded monotube shocks.

Brakes were outstanding.

Even with a slight bouncing motion, the 3,500 pounds Z delivered consistent stops from 60 of just 104 feet.

All of this comes with greater comfort than before in both seating and ride quality for the drive home.

Starting Price is only $41,015 for Z Sport; Performance is 10-grand more; undercutting the Toyota Supra by a significant margin.

Limited Proto Specs are still available for $55,310.

While, it doesn't break any new ground, Nissan has done a fantastic job with the 2023 Z.

They've captured the spirit of the original, while delivering a more than notable dose of modern performance, at a still realistic price.

Even if the popularity of true 2-seat sports cars has given way to high-output SUVs and track-worthy compacts, it's great to see brands like Nissan keep the faith.

And, anyone with a little petrol still in their veins prays that they can do that for another 50 years.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time... We hit the track in the third-pedal comeback of Toyota's Supra, then get to work in the updated Chevrolet Silverado.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek , Television's original automotive magazine, visit... To order a DVD of this program, call... MotorWeek has been brought to you by... ANNOUNCER: For more than 30 years Lucas Oil products has helped people tackle mechanical problems in the automotive, marine, and industrial fields.

From our original four core products... Lucas Oil has developed over 400 custom products to help both professionals and do it yourselfers.

To learn more visit Lucasoil.com.

Lucas oil, keep that engine alive!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper, featuring major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast.

Learn more at AutoValue.com and BumperToBumper.com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek .

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it Tire Rack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

♪ ♪ This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(car engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.