Keepers: Volkswagen Golf GTI Mark II—Community

Features I By Christopher Smith I November 26, 2009

There are but a handful of cars that truly enjoy a massive, worldwide enthusiast community, and the GTI is arguably at the top of that short list. It doesn’t matter where you are—Europe, Asia, Africa, North America; the GTI faithful are everywhere, driving the wheels off their little hatchbacks and loving every moment of it. As such, local and regional Volkswagen clubs are commonplace, and most of them have at least some sort of connection to a small online villa called VW Vortex.

VW Vortex is small in much the same way that the moon is smaller than the sun, and like the moon, it also has the ability to occasionally eclipse a portion of the Earth. Nearly half a million registered members frequent the extensive online forums, with sections ranging from mechanical work to racing, classifieds, modifications, and just about everything imaginable in between. It’s one of the most professional-looking enthusiast sites on the internet, reading more like a highbrow periodical instead of a car forum. Best of all, it’s absolutely free to join thanks to an A-list of sponsorships.

 

VW Vortex caters to all things Volkswagen, but it also includes Audi, Lamborghini, Skoda, and every other nameplate connected to VW. Such a large forum can at times be a bit intimidating, so for enthusiasts seeking a smaller, GTI-specific venue, there’s myfastGTI.com. Aside from a more managable community of 17,000 registered users, myfastGTI.com focuses specifically on the GTI and offers a broad range of forums to peruse for information. Outside the forum realm, gti16v.com is an outstanding resource for Mark II 16-valve GTI owners, featuring loads of technical information, show information, classifieds, and an owner’s registry.

Of course, any car as popular as the GTI will have no shortage of events to choose from, however two events supercede anything else on the VW must-do calendar. Waterfest takes place in the heat of July, and it draws hundreds of vendors and tens of thousands of Volkswagen enthusiasts to Englishtown, New Jersey for two days of racing and showing off. A couple months later and a couple hundred miles north is H2O International in Ocean City, Maryland; a two-day Volkswagen car show that pulls upwards of 1000 participants and its own impressive share of vendors. Both shows are large enough to easily get lost in, both have prestige as being some of the best events in the automotive enthusiast community, and yes, both have reputations for being a bit rowdy at times. In other words, both shows have all the necessary ingredients to make for some truly memorable automotive happenings.

What happens at Waterfest and H2Oi stays there, or does it?

The Guide to Road Racing: Winding Road Magazine's ultimate guide to getting your start in racing.

Table of Contents

Related Articles

EV Inspired Automobile Renaissance

By the start of the 20th Century, the development of consumer automobiles was in full swing, and, seemingly, everyone was throwing their hat in the…

March 14, 2024
BUGATTI TYPE 35: The Making of A Champion

Setting the blueprint for all Bugatti cars that followed, the Type 35 was designed and engineered like no other, and featured world-firsts to ensure unmatched…

March 14, 2024
Audi accelerates preparations for successful entry into Formula 1 and significantly expands its commitment

Supervisory Boards of Volkswagen AG and AUDI AG vote for complete takeover of Sauber Group Oliver Hoffmann takes over responsibility for Audi’s Formula 1 commitment…

March 08, 2024
Rivian Introduces R2, R3, and R3X Built on New Midsize Platform

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. March 7, 2024 – Rivian today unveiled its new midsize platform which underpins R2 and R3 product lines. R2 is Rivian’s all-new midsize…

March 07, 2024
INEOS Automotive Introduces The INEOS Fusilier – One Vehicle, Two Powertrains

INEOS Automotive has unveiled its third model line – the INEOS Fusilier. The new 4X4 will offer two powertrain options to meet global consumer needs:…

February 23, 2024

EMAIL SIGN UP

Get the latest driving and racing news straight to your inbox.

no thanks

Begin typing your search above and press return to search.