The car that invented the hot hatch set a pretty high bar for all that came after it.But its birth wasn't easy...The prototype was based on a Scirocco, with an EA827 engine with dual carburetors and a lowered and stiffened suspension. When Volkswagen's Chief of Research drove this prototype, he objected to the harsh suspension and excessive noise from the intake system and declared the car "undrivable". Nevertheless, the VW Golf GTI team persevered and ended up assembling an exceptional automobile.