The Golf became the Rabbit because VW had made the car to be quick and small. Since VW was targeting the younger market, Golf would have sounded too high class. From Rabbit To The MK2 Golf
Full Answer
Why is the Volkswagen Golf called the rabbit in the US?
But although Golf was the name in Germany, the US and Canada got it as Rabbit. Why Was The Volkswagen Golf Renamed The Rabbit In The US? The Golf became the Rabbit because VW had made the car to be quick and small. Since VW was targeting the younger market, Golf would have sounded too high class.
What kind of car is the 2008 VW Rabbit?
The 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit is the U.S. version of the fifth-generation Golf--what Rabbits are called in Europe. The Rabbit is available in two- and four-door hatchback body styles, and in three models: base, performance GTI, and high-performance R32.
When did the VW Rabbit last come out?
Years later, they would also introduce the VW Fox, carrying on that theme. The Rabbit stayed on the US market from 1974 to 1983, when it was finally replaced by the MK2 Golf, which kept the same Golf shape, but it was longer and wider.
Can you use golf parts on a rabbit?
You can use Golf parts on a Rabbit, or vice versa. To recap, the VW Golf was originally called ‘Rabbit’ in America because Volkswagen believed that the association with the sport of golf might hamper sales of the car (even though we know the car isn’t named after the sport – as per this recent article we released).
Why is a VW Golf called a Rabbit?
In the US, however, the Mark 1 Golf was called the Rabbit, because it was meant to be small and nimble, and 'Golf" sounded too upscale for an economy car aimed at young buyers. Years later, they would also introduce the VW Fox, carrying on that theme.
Why are GTI called Rabbit?
The Rabbit name stems back to the first-gen Golf, which was marketed in the U.S. as the Rabbit from 1975 to 1984. The name was revived in the U.S. in 2006 as the moniker for the fifth-gen Golf, during which time the GTI was treated as a separate model.
What generation is the 2008 VW Rabbit?
fifth-generation GolfThe 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit is the U.S. version of the fifth-generation Golf--what Rabbits are called in Europe. The Rabbit is available in two- and four-door hatchback body styles, and in three models: base, performance GTI, and high-performance R32.
What is a Golf Rabbit?
Updated on 07/05/19. "Rabbit" is a golf side bet that is a game for a group of three or a group of four golfers. In Rabbit, the object is to "catch the rabbit" — which a golfer does by winning a hole (having the low score of the group) — and to still have possession of the rabbit when the front nine ends.
Is a VW Rabbit a Mk5?
Using the Volkswagen Group A5 (PQ35) platform, the Mk5 debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October 2003 and went on sale in Europe for the 2004 model year. Marketed as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, the GTI model in these countries was marketed simply as the Volkswagen GTI.
When did VW stop making rabbits?
The Rabbit name lived on for about 10 years, and then Volkswagen decided it was time to give it the same name here that it had everywhere else. That is, of course, until that brief time from 2006 to 2009 when the company mysteriously chose to bring back the Rabbit.
What is a VW Rabbit?
Overview. The Rabbit replaced the aged Golf in 2007 and is basically a hatchback Jetta. Interior appointments are more than you might expect for the low base price, but options are costly. Like the 1975 original, this Rabbit is a compelling Germanic alternative to the competition.
How much horsepower does a 2008 VW Rabbit have?
170 hp2008 Volkswagen Rabbit / HorsepowerThe 2008 Rabbit only has one engine, available with two transmissions: a five-speed manual and a six-speed automatic with Tiptronic and Sport mode The 2.5-liter, five-cylinder makes 170 horsepower and 170 pounds-feet of torque.
Is VW Rabbit a good car?
In reviews, we lauded the Rabbit's high-quality cabin trim, which imparted a richness that's rare in the compact class. Additionally, the Rabbit's comfortable ride and competent (if not overly sporty) handling dynamics made it a well-rounded and practical economy car.
When did the Rabbit become the Golf?
By 1985, a new version of the GTI's engine was utilized for the MKII generation – the wheelbase was extended and the Rabbit effectively became the Golf.
What year did Volkswagen make the Rabbit?
Volkswagen introduced the Golf in 1974 as the intended successor to its popular Beetle. In 1975 the car came to U.S. shores as the VW Rabbit. In September a Rabbit with 100,000 miles sold online for a record-setting $33,000. In February a similar one took $30,000 at the Retromobile sales in Paris.
Is the Rabbit and Golf the same car?
The Golf Mk1 was sold as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico. A facelifted version of the Golf Mk1 was produced in South Africa as the Citi Golf from 1984 to 2009.
What is special about the Rabbit Edition GTI?
The GTI Rabbit Edition is refreshingly free of BS and distractions. It slots in just above the base trim, with a fair number of additions for the $1300-or-so premium over the standard GTI. With the Rabbit Edition, you'll get an exclusive gloss black hatch spoiler, gloss black 18-inch alloy wheels, and LED lighting.
What is the difference between a Rabbit and a GTI?
The Rabbit edition adds a dynamic chassis control with driver-adjustable suspension, steering, and engine control settings to the base GTI. It also includes black 18-inch wheels (replacing the base car's 17s), black mirror caps and spoiler, adaptive LED headlights, and Rabbit badging.
What is the difference Rabbit Edition GTI?
Think of the Rabbit Edition as a mid-range GTI SE with better upholstery (plaid cloth!), a slightly smaller infotainment system, and a $2,900 discount that yields a starting price below $30,000. That's a fine recipe for a hot hatch, particularly one as potent and engaging as the GTI.
How many GTI rabbits were made?
VW to produce 3,000 Rabbit editions of its Golf GTI in 2019 Only some 3,000 units of the special edition will be built.
Why is the Mark 1 Golf called the Rabbit?
In the US, however, the Mark 1 Golf was called the Rabbit, because it was meant to be small and nimble, and 'Golf" sounded too upscale for an economy car aimed at young buyers. Years later, they would also introduce the VW Fox, carrying on that theme. The Rabbit stayed on the US market from 1974 to 1983, when it was finally replaced by ...
Where did the name "Golf" come from?
According to some, the name ‘Golf’ comes from the German ‘Golfstrom’, or gulf stream, which fits with VW's use of ‘Scirocco’, the hot Mediterranean wind, and 'Jetta', German for jet stream.
What is a Mark 1 golf?
The Mark 1 Golf/Rabbit was created using many parts recently acquired with Auto Union, and used in the new Audis. These in turn came from development work Mercedes had done in adapting a small water-cooled four cylinder industrial motor for use in an updated DKW F102 (launched as the Audi F103 in 1965). To increase packaging efficiency, VW ...
What was the Volkswagen Golf?
The Volkswagen Golf was designed to be the ultimate successor to the VW Beetle, whose sales were in sharp decline by the 1970s. There can’t be many times in automotive history when such a huge revolutionary change in car design has taken place, than when the Rabbit leaped ahead of the long running VW Bug in 1974. The archaic rear-engined, air-cooled Beetle was a car first sold in 1945, and its design dated to before the war. The MK1 Golf was a water-cooled, front-engined, front-wheel drive hatchback that set standards of design still used today, more than 40 years later.
How fast is a Mark 1 GTI?
With a curb weight of just 1780 lbs, this was enough to give the Mark 1 GTI a top speed of 110 mph and a 0-60 time of 9 seconds – equal to a Corvette, Datsun 280ZX, or Mazda RX-7 in the early 1980s.
How many Mark 1s were sold in 2009?
By the end of production in South Africa in 2009, well over 6 million Mark 1’s had been sold, in hatchback, pickup, and cabriolet body styles. Much like the original Beetle, the Golf/Rabbit was intended as a practical small family car and the engine choice reflected this.
When did VW make the rabbit pickup?
Because small pickup trucks from Toyota and Datsun were selling so well in America, the VW USA factory developed a extended wheelbase Rabbit Pickup in 1979, by cutting off the roof in the back and fitting a solid rear axle with leaf springs.
