The Lupo 3L was developed after a misunderstanding...VW officials heard Renault talking about a 3 litre Clio and VW wanted to beat them to the launch. Just imagine the VW board's horror when all their investment turned out to be for nothing when it transpired that the 3 litre Clio was a mid-engined 3.0 V6 monster!!!
@@MacBob Except that there never was a 3.0 litre VR6 engine - the 12-valve went to 2.9 but by the time the Lupo was on the market it was 24-valve and back to 2.8 litres - the 3.2 and 3.6 appearing first in the Beetle RSi and going into proper production in the Golf in 2002
Had 2 of these, including a 2005 Laser Blue one with every option (heated leather, air con etc) which was one of around 10 GTIs ever made in that colour. They do attract the VW tax to an extent but they are great fun and people shouldn't underestimate the effort VW went to when developing these cars with the thinner glass, aluminium bonnet and doors etc which you rarely see these days. Hard to find tidy examples which haven't been messed with now.
I remember your videos of the cars Chris.I ended up buying a 52 plate Raven Blue one.Car was great but i hated the gearchange/clutch on it.I was too used to having a turbo and revs from way down low.
Had a 2005 1.4E in laser blue and absolutely loved it. Such a rare but amazing colour, would love to see a GTI in that colour and, even better, have a drive in it 🤣
i used to own a lupo 3l, used to manage to do 3liter/100km per tank. I once did a hypermile from the Netherlands to Paris and back. me and a friend managed to achieve 40km/liter (2.5 liter/100km ) on the entire round trip of over 1600km. It proved to be way cheaper than cycling!
This was the truly the car of the future and I would have one in a heartbeat it I didn't require a van.. What do we have in 2024? 2500kg battery-powered 4WD SUV's for the school run...
I've owned my Lupo GTI since 2004, put 170k miles on it, and it's still going strong. I'm also in the same position as Chris (the owner) in that I own an Up GTI, and whilst it's a good car, the Lupo is more fun!
My friend had one of these when we were at sixth form. I’ll never forget thinking he was god bringing a gti to car park. He let me drive it and it was driving down the a30 where I fell in love with cars. I pretty much owe my car enthusiasm to this car, absolutely loves them, makes my 5 car perfect garage no problem at all.
So pleased you've driven this and loved it! Had an '05 lupo as my first car when I was 17 (back in 2016) and adored it. It was a 1.4 in laser blue and felt like a rocket ship compared to the 1.0/1.2s my mates all had. It was my grandads car and was inherited by me so will always be looked back at fondly. Would bloody love a spin in a GTI.
Thank you for this review, Jay, it's about time a motoring journalist reviewed this car. A great example of over engineering during the Piech era, its mot a surprisethat the car drives so well even after 16 years.
These are still cool as hell. I always pay attention when I see one. Neither the Fox nor the Up! managed to be as cool as these. Seen a few really cool modded ones at C&M, including a cracking red one at PH SS in December.
Down to earth as usual...you speak about both the physical car, history of models, obvious competitors plus nerdy details without taking credit for info you have prior obtained.....your reviews some of the best I have seen.... & I have seen many reviews from many well known vloggers....as the song lyric goes "Dont go changing" 🙂
Have to say, I always liked the look of this car. After all these years, I still think it holds up really well. The GTI trim is very tastefully done. Subtle, yet nice. Not like the OTT styling you get on today’s cars.
I prefer the Polo GTI of the same time but I agree it's aged very well. Overdesigned cars like the UP GTI look out of touch and gormless even today, they definitely won't age as well as cars like the Lupo
@@acreativename7999 They won't last like the Lupo either. So much electronic componantry in modern cars that is designed to fail after a certain period makes them non-viable after much less than 17 years!
the lupo was one of those rare moments in which VW went playful in their design...usually followed by a weird or watered down other model (polo after the lupo, golf 6 after the scirocco, etc)
Have to agree with Redone, the scirocco is a great car, probably better than the lupo from a driver involvement standpoint, I've owned both a Lupo GTI and Scirocco GT.
@@tavirosu25 Me too. Donut media did a video on the Scirocco which might explain why they arent a consistent model range. Its really good, I'd highely recommend a watch.
It's kinda sad how sterile and bland VW have become of late. They had some really quirky/fun interesting offerings in the 00s but there is barely anything that even interests me in the range now. :-(
Owned two of these in my early 20s. Cracking cars and really stood out from the crowd. The xenons were brilliant and as you say, the engine felt like it had more than 125bhp.
This, along with the Panda 100HP, is one of the last great examples of a body kit transforming a dowdy everyday car into something really desirable. A tasty looking machine!
I would much rather have the higher performance engine and other performance mods and keep the plain exterior so nobody suspects anything. Pretty much the opposite of today's R-Line/ST Line etc.
Will always have space for a Lupo GTi in my dream garage! Bought a new 1.0E in 2001 as a commuter car and even though it was slow, it was a joy to own compared with the competition
We had a service receptionist who owned one of these. She was heavily into her Cosworth engined stuff, but drove one of these as a daily. Pretty fun car according to her.
@@soundseeker63 Nah, she loved it. Got to meet the man she married (one of the young salesmen), was front of house for a Jaguar dealership, and got paid well enough to enjoy her automotive passion in her free time. Very much living the dream from where I stood haha.
My son drives an -05 GTI since a year and he loves it. We had to stort out a few things initially but except for the cambelt nothing major, and in terms of space, I'll just note that it carried him and three of his male, 18-year old friends with luggage (1 bag per person) from Zurich to the south of France and back - you can't really ask for more from a car this size! Finally get an -05 or later with the six-speed gearbox, that sixth gear does wonders for the ride comfort.
Two versions of the Lupo has always had me looking twice. The 3L and the GTI. The 3L for its cozy soundtrack and insanely economical engine. The GTI for its looks. I'm very happy to hear that it is better than i expected. Happy, and annoyed that i can add another car to the "i know i can't afford it, and have nowhere to put it, but i really want one list". As if that list needs to grow bigger than it already is :D
theres a 3L going for less than 2k euros in my country, so damn tempted to go and get it, but 300.000 km even for a daily that would probably net me a trip to the station every 2 months might be a bit dubious
A Twingo 133 is a more modern take on the Lupo and is probably more young person friendly given that insurers seem to think any car over 15 years old is a death trap waiting to fall apart the next time it hits a pothole.
@@spainter1985 I had one for a year and loved it. The shift in the valve timing at 4k is almost as fun as old school VTEC. A really good choice for a genuine young petrolhead. But most young guys who claim to be into cars just default to the shitty VAG diesel.
It's a VW from the Piech era, it's going to be a good car, late 90's to early 2000's VWs were just something else, and it can be said for VAG as a whole, as we got the Skoda vRS's, the Carrera GT, Phaeton, both Harlekins, Murci, Gallardo, the Cayenne which saved Porsche, the 1st R32, the bonkers V12 and V10 TDIs. Edit for spelling, got the E and I the wrong way round.
I was working for VW during the Lupo era and my memory is that myself and my colleagues all preferred the 100bhp and much cheaper 1.4 16v Sport model over the GTI and it was way cheaper to insure, so would be the one to buy for the under 21yr old driver. We found the GTi clutch way too snappy, making it difficult to drive in traffic, engine fuelling a bit on-off leading to jerky progress, the seats cramped, and the car felt nose-heavy and understeery versus the 1.4 16v. The only thing we really liked was the Audi style alloys as per Jays comments.
I currently own two 100hp sports, one all original currently having an engine rebuild due to its previous owner and the 2nd one with some tasteful mods. Cracking engine, shame their outshadowed by the gti brother. In addition there are sub 200 sports left compared to nearly 600 gti's. Have driven gti's, but the sport does have great personality.
As an 18 year old lad, I was able to afford a sport. It really was a great car. After storing it for years the sills rusted through and it had to be scrapped. I always wondered about the GTI, but I've never been fortunate enough to own one or even drive one. The GTI always seemed to have some features I wished the sport did - the better pedal box, hydraulic clutch and fly by wire throttle. Was still a great car, which I'll probably always look back fondly on.
Always loved driving these on Gran Turismo. There's something to be said for how this little box rotates and just clings to each corner. Hope I get to actually experience one in reality one day.
Owned 2 of the 3Ls, and it has the best and most beautiful steering wheel in any airbag car! (of the time) Rather quick as well, drove 190 km/h (118 mph) once. You could just leave it in "manual" and it would shift itself when reaching really high revs. Also a lot of fun trying to achieve the economy goals in eco mode by staying behind the lorries on the motorway. Got 2,5L/100km (112 mgp) a couple of times that way. Unfortunately some of the thin and complicated mechanics went out of whack more than seldom, so overall costs including repairs weren't that great.
@@MrSimon1909 My first factory new one did in 2002. Not in eco mode. Was rather amazed myself. Steering /suspension wasn't optimal at that speed, so wouldn't recommend trying in an old one nowadays.
@@JakobKsGarage You are probably talking about real speed vs indicated speed and maybe some help with the road conditions. That fully explains the 170-190 difference, and you probably didnt gps log the speed back in 2002?
I have a totally standard 2001 moon silver Lupo Gti, still on its original exhaust! owned it since 2014, bought it off a guy who had owned it for 9 years prior It’s a great little car, nothing in its class that’s any better then or since Aluminium wings, doors, bonnet, bi xenon headlamps, only 800 sold in the UK market, so rarer than many other cars of any sort It’s like a mini R32
Absolutely spot on ! Having run a 1.4 Lupo auto as a city car even though we’ve had it for 15 years plus it drives superbly and feels far more modern - yes modern classic in the making
It is what it is an what it is is unbeatable. Every time I see one on the road my hart melts just a little bit because I think there go’s a proper car! Ones up on a time not so long ago they where a thing.
I’ve had one of these in my stable for atleast 10 years as my little run about and I love it, mines an automatic 1.4S and it just makes me smile Great for around town and to work and back Totally classless and so roomy, yiu could wear a top hat 🎩
i loved these when they came out. i got my license in 2002 and i was so longing for a Lupo, but at 18 and only working part time, couldn't afford one of course. I did have the pleasure of having one over a weekend though, it was the bottom spec 1.0 litre petrol engine, 50bhp, topped out at 96mph/ 155kph when i drove it (manufacturers spec said 94mph/151kph)... and it was a hoot. i loved it. rarely had so much fun in a car that was so basic and with such a tiny engine. sure, for motorway racing you might wanna have that bigger engine, but even the tiny little base engine with that 5 speed manual revved like a * bleep * . i can only recommend them if you can find a good one used. they are SO. much. fun!
VWs smaller GTIs are so much more fun, they may not be blistering quick but they still go! Owning an Up GTI myself I absolutely love it! Quite rare as well I haven't seen that many since the Up GTI was launched in 2018.
they're lovely cars. My mother in law got a Seat Arosa in 2001. At the time I had a Boxster, but I often actually chose to drive the Arosa whenever I got the chance!
Bought a 6-speed one from new in 2003....sold it 2 years later for a TT 225....worse day's work I ever did and have missed it ever since. A blast down a country road but also took me from Manchester to London ever other weekend for 6 months without a moments problem. If you can find one, buy it!!
Great review of a great car. I bought a 1 owner Lupo GTI in Jan 21 as a slightly more sensible winter car than my Golf Mk2 16V and I’ve been amazed how good it is. As you say, forget the Up GTI, this is the true successor to the original 1.6 Golf GTI - engine size, wheelbase, size and weight! This will become another modern classic from VW
I liked your review so much that I have just gone and bought one as a daily driver. Am now a proud owner of an unmolested and unmodified Lupo GTI in top condition - identical to this review model but with an in dash 6 CD player and no sunroof. Yes expensive, yes lots of road noise from 205/45 tyres, yes fuelling is OTT on cold start, yes it almost bounces over uneven surfaces. However, what do you get on the plus side ? Its lightness gives it astonishingly good low down and mid range grunt and great flexibility for such a little car. It looks cheeky fabulous and the styling has held up majestically over the 25 years since launch. No doubt this model is a subtle, understated and rare classic with enough output (128 BHP/ton) to be a contender and not a pretender.
Nice review, I must admit these have always intrigued me. A number of years ago I was tempted by the Polo GTi of the same era (mk3 from memory?), but I seem to remember I didn’t go for one as they were known to have gearbox issues. At the time the Lupo GTis were slightly newer and out of my price range though
Possibly my favourite car out of all those I've owned. I had a 51 plate 5 speed with a CD player and no sunroof. The aircon was useless btw so you're not missing anything! I always missed my 'rocket powered rollerskate' after I sold it.
Thinking about one of these for my first car. (or a polo from the same time) Not a GTI but one with a smaller engine for affordability and so I can learn on something that I won't cry over every time I get a door ding
I own a gti and i couldnt see myself parting with it and dont think id get another car that would give me the fun and joy i get out of the lupo gti...i love the snap in the gear change if you run it on super unleaded it becomes an animal compared to running it on 95
Why is it that once I’ve watched one of your videos, my next step is to check to see if there’s one available in my part of the world? Loving your work :)
I must say, I generally agree with most of your opinions. In this case, also true! I have for a while looked for a good example Lupo Gti for reasonable money, I was never successful. For their current price tag I find many more hatches more appealing.
My girlfriend has a 1.2 Fox. True that the Lupo looks cuter but the Fox was only £6k new. The 3 cylinder sounds cool and it’s quite fun. Would love to Up! the power, brakes and suspension to make a cool sleeper.
I had a 1998 Seat Arosa 1.7sdi for 2 years, up until Christmas Eve last year, racking up 184000 miles in it's life. I've never and will never have another car as economical as that, in the 2 years I owned it, the worst fuel economy I managed to get out of it was 56mpg and that was when I was really trying hard to see how crap I could make it on fuel, 4th gear, 60mph on the motorway haha. It would frequently average 77mpg on nearly every journey I took it on but boy was that 50hp agricultural diesel unit slow as a turd! Only 18 of the 1.7sdi model left on the road including that one.
I had a C2 VTS Code which has almost the exact same recipe with the addition of eye searing tan leather seats, Popped a decat manifold on with an intake through the fog light and some yellowstuff brake pads and it was still the most fun i've had in a car with the added fun of being one of the fastest cars round a roundabout with some Pirellis on it and stopped faster than almost anything making it great for narrow country lanes. Why aren't more manufacturers making sub 1 tonne cars with sensible power anymore, they are more efficient and way more fun to drive.
Always had a thing for lupos. Yet to own a gti. But it’d on my list ! Plenty of special parts on the gti ! I’ve got two lupos atm. One daily. And one track car which has all the gti running gear. My girlfriend has an arosa too !
Had one of these. 6 speeder with heated leather and the best headlights on a small car ever. Got her as a part ex for a Racing Puma I sold as part payment. Guy was about 1500 quid short so threw the Lupo in to seal the deal. I sold it on for 3k back then.
The lupo gti is a great car, i have currently own 2 of them, both made into racecars, the engine is very reliable and the cars are great and fast, the only big problem is the 6 speed manual gearbox, its very fragile and you cant find a new one, only patched ones, if you want to convert one into a racecar be prepared for 4-5 rebuilds a year
Finally! A journalist who has spoken the truth about the Up GTI not being the spiritual successor to the Mk1 GTI. The Lupo GTI has far more in common. I own a Lupo 3L which I imported to the UK and my brother had a GTI. Both cars are so over engineered it’s fantastic they exist especially in such a fun sized package. Certainly won’t get anything like that from VW these days
These were actually more expensive than the new Mini at the time! The basic Cooper started at under £12k, though admittedly when you specced up the Mini to match the Lupo, they were almost bang on price wise. There was also the Clio Cup which, for a couple of grand more, gave you a whole heap more performace. Viewed in that context, it's not surprising they didn't sell well. That said, time has been very kind to the Lupo - The build quality and the cute/fun styling have aged very well.
Another one of those ‘if only they made that today’ cars, along with the Panda 100hp I’d buy one tomorrow if they did but instead the Up! GTi is a car that they do make today. It might feel a bit limp and flimsy in comparison but don’t all modern cars feel that way because they’ve been made lighter and had the stuffing pulled out of them for emissions purposes.
Modern cars may be less solidly built but they're generally not lighter than this sort of thing due to all the airbags and electrical crap. Wish they were, I love light cars.
@@rosstee but they are lighter than if they were made from the materials that the mid 00’s cars were made from. I had a mk5 Passat, mk4 and mk6 Golf lovely solid cars, nice chunky feel to everything but not light. Agree about adding lightness though, give me a 400kg Caterham with a Fireblade engine in any day.
A friend of mine at college (2009) had the 1.4S Lupe with 75bhp and that was a total hoot 🦉 far quicker than my e36 318i off the mark and a really darty drive around town. I always coveted the GTi aesthetics and knew it would be insane due to the lightweight to power.
I had a lovely yellow 1.4 16V 100cv Lupo, which to this very day still remains one of the very best cars I've driven. Lovely thing. Beautifully made, and went like a bomb. Soooo much better than the flimsy Up.
Funny you say yellow sports, I've owned 3, but currently have 2. A 51plate and a 52plate. The 52plate used to have a 'lil' private plate as it was underneath.
The Lupo 3L was developed after a misunderstanding...VW officials heard Renault talking about a 3 litre Clio and VW wanted to beat them to the launch. Just imagine the VW board's horror when all their investment turned out to be for nothing when it transpired that the 3 litre Clio was a mid-engined 3.0 V6 monster!!!
I've heard this story about the A2 also, but I do find it hard to believe (even if I want to believe it)
@@JayEmmOnCars Sold pretty well in Denmark. Spares, however, were dear for the 3L lupo's..... A2's, I still see occasionally.
Interestingly, I heard the story the other way round I.e. Renault thought that VW were putting a VR6 into the Lupo
@@MacBob Except that there never was a 3.0 litre VR6 engine - the 12-valve went to 2.9 but by the time the Lupo was on the market it was 24-valve and back to 2.8 litres - the 3.2 and 3.6 appearing first in the Beetle RSi and going into proper production in the Golf in 2002
@@SabotsLibres yes but Renault didn't know that at the time. Anyway, I doubt either story is true but I like the idea that it gave us the Clio V6
Had 2 of these, including a 2005 Laser Blue one with every option (heated leather, air con etc) which was one of around 10 GTIs ever made in that colour. They do attract the VW tax to an extent but they are great fun and people shouldn't underestimate the effort VW went to when developing these cars with the thinner glass, aluminium bonnet and doors etc which you rarely see these days. Hard to find tidy examples which haven't been messed with now.
I remember your videos of the cars Chris.I ended up buying a 52 plate Raven Blue one.Car was great but i hated the gearchange/clutch on it.I was too used to having a turbo and revs from way down low.
Had a 2005 1.4E in laser blue and absolutely loved it. Such a rare but amazing colour, would love to see a GTI in that colour and, even better, have a drive in it 🤣
Laser blue was something else.
that spec is amazing!!
I have a reflex Silver GTI with every box ticked!
Heated Leather, AirCon, Sunroof, Phatbox.
@@tjc.aviation7595 do you remember what are all the options on the gti ?
i used to own a lupo 3l, used to manage to do 3liter/100km per tank. I once did a hypermile from the Netherlands to Paris and back. me and a friend managed to achieve 40km/liter (2.5 liter/100km ) on the entire round trip of over 1600km. It proved to be way cheaper than cycling!
Admittedly, I am a cyclist. But that's pretty nifty. I hope you enjoyed your journey.
This was the truly the car of the future and I would have one in a heartbeat it I didn't require a van..
What do we have in 2024? 2500kg battery-powered 4WD SUV's for the school run...
3l/100k what's that? Sounds like a complicated way of saying good mpg?
@@I_am_Jesus_though That's 78.4 American mpg
I've owned my Lupo GTI since 2004, put 170k miles on it, and it's still going strong. I'm also in the same position as Chris (the owner) in that I own an Up GTI, and whilst it's a good car, the Lupo is more fun!
Are the engines near bullet proof? Or have a lot of parts gone wrong since this time?
My friend had one of these when we were at sixth form. I’ll never forget thinking he was god bringing a gti to car park. He let me drive it and it was driving down the a30 where I fell in love with cars.
I pretty much owe my car enthusiasm to this car, absolutely loves them, makes my 5 car perfect garage no problem at all.
Like for A30 ref
So pleased you've driven this and loved it! Had an '05 lupo as my first car when I was 17 (back in 2016) and adored it. It was a 1.4 in laser blue and felt like a rocket ship compared to the 1.0/1.2s my mates all had. It was my grandads car and was inherited by me so will always be looked back at fondly.
Would bloody love a spin in a GTI.
Cool
Thank you for this review, Jay, it's about time a motoring journalist reviewed this car. A great example of over engineering during the Piech era, its mot a surprisethat the car drives so well even after 16 years.
These are still cool as hell. I always pay attention when I see one. Neither the Fox nor the Up! managed to be as cool as these.
Seen a few really cool modded ones at C&M, including a cracking red one at PH SS in December.
Down to earth as usual...you speak about both the physical car, history of models, obvious competitors plus nerdy details without taking credit for info you have prior obtained.....your reviews some of the best I have seen.... & I have seen many reviews from many well known vloggers....as the song lyric goes "Dont go changing" 🙂
Have to say, I always liked the look of this car. After all these years, I still think it holds up really well. The GTI trim is very tastefully done. Subtle, yet nice. Not like the OTT styling you get on today’s cars.
I prefer the Polo GTI of the same time but I agree it's aged very well.
Overdesigned cars like the UP GTI look out of touch and gormless even today, they definitely won't age as well as cars like the Lupo
@@acreativename7999 They won't last like the Lupo either. So much electronic componantry in modern cars that is designed to fail after a certain period makes them non-viable after much less than 17 years!
I like how the front 3/4 view looks a bit like a Innocenti Mini.
the lupo was one of those rare moments in which VW went playful in their design...usually followed by a weird or watered down other model (polo after the lupo, golf 6 after the scirocco, etc)
Man Scirocco design still holds up to this day. Those damn curves...
Have to agree with Redone, the scirocco is a great car, probably better than the lupo from a driver involvement standpoint, I've owned both a Lupo GTI and Scirocco GT.
@@Badger-Z still amazed VW never did a new generation of it...
@@tavirosu25 Me too. Donut media did a video on the Scirocco which might explain why they arent a consistent model range. Its really good, I'd highely recommend a watch.
It's kinda sad how sterile and bland VW have become of late. They had some really quirky/fun interesting offerings in the 00s but there is barely anything that even interests me in the range now. :-(
Owned two of these in my early 20s. Cracking cars and really stood out from the crowd. The xenons were brilliant and as you say, the engine felt like it had more than 125bhp.
This, along with the Panda 100HP, is one of the last great examples of a body kit transforming a dowdy everyday car into something really desirable. A tasty looking machine!
ignis sport as well
Latest Suzuki Swift Sport too, the difference from the standard car to the sport is considerable.
Twingo Renaultsport says hello.
I would much rather have the higher performance engine and other performance mods and keep the plain exterior so nobody suspects anything. Pretty much the opposite of today's R-Line/ST Line etc.
Will always have space for a Lupo GTi in my dream garage! Bought a new 1.0E in 2001 as a commuter car and even though it was slow, it was a joy to own compared with the competition
Nice to see a nice original one of these, you so rarely see one that hasn't been "scene'd" to death
The Lupo 3L is my personal favourite. It is the car we should drive if we were actually caring about the environment.
Except Audi A2 3l is better built,wont rust and has better accessory list ...even as standard.lupos are rustbuckets...
We had a service receptionist who owned one of these. She was heavily into her Cosworth engined stuff, but drove one of these as a daily. Pretty fun car according to her.
Amazing, sounds like she was in the wrong job though!
@@soundseeker63 Nah, she loved it. Got to meet the man she married (one of the young salesmen), was front of house for a Jaguar dealership, and got paid well enough to enjoy her automotive passion in her free time. Very much living the dream from where I stood haha.
@@paul1978g Ah, Jaguar dealership. Now it makes sense.
My son drives an -05 GTI since a year and he loves it. We had to stort out a few things initially but except for the cambelt nothing major, and in terms of space, I'll just note that it carried him and three of his male, 18-year old friends with luggage (1 bag per person) from Zurich to the south of France and back - you can't really ask for more from a car this size! Finally get an -05 or later with the six-speed gearbox, that sixth gear does wonders for the ride comfort.
oh yeah!
Two versions of the Lupo has always had me looking twice. The 3L and the GTI. The 3L for its cozy soundtrack and insanely economical engine. The GTI for its looks. I'm very happy to hear that it is better than i expected. Happy, and annoyed that i can add another car to the "i know i can't afford it, and have nowhere to put it, but i really want one list". As if that list needs to grow bigger than it already is :D
theres a 3L going for less than 2k euros in my country, so damn tempted to go and get it, but 300.000 km even for a daily that would probably net me a trip to the station every 2 months might be a bit dubious
At £5-10k in the UK and most being nearly 20 years old, think you'd really have to be a dedicated fan to choose one over say a Suzuki Swift Sport.
Yep, the VW tax I'm afraid
swift are shite
A Twingo 133 is a more modern take on the Lupo and is probably more young person friendly given that insurers seem to think any car over 15 years old is a death trap waiting to fall apart the next time it hits a pothole.
@@MrManBuzz Another good alternative! 👍
@@spainter1985 I had one for a year and loved it. The shift in the valve timing at 4k is almost as fun as old school VTEC. A really good choice for a genuine young petrolhead. But most young guys who claim to be into cars just default to the shitty VAG diesel.
It's a VW from the Piech era, it's going to be a good car, late 90's to early 2000's VWs were just something else, and it can be said for VAG as a whole, as we got the Skoda vRS's, the Carrera GT, Phaeton, both Harlekins, Murci, Gallardo, the Cayenne which saved Porsche, the 1st R32, the bonkers V12 and V10 TDIs.
Edit for spelling, got the E and I the wrong way round.
And the Veyron. 😁
I was working for VW during the Lupo era and my memory is that myself and my colleagues all preferred the 100bhp and much cheaper 1.4 16v Sport model over the GTI and it was way cheaper to insure, so would be the one to buy for the under 21yr old driver. We found the GTi clutch way too snappy, making it difficult to drive in traffic, engine fuelling a bit on-off leading to jerky progress, the seats cramped, and the car felt nose-heavy and understeery versus the 1.4 16v. The only thing we really liked was the Audi style alloys as per Jays comments.
I currently own two 100hp sports, one all original currently having an engine rebuild due to its previous owner and the 2nd one with some tasteful mods. Cracking engine, shame their outshadowed by the gti brother. In addition there are sub 200 sports left compared to nearly 600 gti's. Have driven gti's, but the sport does have great personality.
As an 18 year old lad, I was able to afford a sport. It really was a great car. After storing it for years the sills rusted through and it had to be scrapped.
I always wondered about the GTI, but I've never been fortunate enough to own one or even drive one.
The GTI always seemed to have some features I wished the sport did - the better pedal box, hydraulic clutch and fly by wire throttle.
Was still a great car, which I'll probably always look back fondly on.
This is why I love your channel, you try so many things and give even us financially challenged petrol heads something to get excited about!
Nothing is better than fun at a bargain price!
I love it! Also a fan of the UP! GTI, but I love the looks of the Lupo more. Makes me wish they made a Type R version of my MK1 Jazz
Close as you'd get are the 1.5 vtec ones
They kind of did, it's called the Honda City Turbo II but only available in Japan I believe
Love my up GTi, remapped and lowered. Got it cause I can commute on pennies if needed, 60mpg possible
Always loved driving these on Gran Turismo. There's something to be said for how this little box rotates and just clings to each corner. Hope I get to actually experience one in reality one day.
Owned 2 of the 3Ls, and it has the best and most beautiful steering wheel in any airbag car! (of the time)
Rather quick as well, drove 190 km/h (118 mph) once. You could just leave it in "manual" and it would shift itself when reaching really high revs.
Also a lot of fun trying to achieve the economy goals in eco mode by staying behind the lorries on the motorway. Got 2,5L/100km (112 mgp) a couple of times that way.
Unfortunately some of the thin and complicated mechanics went out of whack more than seldom, so overall costs including repairs weren't that great.
there is no way a 3l goes 190kmh, 170kmh at best if its downhill
@@MrSimon1909 My first factory new one did in 2002. Not in eco mode. Was rather amazed myself. Steering /suspension wasn't optimal at that speed, so wouldn't recommend trying in an old one nowadays.
@@JakobKsGarage You are probably talking about real speed vs indicated speed and maybe some help with the road conditions. That fully explains the 170-190 difference, and you probably didnt gps log the speed back in 2002?
@@GoldenCroc It was on my way from Oslo to Copenhagen one late evening. If you look on a map, that is actually downwards 😉
I managed to hit 200km/h once, on a big downhill ofc
Ive just bought one and it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. Seriously fun!
I so want one of these. great vid. you're pretty much the only top class creator that does real world cars. great work.d
I have a totally standard 2001 moon silver Lupo Gti, still on its original exhaust! owned it since 2014, bought it off a guy who had owned it for 9 years prior
It’s a great little car, nothing in its class that’s any better then or since
Aluminium wings, doors, bonnet, bi xenon headlamps, only 800 sold in the UK market, so rarer than many other cars of any sort
It’s like a mini R32
So glad you liked it, it really is the most charming little car. I fall in love with mine more every-time I drive it!
Absolutely spot on ! Having run a 1.4 Lupo auto as a city car even though we’ve had it for 15 years plus it drives superbly and feels far more modern - yes modern classic in the making
I used to love my little 6N2 Polo so I expect this is even more fun.
It is what it is an what it is is unbeatable. Every time I see one on the road my hart melts just a little bit because I think there go’s a proper car! Ones up on a time not so long ago they where a thing.
I didnt expect you to love it my brother. Your a really naturally very good video presenter . Joseph
I’ve had one of these in my stable for atleast 10 years as my little run about and I love it, mines an automatic 1.4S and it just makes me smile
Great for around town and to work and back
Totally classless and so roomy, yiu could wear a top hat 🎩
I own lupo (2000) as my first car and i loveeeeee it ❤️
Great car , that's why I've got one as a perfect little run around
I had a SEAT Arosa 1.4 TDI and loved it, 75bhp and 140lb.ft and very little weight made it hilariously fun to zip about in at 60 mpg.
I miss that car
As a VW enthusiast I would absolutely love one of these
This genuinely has the silhouette of a shopping trolley.
and that's why we love it xD
Drove a pre-facelift Seat Arosa once, and that car felt like a proper big car, it was quick and comfortable both in town and on a motorway.
My now wife has 1.4 auto for about 7 years.
Great car apart from a leaky sun roof. Loved driving it around.
I currently own a 1.4 75hp lupo, and I absolutely love it. Would love to drive a GTI one day as they seem to be very highly regarded.
I can't tell you how much I used to want one of these as a first car.
i loved these when they came out. i got my license in 2002 and i was so longing for a Lupo, but at 18 and only working part time, couldn't afford one of course.
I did have the pleasure of having one over a weekend though, it was the bottom spec 1.0 litre petrol engine, 50bhp, topped out at 96mph/ 155kph when i drove it (manufacturers spec said 94mph/151kph)... and it was a hoot. i loved it. rarely had so much fun in a car that was so basic and with such a tiny engine. sure, for motorway racing you might wanna have that bigger engine, but even the tiny little base engine with that 5 speed manual revved like a * bleep * . i can only recommend them if you can find a good one used. they are SO. much. fun!
VWs smaller GTIs are so much more fun, they may not be blistering quick but they still go! Owning an Up GTI myself I absolutely love it! Quite rare as well I haven't seen that many since the Up GTI was launched in 2018.
My daughter had a bog standard Arosa, was so much fun and very well built
I forgot this car existed. Nice video. Really well made. Keep up the good work.
My first car was a widebody Seat Arosa 1.0. Loved it so much!
Lucky enough to have a 911 and a VW Lupo GTI. Can't beat it for buzz you get! Less is absolutely more with this cheeky motor.
Drove on in Portugal and agree with you, such a fun car that makes you smile.
they're lovely cars. My mother in law got a Seat Arosa in 2001. At the time I had a Boxster, but I often actually chose to drive the Arosa whenever I got the chance!
I had a Seat Arosa 1.4 16v awesome fun little car especially after I put eibach springs on it.
Bought a 6-speed one from new in 2003....sold it 2 years later for a TT 225....worse day's work I ever did and have missed it ever since.
A blast down a country road but also took me from Manchester to London ever other weekend for 6 months without a moments problem.
If you can find one, buy it!!
Great review of a great car. I bought a 1 owner Lupo GTI in Jan 21 as a slightly more sensible winter car than my Golf Mk2 16V and I’ve been amazed how good it is. As you say, forget the Up GTI, this is the true successor to the original 1.6 Golf GTI - engine size, wheelbase, size and weight! This will become another modern classic from VW
It still looks great - better looking than any current supermini (off the top of my head) in my opinion.
You're in good company. IIRC the Lupo GTI was shortlisted for EVO car of the year, and they were fighting over who gets to drive it.
I liked your review so much that I have just gone and bought one as a daily driver. Am now a proud owner of an unmolested and unmodified Lupo GTI in top condition - identical to this review model but with an in dash 6 CD player and no sunroof. Yes expensive, yes lots of road noise from 205/45 tyres, yes fuelling is OTT on cold start, yes it almost bounces over uneven surfaces. However, what do you get on the plus side ? Its lightness gives it astonishingly good low down and mid range grunt and great flexibility for such a little car. It looks cheeky fabulous and the styling has held up majestically over the 25 years since launch. No doubt this model is a subtle, understated and rare classic with enough output (128 BHP/ton) to be a contender and not a pretender.
Nice review, I must admit these have always intrigued me. A number of years ago I was tempted by the Polo GTi of the same era (mk3 from memory?), but I seem to remember I didn’t go for one as they were known to have gearbox issues. At the time the Lupo GTis were slightly newer and out of my price range though
Possibly my favourite car out of all those I've owned. I had a 51 plate 5 speed with a CD player and no sunroof. The aircon was useless btw so you're not missing anything! I always missed my 'rocket powered rollerskate' after I sold it.
Had the 1.4 from 2008 to 2021. ♥️🙏 I was never late for meetings....
Thinking about one of these for my first car. (or a polo from the same time) Not a GTI but one with a smaller engine for affordability and so I can learn on something that I won't cry over every time I get a door ding
Very beautiful, especially the exterior. I agree in everything, for me one of the best in the A segment 🔝👏
There's a reason why that model was the base for a race series called "Lupo Cup". Very entertaining little beasts back then.
I own a gti and i couldnt see myself parting with it and dont think id get another car that would give me the fun and joy i get out of the lupo gti...i love the snap in the gear change if you run it on super unleaded it becomes an animal compared to running it on 95
Had one of the first 6-speeds. My wife and I both have a Up gti. Cheep fun.
Great video, had almost forgotten how good these were. Really appreciate the modern classics on the channel.
Smashing it with these regular uploads!
The diesel Lupo is a real gem of a city car. Clarksons review on Top Gear still makes me laugh to this day.
Alway's liked the little Lupo GTI....and watching this has just made me like them more....Ha !! Brilliant little car!
Used to have a red one, from new... Loved it.... Not super fast, but it was fun.
Why is it that once I’ve watched one of your videos, my next step is to check to see if there’s one available in my part of the world? Loving your work :)
Say watching this from a hospital bed , hit by a motorbike , thanks for the good content James , defo cheering me up x
Get better soon Chum!
@@JayEmmOnCars thanks boss , and any buggers who say nasty things you to just ignore mate , your the one laughing and doing well c
I must say, I generally agree with most of your opinions. In this case, also true! I have for a while looked for a good example Lupo Gti for reasonable money, I was never successful. For their current price tag I find many more hatches more appealing.
Lovely cars. I’m on my third one! Never selling it.
The ups and fraggle waggon
The Lupo was actually cool
Had a 6n2 gti superb car! Making it lighter would only improve it!
man, this is such a great channel.
My girlfriend has a 1.2 Fox. True that the Lupo looks cuter but the Fox was only £6k new. The 3 cylinder sounds cool and it’s quite fun. Would love to Up! the power, brakes and suspension to make a cool sleeper.
I had a 1998 Seat Arosa 1.7sdi for 2 years, up until Christmas Eve last year, racking up 184000 miles in it's life. I've never and will never have another car as economical as that, in the 2 years I owned it, the worst fuel economy I managed to get out of it was 56mpg and that was when I was really trying hard to see how crap I could make it on fuel, 4th gear, 60mph on the motorway haha.
It would frequently average 77mpg on nearly every journey I took it on but boy was that 50hp agricultural diesel unit slow as a turd! Only 18 of the 1.7sdi model left on the road including that one.
I do quite like it. If I could find one, I'd definitely consider buying one. I also like the Up! too though
I had a C2 VTS Code which has almost the exact same recipe with the addition of eye searing tan leather seats, Popped a decat manifold on with an intake through the fog light and some yellowstuff brake pads and it was still the most fun i've had in a car with the added fun of being one of the fastest cars round a roundabout with some Pirellis on it and stopped faster than almost anything making it great for narrow country lanes. Why aren't more manufacturers making sub 1 tonne cars with sensible power anymore, they are more efficient and way more fun to drive.
in red the Lupo GTi looks great.
Always had a thing for lupos. Yet to own a gti. But it’d on my list ! Plenty of special parts on the gti ! I’ve got two lupos atm. One daily. And one track car which has all the gti running gear. My girlfriend has an arosa too !
These cars are a hoot. Great small car, just like an Abarth 595.
Love the mad looks of the Lupo. I even like the 1.4 diesel
Had one of these. 6 speeder with heated leather and the best headlights on a small car ever. Got her as a part ex for a Racing Puma I sold as part payment. Guy was about 1500 quid short so threw the Lupo in to seal the deal. I sold it on for 3k back then.
I had a seat arosa for my first car loved it so always wanted one of those
The lupo gti is a great car, i have currently own 2 of them, both made into racecars, the engine is very reliable and the cars are great and fast, the only big problem is the 6 speed manual gearbox, its very fragile and you cant find a new one, only patched ones, if you want to convert one into a racecar be prepared for 4-5 rebuilds a year
Finally! A journalist who has spoken the truth about the Up GTI not being the spiritual successor to the Mk1 GTI. The Lupo GTI has far more in common. I own a Lupo 3L which I imported to the UK and my brother had a GTI. Both cars are so over engineered it’s fantastic they exist especially in such a fun sized package. Certainly won’t get anything like that from VW these days
Worth it for the central exhausts however it drives!
These were actually more expensive than the new Mini at the time! The basic Cooper started at under £12k, though admittedly when you specced up the Mini to match the Lupo, they were almost bang on price wise. There was also the Clio Cup which, for a couple of grand more, gave you a whole heap more performace. Viewed in that context, it's not surprising they didn't sell well. That said, time has been very kind to the Lupo - The build quality and the cute/fun styling have aged very well.
Still beautiful today!! ♥️
It drives nice and still looks good today. - Great Video! ... and I agree that is more interesting than any Up! can be.
Everyone bangs on about the MK1 golf. After I drove both a Lupo GTI and MK1 GTO. I genuinely would prefer a Lupo GTI.
Still got my lupo gti tucked away . This just made me wanna get it back out 🤣🤣
Another one of those ‘if only they made that today’ cars, along with the Panda 100hp I’d buy one tomorrow if they did but instead the Up! GTi is a car that they do make today.
It might feel a bit limp and flimsy in comparison but don’t all modern cars feel that way because they’ve been made lighter and had the stuffing pulled out of them for emissions purposes.
Modern cars may be less solidly built but they're generally not lighter than this sort of thing due to all the airbags and electrical crap. Wish they were, I love light cars.
@@rosstee but they are lighter than if they were made from the materials that the mid 00’s cars were made from. I had a mk5 Passat, mk4 and mk6 Golf lovely solid cars, nice chunky feel to everything but not light.
Agree about adding lightness though, give me a 400kg Caterham with a Fireblade engine in any day.
A friend of mine at college (2009) had the 1.4S Lupe with 75bhp and that was a total hoot 🦉 far quicker than my e36 318i off the mark and a really darty drive around town.
I always coveted the GTi aesthetics and knew it would be insane due to the lightweight to power.
I had a lovely yellow 1.4 16V 100cv Lupo, which to this very day still remains one of the very best cars I've driven. Lovely thing. Beautifully made, and went like a bomb. Soooo much better than the flimsy Up.
Funny you say yellow sports, I've owned 3, but currently have 2.
A 51plate and a 52plate. The 52plate used to have a 'lil' private plate as it was underneath.
Im 42 and would love to have one of this