Will the Mk5 become a classic?

[gobbleplease]

I agree with the mk4 r32 comments they are not far away from mk5 r32 money at the moment, i dont think the mk5 will become a classic like the mk1 or mk2 gtis, but i think they will have a following further down the line

[RedRobin]

I think these days it's probably easier to find a mk1/mk5  (ok not so much the mk5) that is modded in some way than a totally standard example!

....Especially on this forum! The Mk5 GTI begs for modding - It would be rude not to.

[kjg1976]

Edition 30 will. 

So will the Pirelli

[pudding]

I remember having the same conversation on a BMW forum about the E30 325i Sport, nearly 20 years ago.  Everyone was like "Nah, only the M3 will be a classic".

This 325i Sport sold for £51K at Silverstone auctions a few days ago   https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/events/2019-auctions/nec-classic-motor-show-sale-2019/nec-classic-motor-show-sale-saturday-9th-sunday-10th-november-2019/2pm-saturday-9th-november-cars/1991-bmw-325i-e30-sport

And to think I picked one of them up for 500 quid in 2001 and sold it on a few months later 

I think time warp MK5s like that bimmer will definitely fetch high prices in years to come, because it marked the return of the GTI, after years of indifference by VW    The 325i S wasn't particularly special at the time, it's just that pretty much ANYTHING old and mint in the car world fetches bonkers prices these days.  Too many people with too much money around it seems.

[bobby_fodge]

Non-car people are now seeing classic cars as investments. I doubt everyone who has bought a 911 or Dino in the last 5 years are genuine petrol heads. All this activity is seeing prices rise and rise.

[pudding]

Yep, agreed.  I wish I had a crystal ball 20 years ago.

It's a bit annoying in situations where you might have saved up long and hard for a Clubsport S, or a 991 GT3 RS, and then VW/Porsche deliberately throttle sales to cause a speculator pricing war.  And as you say, the people who do that aren't even enthusiasts.....just good at reading the markets.

[colesey]

I would say that any car that is kept in excellent condition and low mileage will one day sell for more than its its original list price. The premium for exceptional examples, like that 325, will be magnified due to scarcity. Question is how do you define a classic? Is it simply something that is old or does it need to have some exceptional merit from back in the day? The GTi image is iconic but is the mk5 truly groundbreaking?!? I would say not, certainly not in the way of Ur Quattros / Integrales / e30 M3 etc.

[pudding]

That is my point about the 325i Sport.  It wasn't an exceptional car objectively and didn't have a motorsport pedigree, like the E30 M3 had.  It was just a run of the mill 325i with better front seats (pull out knee supports like the RS Turbo Recaros had) and a few bodywork changes.  What gives that particular example more merit is the fact it's a 2 door, which wasn't all that common back in the day.

Absolutely the MK5 was groundbreaking in the context of its predecessors.  MK3 - awful.  MK4 - awful.  The MK5 was universally applauded by motoring journos and the buying public alike.  It may not deserve the same merit as the racing specials like the E30M M3/Delta S4/UR Quattro, but it was definitely a revolution as opposed to an evolution.  First GTI to get fully independent suspension, and the MK7/8 still uses the same basic underpinnings to this day. First GTI to get a turbo. First mass produced direct injection engine, which has won 'engine of the year' a few times.  It also harked back to it's great Granddad MK1 with the tartan seats and Golf ball gear knob.  These things matter.

Classic status is a complicated set of 'rules' and emotions not set in stone, but motoring significance is one of the measures the 'judges' commonly use.  I'd say the MK5 was pretty significant and arguably restored the GTIs credibility in the hot hatch arena.

EDIT: Second GTI to get a turbo, lol.  But the UK GTI initially got a crappy 8V 2.0 n'asp engine.