Joint Performance
The scenic “La Borromea” toll road that twists its way down the 1,491 metres of northern Italy’s Monte Mottarone is renowned for offering splendid alpine panoramas and views of neighbouring Lake Maggiore. But for Pirelli and Volkswagen the road, draped across the mountain like a carelessly dropped strand of spaghetti, proved ideal for a far less peaceful use.
La Borromea’s steep descents, hairpin curves and sparse traffic provided all the ingredients required to show off the capabilities of Volkswagen’s Golf GTI Pirelli. Returning in May after a 24-year hiatus, the not so ordinary hatch has high expectations to meet – its predecessor sold 10,500 units in just six months, a far higher quantity than anticipated, and quickly became a much sort after classic. So to prove that the 2007 Golf GTI Pirelli is every bit as much built of the right stuff as the 1983 version, in October Pirelli and Volkswagen invited media representatives to put their new creation through its paces.