Unlike the standard Golf 8 GTI tested by CAR Magazine in 2021, this one isn’t available from any Volkswagen dealerships. We have put the SVI armoured model through its paces and here is how it performed. 
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Our road test editor Kyle Kock strapped his equipment to the armoured model for the analysis of the quantitative data below. Before diving in, it is worth noting that the SVI-prepared hot hatch boasts some serious stopping power, enough to withstand an assault rifle barrage. This has been achieved with 3.5 mm of armoured steel plating and ballistic lightweight glass that the firm heralds as revolutionary. On our scales, the model showed a figure of 1 843 kg with 58% lying on the front and 42% on the rear. This translates into a final product that is 377 kg heavier than the stock Golf GTI tested in the December 2021 issue. As a matter of interest, the aforementioned windscreen comes in at R172 000 while the left rear tyre, a Continental SportContact 7, will set the buyer back R4 200.
Landing in what has been a wet and cool Cape Town, the SVI-armoured GTI strutted its stuff in 13-degree ambient temperature with almost no wind speed. With the additional weight in mind, the data was always expected to be slightly more lethargic than the standard version but not by much… The obligatory 100 km/h sprint from a standstill was completed in 7.08 seconds and completed the 400-metre sprint in 15.06 seconds @ 157.03 km/h. Unhindered for a kilometre, the hatch clocked a time of 26.89 seconds at a speed of 202.52 km/h.
Related: The SVI Armoured VW Golf GTI Can Withstand an AK47 Assault!
In-gear acceleration showed that the hot hatch could still move with a sense of urgency, with acceleration from 40-60 km/h completed in 1.19 seconds. Further up the speedometer, the needle would move from 120 km/h to 140 km/h in only 2.85 seconds.
Related: Review: Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance
Equally as important as its acceleration abilities is how quickly it can come to a stop. Over 10 stops from 100 km/h to a standstill, the best-recorded measurement was 2.57 seconds with the worst being 2.60 seconds, which averages out to 2.59 seconds. This correlated into an average stopping distance of 34.41 metres.
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