I blew the engine that it came with so I upgraded from a 1.8 to a 2.0 16v.
Broke the CV joints.
Volkswagens are reliable cars, but if you mess with them too much, they won't be.
Realize that most Volkswagen Rabbit GTi's are either 16 or 17 years old and parts, though obtainable, are getting harder to find. There still is a decent parts aftermarket for these little screamers, and junkyards still have a few of these around. Even dealers have a fair supply of parts still.
The engine compartment has a lot of room to work in and there are precious few vacuum lines to get in the way.
One can choose from several options when considering upgrading to rocket status: Dropping in a 16 valve 1.8, dropping in a 8 valve 2.0, even turbocharging it (though one will have to assemble the unit from parts - complete turbochargers are no longer made).
This little rodent is really fun to drive and puts some bigger ones to shame.
I bought my GTi at a police auction for 800 dollars. The steering column had been broken by the moron that repossessed it so I had to replace it, but all the parts I needed were easily available at junkyards and it was incredibly easy to work on.
I really love its cornering abilities, but the ride is pretty hard.
My sunroof leaks in the rain too.
Despite its tight quarters I love the car.
I recently killed a Z-24 in a 3 mile street race, he couldn't touch me.
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