A guy's fast gets him in trouble.

Before the launch of the GTI, emails were sent to GTI enthusiasts. They directed them to projectfast.com. There, users were asked to describe their “fast” physically. The final email blast was sent to coincide with the launch of the car. This email, along with national TV spots, introduced enthusiasts to the Fast, and to the GTI. 17,000 vinyl Fasts, complete with four interchangeable tails and a care-and-feeding manual, were produced as an owner gift available only with the purchase of the GTI. The car helps you make friends with your fast, but it also comes with a Fast. Standard.

The launch of the GTI MK V was one of Volkswagen’s best ever – sales expectations were exceeded by 80%. Within days of the launch, Fasts given out at dealer events start popping up on eBay Before long, they were fetching four hundred, five hundred – even eight hundred dollars. (We had nothing to do with this, we swear.) Thanks to the GTI enthusiast community, the Fast proliferated online. Bloggers adopted it as their chatroom avatar. GTI fans created bootleg merchandise from t-shirts, to bumper stickers, to wall posters and screensavers – some even created bootleg Fasts of their own