Volkswagen's Golf-based GTI makes cars like the Scion FR-S and Honda CRZ seem woefully unpopular. But it's now having the same effect on the car which it uses for its foundation, the Golf itself. Of the 2528 Golfs sold in America in June 2014, 76% were GTIs. This was most definitely an extreme example of the trend. It's not as though one typically worries when an upmarket derivative of a volume-brand car sells more frequently. The concern stems from the fact that Volkswagen doesn't sell very many conventional Golfs at all, and the GTI's relative success only serves to highlight this fact. There are big aspirations for VW in America, but isn't it troublesome if their core global car continues to be unpopular? Sales will most assuredly pick up, but Volkswagen isn't about to start selling Golfs with the frequency of Honda Civics, let alone Dodge Darts. On its own, GTI excluded, the Golf range was outsold by the Buick Regal, Scion FR-S, Subaru Impreza WRX, Scion xB, and Chevrolet Corvette in calendar year 2013. And by many more low-volume cars last month. Current inventory figures are taken from Cars.com.