The original Golf GTI is nearly 50 years young. Wolfsburg’s quintessential hot hatchback came out in 1976, but Volkswagen won’t wait until 2026 to celebrate the milestone. It intends to introduce a new flavor of the feisty compact car in June during the ADAC 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring. Details about the anniversary edition are shrouded in mystery as we all know it’ll be a “sporty special model.”
With zero info from VW about the car, all we can do is speculate. The Golf GTI Mk8 facelift has already spawned a hotter Clubsport variant with 296 horsepower, or 35 hp more than the regular GTI. It features an upgraded 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine making 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) or 22 lb-ft (30 Nm) more than a base GTI. It’s unclear whether the new special edition will be based on the not-for-America Clubsport or the standard model.
Assuming it’ll start as a Clubsport and go up from there, maybe extra power is coming? There’s still more muscle to be extracted from the TSI engine, considering it makes 328 hp in the Golf R. Even if that’s the case, the Golf GTI will definitely keep the front-wheel-drive setup. It would be one of the most potent FWD cars ever, but still below the Ford Focus RS500 (345 hp).
VW killed the manual gearbox last year when it facelifted the Golf GTI, but we wouldn’t necessarily rule out a third pedal. However, it’s just wishful thinking at this point. Whatever the case may be, it’s going to be seriously expensive, considering the Clubsport is already a €50,000 car in Germany. In its domestic market, the Golf can cost as much as €60,000 for the R Black Edition. VW hasn’t ruled out doing an R Clubsport, which would be even pricier.
Although VW is working with Rivian on a ninth-generation, electric-only Golf, the current model is sticking around. The company hasn’t ruled out keeping the Mk8 on sale until 2035, so the gas GTI could live on for another 10 years. In the meantime, a purely electric GTI is due in a few years, based on the ID.2 subcompact hatchback.
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