Shear English - Volkswagen says happy 35th birthday to its ever-popular hot-hatch with a more powerful special edition. Volkswagen has marked 35 years since the debut of its Golf GTI by releasing a more powerful edition of the popular hot-hatch.
The Edition 35 produces 173kW from the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, giving the anniversary model a small power advantage over the regular, 155kW GTI.
The German car maker hasn't revealed whether the GTI 35’s performance and fuel economy figures are affected. (The standard model flaunts a 6.9 second 0-100km/h time and economy numbers of 7.7L/100km for the manual model and 7.6L for the DSG.)
The GTI 35 sees new-style, 18-inch wheels added as standard, with new-look headlights with LED running lights and a redesigned front bumper, and LED rear tail-lights – the same seen on the Golf R and the Golf Cabriolet.
There are also “35” badges on the side of the car, while the interior gains the same signature emblazoned on the seat uprights and door sills. The golf ball-dimpled gear-knob – as seen in the original GTI model from 1976 – also returns.
It’s not yet clear whether the new 35 model will be available in three- and five-door versions – VW Australia isn’t sure and the company’s official media site only shows images of the three-door.
The German brand’s local arm has confirmed the new model will be available in Australia, but spokesman Karl Gehling remained tight-lipped about how much the new model will cost as well as how many examples of the car will be available.
“We’re still waiting to see how many we can get,” says Gehling. “And the price isn’t confirmed yet.”
German pricing , however, has been released, with the limited release 35 model priced about $4000 higher than the regular GTI, meaning the 35 model may be priced closer to $45,000 when it goes on sale here later this year.
The three-door GTI starts from $38,990 plus costs. VW also produced 20th- and 30th-anniversary versions of the GTI, and the latest model will make its public debut in early June at the brand's annual GTI Meet in Worthersee, Austria.
The GTI has been one of the world's most successful hot-hatches since it launched in 1976. It also accounts for about one in every four Golf sales in Australia.
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