Volkswagen will launch the Mk8 generation of the iconic GTI hot hatch at the Geneva Auto Show in March. This car is coming to America, and it will have a manual transmission option. The company has promised the new performance car will be “cool as hell.”
Now, VW has offered a teaser image of the front end ahead of the launch. For those who have seen the new Mk8 Golf, there won’t be that much that surprises here. Volkswagen went with more aggressive-looking lighting than on the outgoing Mk7 generation. The classic red “lipstick” detailing and the honeycomb grille, on the other hand, are the changes one would have expected a GTI to receive to elevate it above the standard Golf.
The whole car should not be a dramatic aesthetic departure from the last GTI, which we firmly believe is one of the best cars Volkswagen has ever made. We hope the plaid seats, golf ball shifter, and spectacular blue paint from the Rabbit edition carry over. The GTI will receive Volkswagen’s new digital cockpit, however.
The major outstanding question is how powerful the engine will be. VW says the new turbo engine “will exceed expectations.” It should receive a significant bump over the current 228 horsepower edition, potentially with an even hotter TCR edition.
