Looking back: 45 years of the iconic Volkswagen Golf GTI

It’s been 45 years since Volkswagen revealed the Golf GTI and the carmaker is celebrating the anniversary - and the upcoming launch of the new eighth-generation model – by looking back at the hot hatch's legacy.

1976 - Golf GTI Mark 1: Did you know VW only planned to make 5,000 units of the first Golf GTI? It was unveiled at the1975 Frankfurt International Motor Show but the carmaker went on to sell 461,690 units enjoying global success before it was replaced by the Mk2. The original was concocted by VW staff in secret who developed a sporty version of the Golf called the Sport and when it was presented to Toni Schmücker, Chairman of the Board of Management, he gave it the green light. It had a fuel-injected four-pot generating 110 horsepower and the name was changed to GTI but it could have been called the TS or GTS. It featured black wheel arch extensions, a black frame around the rear window, red edging around the radiator grille, plaid sport seats, a golf ball shifter knob, and a sport steering wheel.

1984 – Golf GTI Mark 2: It preserved the concept and design DNA of the Mk1 (the GTI’s red strip in the radiator grille and the plaid sport seats had become classic design cues). Output dropped to 107 horses as a result of the fitment of a catalytic converter but in 1986 a new 16-valve engine came along that made 129 horses.

1991 – Golf GTI Mark 3: The GTI’s dual headlights were now concealed behind a shared lens and power output started from 115 horses but a year later it increased to 150 horses. In 1996 a turbocharged diesel version (TDI) generating 110 horses (petrol and diesel engines were divided into GTI and GTD) and in 1996, Volkswagen also launched the “20 years of GTI” anniversary model.

1998 – Golf GTI Mark 4: The fourth generation did away with the red strip in the radiator grille but petrol engines with four and five cylinders were offered making up to 170 horses. The diesel delivered 150. In 2001, VW celebrated the icon’s first quarter century with the turbocharged “25 years of GTI” special edition which made 180 horses.

2004 – Golf GTI Mark 5: It had a sharper look, a 200 horsepower turbocharged engine and outstanding handling. The new Denver design wheels and the black, V-shaped radiator grille were particularly striking features. Fitting the vehicle with the new dual-clutch automatic transmission (DSG) cut the 0-100kph sprint to just 6.9 seconds. On the iconic sportscar’s 30th anniversary in 2006, its creators introduced GTI aficionados to the “30 years of GTI” edition, which generated 230 horses.

2009 – Golf GTI Mark 6: Racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck was in charge of the vehicle’s chassis, which featured the electronic differential lock (XDS) for the first time. The turbocharged engine generated 210 horses and in 2011, the vehicle was made available as a convertible for the first time, and marked its 35th anniversary with the “Golf GTI Edition 35”, generating 235 horses.

2013 – Golf GTI Mk7: Launched with two engine outputs for the first time, the base had 220 horses while the GTI Performance had 230. The latter featured an electronically-controlled torque-sensing limited-slip differential and was constructed on the modular transverse matrix (MQB) platform which cut the GTI’s weight by up to 92 lb. Then came the Golf GTI Clubsport S with an output of 310 horses.

2021 – Golf GTI Mk8: The all-new, eighth-generation rides on the same MQB platform and packs 245 horsepower courtesy of a direct-injected turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.