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VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI 40th ANNIVERSARY— A LIMITED AND SPECIAL EDITION
By Piero Facchin
In October 2022, Volkswagen of America announced the 40th anniversary edition of the 2023 Golf GTI, available exclusively in the North American market. The GTI has defined the term “hot hatch” in the U.S. since its arrival as the Rabbit GTI in 1983. With an estimated 1,500 units for the U.S., including 500 destined for Canada, the 40th Anniversary Edition celebrates the model’s four decades of history, while showing off the best of the current eighth generation.
The exterior of the 40th Anniversary Edition features unique design details that set it apart from the rest of the 2023 GTI line. “40” decals with honeycomb flourishes run along the door sills, referencing the model’s heritage. An illuminated grille complements the classic GTI red stripe and adds an extra touch of style. The 19-inch multi-spoke wheels are painted gloss black with red striped accents and are mounted on 235/35 summer performance tires. Borrowed from the European Golf G T I Clubsport 45 model, these wheels bring a performance-oriented character to the special edition.
Inside, a tasteful “40” fastener at the six o’clock position on the steering wheel commemorates the GTI’s history, along with traditional honeycomb accents, Tartan-patterned cloth seats and a golf ball-inspired manual shift knob.
As with the rest of the 2023 Golf GTI lineup, the 40th Anniversary Edition is powered by a 2.0-liter EA888 turbocharged engine with 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. It is available with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed DSG® automatic transmission with Tiptronic®. Vehicle dynamic parameters tightly integrate Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Electronic Differential Lock (XDS®) and the standard DCC® adaptive damping system. By adapting the damping of each wheel 200 times per second, it can deliver particularly agile and precise handling.
The 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI 40th Anniversary Edition is on sale now with an MSRP of $36,995 for manual transmission models and $38,395 for DSG equipped models. Incidentally, that’s $4,500 more than the price of a standard Golf GTI, and there are no additional extras other than those listed above.
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