Unfortunately, 2024 will be the last year that Volkswagen will produce a manual-shift Golf GTI since the vast majority of customers of this model worldwide prefer a dual-clutch automatic transmission that is as fast and precise as the latest generation DSG-7. For this reason, the German manufacturer decided to introduce one special edition the most popular sports version of the compact par excellence Farewell to the traditional gearbox. It is called GTI 380but don’t get your hopes up too high, because It will not arrive in Spain, nor will it have 380 CV of power, as one might think.
It is a limited production series of the Golf GTI (exactly how long is not known) that has one specific equipment and an unprecedented finish. Commercialization is planned only for the United States, surprise aside, we won’t see any of their units in Europe. The most outstanding external foundations include a Set of black 19-inch wheels as on the Golf R 20 Aniversario and a new metallic gray body paint finish to match a dark roof and mirrors, although there are more colors in option. It also includes sports tires For summer.
Inside, the details are less distinctive, or at least not vastly different, from the current Golf GTIs sold this side of the Atlantic. The 380 edition of the mythical “Hot Hatch” has striped fabric upholstery like the original model, aluminum pedals and the usual technology in terms of active safety and multimedia system, plus adaptive damping. A,ccording to Volkswagen North American marketing managers, the GTI 380 (named after the internal code used for the MK8) is a Homage to pure driving enthusiasts and manual for four decades, as well as a nod to the 2002 GTI 337 (MK4).
Its engine is known because it is the same 2.0 TSI (EA888) that is installed in a regular GTI. This four-cylinder, turbocharged engine delivers up to 245 CVs power (370 Nm torque) and is equipped with a manual gearbox six relationships As a result, all mechanical power is transferred to the front axle. let’s accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 250km/h with an average consumption of 7.1L/100km according to the European WLTP approval, as we don’t know how much he officially spends there. In addition, with five doors, five seats, and one Trunk with 374 liters capacity, it is a toy that is as practical as it is economical.
The Germans even offer one Modification of this type for the Golf R in the USA (something that seems exclusive to us in our latitudes), they charge a minimum of $32,485 for one of these specimens, i.e. a little less than 30,000 euros Today. In Spain, it is still possible to buy a completely new Golf GTI with a manual gearbox, ordered directly from the Wolfsburg plant, but the price is higher 48,920 euros, fruit of higher tax burdens and the strict environmental regulations that apply here. Could it be that it still is? “freedom land” or “the nation of dreams”?
