Volkswagen has released the Golf GTI 380, a North America-exclusive special edition of the famous performance hatchback model that will be the standard specification of every manual transmission Mk8 Golf GTI sold in the market for the 2024 model year, which will be the final year of production for the six-speed manual transmission-equipped Golf GTI.
The ‘380’ designation comes from the manufacturer’s internal model code for the Mk8 Golf, and in doing so for this special edition, offering a tip of the hat to the fourth-generation GTI 337 special edition from 2002 which borrowed the ‘337’ designation from the internal code of the Mk1 Golf GTI, according to the brand.
Applicable to all three trim variants for the North American market, the GTI 380 is distinguished by aesthetic changes relative to the ‘regular’ GTI, where the manual hatchback receives DCC adaptive damping and black, multi-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels from the GolF R 20th anniversary edition as standard. Joining the set is a gloss black finish for the roof and mirror covers.
Interior cues for the GTI 380 include the iconic golf ball-shaped gear lever knob as found on manual-quipped Golf GTIs, along with honeycomb accents. The ‘Scalepaper Plaid’ seat upholstery features on S and SE trim levels, while the ‘Vienna’ leather upholstery is optional on the SE and standard on the top Autobahn variant.
Powertrain for the Golf GTI 380 carries over the setup as currently used by the model, where the familiar EA888 2.0 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine that outputs 241 hp and 370 Nm of torque, transmitted to the front axle via the aforementioned six-speed manual gearbox. The seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic continues to be available for the Golf GTI.
Offered in exterior colours including Deep Black Pearl, Atlantic Blue Metallic, Kings Red Metallic, Reflex Silver Metallic, Moonstone Gray, and Opal White Pearl plus the GTI 380-exclusive Graphite Gray Metallic, the Volkswagen Golf GTI 380 goes on sale in North America in autumn priced from US$32,485 (RM150,714), excluding destination charges.
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goodbye manual my old friend