Volkswagen Golf GTI 35 (2011 onwards)

What: Volkswagen Golf GTI 35
Where: Milton Keynes, UK
Date: July 2011
Price: £27,000 approx (tbc)
Available: Autumn 2011 (date tbc)
Key rivals: SEAT Leon Cupra, Renaultsport Megane 250, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf

Summary: The VW Golf GTI 35 is an ably enhanced special edition Golf that marks 35 years of the hot hatch in entertaining style.

We like: Well-judged enhancements, effusive engine, ride and handling ability, small-scale collectability
We don't like: So-so economy, soft brakes, price likely to be steep

First impressions

Volkswagen has long celebrated major Golf GTI milestones with anniversary special editions. The latest marks 35 years of the original hot hatch, but this time, is a little bit more than a mere styling overhaul.

The Golf GTI engineering team has taken a fresh look at how the Golf GTI drives, making a series of small but telling tweaks to hone the already-acclaimed hot hatch. It's easy to imagine changes here have been on the 'to do' list for some time.

Key difference is a power boost, to 235hp. This is 25hp up on standard, and 35hp down on the range-topping Golf R. Curiously, it has not come from tuning up the standard Golf GTI engine, but detuning the alternative (and more expensive to produce) 2.0-litre motor in the Golf R.

Suspension has been lowered by 15mm and given a more sports-orientated twist. A new design of 18" wheels (offered in silver or dark grey metallic) conceal it, with 19" rims optionally available. Electronic dampers are also on the options list.

Styling has been refocused. A new front bumper includes black winglets on the leading edge, to tweak aerodynamics, and sill extensions are bigger. Gloss black door mirrors are fitted, contrasting with the '35' logo on the front wing, and rear lights get a smoked red finish.

Subtle, then, but purposeful and all done with intent. Volkswagen isn't looking to reinvent the GTI here, but perfect it, and justify the expected £2,000 premium over standard (yes, it's an expensive car...). In terms of statistics, it's a winner already: it's the fastest Golf GTI ever. But is it the best?

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Performance

An extra 25hp makes a bigger difference than you'd expect, as it comes not from the standard Golf GTI engine but from that stronger, more specialist Golf R motor. For the Golf 35, 235hp is a fitting output (and delivered from 5,500-6,300rpm) but it's the way it is delivered that's key.

This is an engine with an abundance of low-down torque but also a real willingness to rev. It is alert at low revs, very strong in the mid range and rapid at high revs; 3,000rpm is enough for real alacrity out of corners, and the vim doesn't tail off until the 7,000rpm rev limiter: it is extremely vibrant.

In practice, this means it is useable and easygoing in daily traffic, but with a sharp performance edge on demand too. It's like the standard GTI here: but if that errs towards refinement, the emphasis here is more on engagement, and better for it.

It remains very smooth yet sounds and feels a bit more 'mechanical'. VW has tuned the standard GTI's sound symposer to let more engine noise in, with the pleasingly cammy growl more prominent than in the standard GTI. There's just enough to tell you this is more bespoke than normal.

Ride and handling

The Golf GTI is the world's all-rounder hot hatch, a tradition VW has respected here, while also pushing the boundaries slightly to the sporting scale. So, although the ride is a bit more pattery and vocal than standard, it retains strong bump absorption and long-distance compliance.

This is part of why it's ideal for broken British B-roads. The other element is an agile, sharp and lively chassis that handles everything thrown at it by aggressive UK roads. It rarely feels furrowed and never becomes out of sorts. It shows off the best aspects of UK corners, without letting their bumps spoil the fun.

VW fits a standard electronic limited-slip differential, called XDS. This works well, allowing you to get on the power early and feel the bite of grip in corners. It adds to the sophistication and is a good digital copy of a mechanical differential - and while it doesn't make the steering wheel fight like a 'real' LSD, it does discreetly influence the steering system.

This needs the help: it initially disappoints. There is too much straight-ahead free play, feeling soft when you first turn the wheel. Once in corners though, it's transformed. The XDS tightens it up, adding weight and reaction, providing force feedback that highlights the dynamics involved in driving a powerful front-drive hot hatch fast.

Interior

The GTI '35' logo features prominently. It's on both the door kickplates and the seats, finished in a bespoke tartan trim (containing 'active-breathing microfibres'). To the uninitiated, though, that's it for changes, with the Golf's superb practicality, all-round space and ergonomic perfection all intact. No hot hatch is easier to use.

It's GTI fans who'll spot the details: bespoke black honeycomb dash inserts, red-stitched steering wheel and handbrake, red shadow outlines for the dials - and the return once again of the golf ball gearknob. It's evolved, even incorporating a variant for the optional DSG gearbox, but still has the dimples of the 1976 original.

Economy and safety

Volkswagen hasn't quite managed to make the Golf GTI as exceptionally fuel-efficient as its TDI diesel models, so 34.8mpg is no more than average, despite the 235hp output and 153mph potential. The DSG improves it slightly, to 35.3mpg.

We think a car with enhanced performance should have an enhanced set of brakes to suit. Even if the Golf R's larger 345mm discs were prohibitive, VW could still have engineered the feel of the system to give more weight and response. Even if they do ultimately work well, the standard anchors are just too soft and light, which hurts 'perceived' safety a little.

The MSN Cars verdict

All Golf GTI special editions are collectable, simply because it's that sort of car. The Golf GTI 35 will be doubly so, as it shows small but pleasing improvements over standard that make an already excellent car even better still.

A little collectability will help justify the price hike, too...

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