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Spy Shots: MkVI Golf GTI spotted testing
by Dan Roth on Aug 23rd 2008 at 9:08AM 
Not too many surprises lie under the camoflage, the next-generation GTI will be the Angry-Teut-Box version of Volkswagen's forthcoming Golf VI, which we've already seen. The overall milieu is an evolutionary step from our current fifth-generation Golf/Rabbit, though the detail changes to the GTI that KGP snagged add some sporty stylistic touches which will undoubtedly be backed up by hardware. The front end gets honeycomb grilles for every opening and eschews foglamps in favor of brake cooling, with bright red calipers now squeezing away. A dual exhaust setup might have you thinking R32 instead of GTI, but there are rumors floating around that the R32 will be kaput after the current generation. We hope that the MkVI keeps or even expands upon the current GTI's demeanor, which finally returned to some of the original hot-hatch magic after years of bloat. Rumors are that the GTI VI will show up at the Paris Motor Show as a "concept" - nudge,nudge,wink,wink.[Source: golfmk6.com, Photo:KGP]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Craig 9:48AM (8/23/2008)
I bet it looks just like the last one.
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tankd0g 10:13AM (8/23/2008)
They even camo'd the driver's head. Hard core.
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Benfolio 10:21AM (8/23/2008)
Whoops! Someone taped a kazoo to the rear spoiler.
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Kitko 10:57AM (8/23/2008)
I still have to find logical reasons why are some people excited about A) Volkswagen B) Golf C) GTI. There are cars out there that look better and that do everything one expects of such a car better. I guess, there's no passion or excitement in the VW world, so it must be just GTI mark I nostalgia. Which is too little to justify the hype.
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zamafir 11:15AM (8/23/2008)
Ever heard of the new Audi S3? TT-S? It shouldn't be too hard to see why people who like hatches or european cars might like the prospect of an AWD hatch with 265 hp that manages around 30mpg.
Chase 11:29AM (8/23/2008)
If you're so sure there are simply hands-down better cars than the GTI, why do people buy them? Maybe there is a much more plausible explanation: you're just being ignorant, and there are plenty of things you're overlooking...
zamafir 11:38AM (8/23/2008)
Plenty? Just Car and Driver's pick for best new fun car under $25,000 (along with MX-5), Consumer Report's best pick for sports car under $30,000, and every other auto mag indicating it's a huge step forward from the previous, tremendous amount of fun and value and ridiculously competent all around performer.
Braden 1:49PM (8/23/2008)
Same reason people are obsessed with Apple.
It's kind of hard to explain the je ne sais quoi (or is that the ich weiß nicht was?) about VW. It's not your average econo-shiat-box.
I
Atomicbri 3:48PM (8/23/2008)
Kitko you must have not driven one ever.... they are fun, Handle very well, interior is very well tailored and goes like stink. I own one and it is an excellent vehicle and feels much more expensive inside than its few rivals it has.
Chase 11:33AM (8/23/2008)
The new GTI is rumored to have audi-esque LED bars in the headlights. Perhaps that's what the yellow bar is on the bottom of the lights in some of the shots.
If the car I'm imagining is actually what's beneath that camo, then Paris will be an exciting debut!
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Jacob 1:16PM (8/23/2008)
golfmk6.com mensions that it probably isn't the R32 because the dual exhaust on the R32 is in the center??? Doesn't anyone remember the MkIV R32 had dual exhaust just like this one?
I'd buy a new R version, but with the TT-S drive train instead. They can keep the V6. Overall, I like it more than the MkV.
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MikeW 4:06PM (8/23/2008)
It better have Haldex if the 2.0t is going to make something like 250ft-lbs by 1500rpm.
Let the R32 die, let the R36 replace it.
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