extensions, a black frame around the rear window, red edge around the radiator grille, tartan sports seats, the golf ball gear knob and a sports steering wheel with a special design feature. The 5,000 units of the Golf GTI Mk1 eventually ended up as 461,690 units – and the ultimate crowning glory of the product line was the Pirelli-GTI, a special edition generating 112 PS. This marked the first chapter in what remains the world’s most successful compact sports car.
1984 – Golf GTI Mk2 Stroke of genius with up to 160 PS. A real strategic stroke of genius followed with the Golf GTI Mk2 in early 1984. Still delivering 112 PS, it perpetuated the concept and design DNA of the first generation. The GTI’s insignia – in particular the red strip in the radiator grille and the tartan sports seats – became classic design features and the newcomer ultimately became an icon. In 1984 the vehicle’s output briefly dropped to 107 PS as a result of the introduction of the catalytic converter. Two years later, Volkswagen offset the loss of power with a new 16V engine generating 129 PS including catalytic converter, which came close to matching the agility of the original GTI (139 PS without a catalytic converter). In 1990 the G-Lader supercharger in the Golf GTI G60 boosted its output to 160 PS.
1991 – Golf GTI Mk3 Up to 150 PS. Volkswagen transferred the GTI insignias to the third generation in 1991. The second GTI generation’s dual headlights had now been concealed behind a shared lens and the vehicle’s output started from 115 PS. One year later, the engine output was increased to 150 PS thanks to a new four-valve engine. In 1996 a turbocharged diesel version (TDI) generating 110 PS enhanced the GTI concept. Years later, petrol and diesel engines would be divided once and for all into GTI and GTD. 1996 also saw the launch of the “20 years of GTI” anniversary model.
1998 – Golf GTI Mk4 Icon generating 180 PS. The fourth generation of the GTI, introduced in 1998, was modest in terms of