Volkswagen Has Depressing News for Golf GTI and Golf R Fans
It’s a sad day for fans of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R as the company today announced the 2024 models will be the last ones to offer a manual transmission. That’s right: no more stick shift after that.
A special edition of the former, called Golf GTI 380, will be available exclusively in the North American market, with the “380” name taken from the car’s internal model code—a nod to the fourth-generation “337” special edition that was sold in 2002.
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Whether in “Autobahn“ or “Performance“ trim, the manual 2024 Golf GTI 380 visually stands out with multi-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels in a gloss black finish and summer performance tires. A gloss black painted roof pairs with gloss black mirror caps.
The unique hot hatch can be specified in one of five body colours including Deep Black Pearl, Kings Red Metallic, Oryx White Pearl, Pomelo Yellow Metallic and Dolphin Gray Metallic. The last two are not offered on other GTI models.
Inside, the GTI 380 Autobahn pays homage to the storied history of GTI with classic Scalepaper Plaid cloth seats and honeycomb accents. Vienna leather seating surfaces come standard on the “Performance“ trim, but they can be substituted for Scalepaper Plaid at the customer’s request.
Under the hood, you’ll find the familiar turbocharged EA888 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 241 horsepower and 273 lb-ft. of torque. The DCC adaptive damping system is included as standard.
In Canada, the 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI 380 starts at $36,895, and the first units are scheduled to arrive at dealerships in early fall. The DSG-equipped GTI will continue to be available in three trims for 2024, with a starting MSRP of $34,795.
By the way, the six-speed manual gearbox will also be dropped from the Jetta sedan’s lineup after 2024. The only exception will be the Jetta GLI, but for how long?
In related news, Volkswagen plans to introduce something special at IAA in Munich on Sunday. From the post below, it looks like the Rabbit will make a return.
The internet is full of 🐈 🐈 🐈. Everyone likes cats. We like them, too. But today, we want to honor the rabbit – for good reason. Stay tuned!#welovetherabbit #OneFuture #Volkswagen #VW pic.twitter.com/fZznfrlvha
— Volkswagen News (@volkswagen) August 27, 2023