The Volkswagen Golf GTI seventh generation with 260 hp

Although the Volkswagen Golf GTI is one of those classics that resist retirement from the taste of the most dedicated followers of the brand, it is about to turn 34 years old, and what better way to celebrate a new birthday than with a full-fledged power boost and a few technological extras. The next version will be something serious, with 260 hp and the new Haldex traction system unit with electronic clutch.

Among other details of the brand’s next enfant terrible, there is a use of aluminium that is more than abundant; to give you an idea, both the floor and the roof of the GTI will be made of aluminium. The gain in weight reduction achieved by using this material will undoubtedly be a strong asset in favour of the next GTI. But if we talk about the materials of the Golf R, things get even better.

The Golf will share the MQB structure that will also be used in the Audi A3. Within this platform, the use of carbon fibre plays an important role, so that in addition to aluminium in the roof to reduce weight, Volkswagen promises the use of carbon fibre in the central section of the Golf R, together with the aluminium that will form the joint with the rest of the bodywork.

It gets more interesting when we see that the two-litre TSI turbo engine still has a lot of life ahead and that it will now be raised to 260 hp thanks to certain changes the brand has not yet mentioned. However, the GTI’s improvement lies mainly in the Haldex clutch, configured to deliver 90% of the traction to the front axle and 10% to the rear axle, electronically compensating for traction losses.

For those who want to see the next-generation Golf GTI in person, they will have to wait a few more months. Volkswagen will give us the first look at the Paris Motor Show in September, while in the future the model’s sales plan includes starting to market it in early 2013.