Golf GTI – eight generations, each with that distinctive front

Golf 1 GTI

The Golf learns to race

The original GTI hit the scene in 1976, full of confidence, and sporting a black front grille with a red border and a lean design (still at this point). The headlights, protruding from under the bonnet of the lightweight compact car, form the external end points. The first GTI emblem is chrome and intentionally presents a stark contrast with the black Volkswagen logo. “Even with the original GTI, all the design elements already reflect a clear attitude,” says GTI designer Marco Pavone. He and his team were set the demanding challenge of designing the new GTI.

The early Golf 1 GTI can be identified by the narrow bumper. These were replaced in 1978 by broader, plastic-covered bumpers. The compact “car in a sports suit” unleashes a magical 110 PS at 6,100 rpm (and weighing just 800 kilograms).

Golf 2 GTI

Greater width, individuality and comfort

“The design of the second generation of Golf GTI is a fascinating development,” says Pavone. Initially sporting twin headlights, like its predecessor, the 16V version of the second generation of Golf GTI came with integrated fog lights from 1988 – each located next to the front headlights. The front grille is still outlined in red, while the bumper itself also features a red GTI line. Under this, for the first time, comes an additional air inlet.

On the whole, it continues the conceptual course of the first generation: it is larger, wider and more comfortable – and, in the case of the GTI G60, generates up to 160 PS. The raw power is also clear to see from the dynamic exterior. The chrome GTI 16V logo, usually aligned to the right, is replaced by a red G60 on the left side. Gone are the eleven delicate lines of its predecessor’s radiator grille, to be replaced by four thicker bars. The Volkswagen logo remains black.

Golf 3 GTI

The grown-up sports compact

Generation three of the GTI is somewhat softer and has even more of a wedge shape. “This backs up the sporty character of the Golf GTI,” Pavone explains. The front features a striking modification: the double headlamps of the second generation of GTI disappear under a combined diffuser lens, replaced by a collective diffuser. They give the radiator grille, which now consists of just three thick horizontal bars, a shorter appearance. The front spoiler comes in the same colour as the car, and is once again lowered and broader. The lower area also features the split air intake, which is to become a typical feature of generations 4 to 6. Another new feature to catch the eye is the striking red line below the halogen lighting unit. The GTI emblem – red this time – is moved closer towards the Volkswagen logo, which is now in chrome.

Golf 4 GTI

The fourth GTI breaks down class boundaries

Four in a row: “Launched in 1998, the Golf 4 GTI has a more modest appearance and, for example, is the first and only GTI not to sport the red stripe on the radiator grille. And yet the model is celebrated to this day as the starting point for a new, clean era of vehicle design. It also set new benchmarks in terms of individuality, quality and speed,” says Pavone. It was particularly quick when equipped with its largest engine: 180 PS allowed a top speed of 228 km/h. From the designer’s perspective, the 25-year anniversary edition was particularly striking. “It was thanks to that model that I was bitten by the GTI bug,” explains Pavone, who was born in Brazil. “The brilliant clear-glass headlights and wide sills were particularly distinctive!”

However, even in the production GTI, the lighting units (including the indicators and fog lights) were installed in a compact lighting module. The front and rear aprons, side sills and roof-edge spoilers were painted the same colour as the car itself, while many elements were once again broader than those of its predecessor. The GTI logo shifted from the right to the left for the first time.

Golf 5 GTI

New honeycomb design and familiar virtues

“The design of the fifth generation of GTI was once again far more self-contained and takes inspiration from the first GTI,” says Pavone, describing the development. In brief: the return of the classic. This is particularly clear to see from the red trim around the radiator grille. One new and emotional style element is the honeycomb design of the front grille: “Even today, it is still hard to imagine a GTI without it.”

The round twin headlights are back – grouped in one module behind dark glass. Just like its ancestor, the fog lights are located low down in the front apron.

Golf 6 GTI

Sharp lines and an edgy character

The sixth generation of the Golf GTI transported the tradition of the original version into the future. Two fine red trims run across the front grille and link the bi-xenon headlamps to the dynamic, adaptive lights. The spoiler is now adorned with striking air intakes with sharp fins – three on each side. The vertical fog lights are also located low down. The spoiler takes up the central alignment of its predecessor – but broadens it. A splitter is also installed for the first time. “That gives the Golf 6 GTI the most powerful, modern and angular appearance to date,” explains Pavone.

Golf 7 GTI

Power Golf penetrates new performance classs

“The first GTI, on which I was allowed to let my creative juices flow as a designer,” says Pavone. “For me, it remains the very best, with iconic quality – no GTI had ever been as stylish.”

The continuous red GTI trim on the seventh generation runs confidently into the slim, full-LED headlights. The bonnet arches right down to the front grille, while sharp lines run from the headlights up to the A pillar. One particularly characteristic element is the daytime running light with its “Wings” design, which also features the red GTI trim. The broader side sills emphasise the fact that this ‘power’ Golf is a dynamic beast. However, the front spoiler, with the typical GTI honeycomb pattern also impresses with wider bumpers extending further outwards.

Golf 8 GTI

The eighth reinvention of the GTI

More dynamic, purer, and more efficient: the deep-set LED matrix headlights, which come as standard, are enough to recognise that “light is the new chrome” in the case of this high-tech sports compact – GTI number eight. “This Golf GTI has become an icon of the modern era and bears the unmistakable design DNA of its predecessors. However, it embodies these attributes in a more progressive and digital manner than ever before, with a particularly powerful and dynamic stance,” says Pavone. Immediately under the bonnet, we find the familiar red GTI trim. While the predecessor’s bumper was divided by fins, the honeycomb design is now completely open. Located to the left and right are the new GTI wings, which charismatically integrate the optional LED fog lights in an X-shape and create a completely new impression.